Elise Ratliff
Elise Ratliff
As the year draws to a close, December invites us to take time to reflect. The days shorten, the air grows cooler, and Arizona comes back to life.
A restorative practice balances the busyness of the season. It soothes the nervous system, replenishes depleted energy, and helps the body and mind prepare for renewal in the year ahead.
Unlike active forms of yoga, restorative yoga focuses on being rather than doing. Each pose is supported with props such as bolsters, blankets, blocks, and straps. These props allow the body to release without effort. The goal isn’t to stretch deeply, but to surrender fully. During December, when so much energy moves outward, restorative yoga draws it gently inward.
Here’s a simple restorative sequence you can practice at home:
1. Supported Child’s Pose: Rest your chest and head on a bolster or pillow. Let the spine round, shoulders drop, and breath deepen. Affirmation: “I am safe to rest.”
2. Reclined Bound Angle: Lie back on a bolster, soles of the feet together, knees supported by blocks. Let the heart open. Affirmation: “I am open to receive peace.”
3. Legs Up the Wall: A gentle inversion to restore circulation and calm the mind. Affirmation: “I let go and allow stillness to hold me.”
4. Supported Twist: Lie on your side with a bolster between your knees, gently twisting the spine. Affirmation: “I release the old and welcome the new.”
5. Savasana: Rest completely, covered with a blanket, eyes closed, breath soft. Affirmation: “I am whole, exactly as I am.”
Through restorative yoga, we learn that rest is not the opposite of productivity; it is the source of it. This month, as you wrap gifts and make plans for the new year, remember to wrap yourself in stillness, too. Light a candle. Take a breath. Let yourself be restored.
This class is done on the floor and is suitable for all fitness levels. Please bring two blankets or towels to class, as well as anything else you have that will provide cushion and support. Blocks and straps are provided.
Join Elise for class at the Sun Lakes Cottonwood Palo Verde Fitness Center. Classes are Monday and Friday at 10 a.m. The cost is $5 per class or prepay $20 to get five classes.
Hope to see you there!
~Namaste~