Yoga Relaxation Techniques: They're Not Interchangeable

by Nina

Patterns in the Sand 2, by Brad Gibson

Okay, I admit it. It’s probably my fault. I’ve been going around saying that you can trigger the Relaxation Response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga) using any of the following: restorative yoga, inverted poses, Savasana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra, etc. as if all those practices were somehow interchangeable. This has led to questions like the following comment left on a Friday Q&A: Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Savasana:

It is very helpful to read the distinctions between these four practices as I try to practice all of them, but it's hard to find the time. I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on whether it's important to do all four? For example, if you do restorative while listening to a nidra CD, do you also need to meditate? I'm interested to know what the various benefits are of these four practices, or are the benefits all the same?

Let me start by saying that what I said previously—that you can use any of these practices for stress management—still holds true. And it is also true that you can choose whichever techniques you prefer to trigger the Relaxation Response. However, these practices each have different roles to play in a balanced yoga practice.

The role of meditation in a balanced yoga practice is particularly important. That’s why I asked Timothy to write an article on the purpose of meditation (see his absolutely wonderful post Is Meditation an Essential Par of Practicing Yoga?). Basically, although you can use meditation for stress reduction, its role in classical yoga is to quiet the mind to allow union with the divine or “liberation”:

1.2 Yoga is the cessation of movements of consciousness.
1.3 Then the seer dwells in his own true splendor.

— from Yoga Sutras, trans. B.K.S. Iyengar

Meditation is also, as Timothy mentions, a “fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it.”

Pranayama is also an important component of classical yoga, which precedes meditation as one of eight steps on the path to samadhi (union with the divine). It is considered an instrument to “steady the mind” and a gateway to dharana (the first phase of meditation).

“Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.

Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, pranayama wafts away the clouds that hide the light of intelligence.” — Sutra 2.52 trans. by B.K.S. Iyengar

On the other hand, the two types of asana I recommended for triggering the Relaxation Response, restorative yoga and supported inversions, are brilliant 20th century inventions, mostly developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, which are designed specifically to maximize physical relaxation and reduce stress. Judith Lasater, one of the most renowned teachers of restorative yoga, writes in the introduction to her book Relax and Renew:

“The antidote to stress is relaxation. To relax is to rest deeply. This rest is different from sleep. Deep states of sleep include periods of dreaming which increase muscular tension, as well as other physiological signs of tension. Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.

"Common to all stress reduction techniques is putting the body in a comfortable position with gentle attention directed toward the breath.”

Likewise, yoga nidra is also a 20th century invention (though you may see some claims to the contrary) developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. The first sentence of his book Yoga Nidra defines the practice like this:

“Yoga nidra, which is derived from the tantras, is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously.”

In yoga nidra, you lie in Savasana while the voice of a teacher (or a recording) guides you through a physical and mental relaxation process. So, like restorative yoga, yoga nidra is specifically intended as a relaxation technique, and as such does not replace meditation or pranayama in a balanced yoga practice. This would be true of any form of Savasana in which an external voice is providing instructions and/or imagery for you. Unlike other relaxation techniques, yoga nidra includes a sankalpa (an intention) that allows you to influence your subconscious (or so it is claimed). For example, “I will awaken my spiritual potential,” “I will be a positive force for the evolution of others,” or “I will be successful in all that I undertake.” So this may be something you wish to take into consideration when choosing your relaxation practice.

Unlike the modern restorative postures, Savasana is a much older pose. Based on what I’ve read about the original practice, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Savasana is a reclining form of meditation. For some traditional yogis, it was a meditation on death, hence the literal translation of the name Savasana is “Corpse pose,” and it was sometimes even practiced alongside actual corpses. To practice Savasana properly, however, you must actually do the work of meditating while you are in the pose (and make sure you don’t fall asleep). If you don’t actually meditate while in Savasana, then, well, you are simply relaxing. But that's okay, too, if that is what you are after.

So there you have it. Which of these practices you decide to adopt really depends on what your goals are as well as your preferences. If you’re just after stress management and better health, it doesn’t really matter which you chose. However, if your goal is the “liberation” that is yoga’s ultimate aim, both pranayama and meditation are essential steps along the path.

Sorry if I caused any confusion!

Ultimate liberation is when the gunas, devoid of any purpose for the purusa, return to their original [latent] state; in other words, when the power of consciousness is situation in its own essential nature. —Yoga Sutra 4.34 trans. Edwin Bryant

Healthy Eating, Stress and Self Control

by Nina

One of the most important things you can do to support healthy eating is to practice stress management. Thought the reasons for this weren’t immediately obvious to me, the more I’ve looked into this topic, the more compelling those reasons become. Recently I wrote a post Yoga, Stress and Weight Management about how chronic stress causes weight gain by stimulating your appetite. As if increased hunger isn’t bad enough, it turns out that being stressed out can pose an even bigger challenge to your commitment to eating right: it weakens your willpower and causes you to be more impulsive. Say you had a long, traffic-jammed commute on the way to the office, there’s a critical meeting with a client that you make with a minute to spare, and someone’s left a big, pink box of fresh donuts glistening there on the table. Then, even though you planned a day of healthy eating, with a homemade lunch and a healthy snack, before you have time to stop yourself, you somehow you find yourself with a half-eaten donut in your hand.... Does this sound familiar to anyone? According to The Willpower Instinct by Dr. Kelly McGonigal, you’re more likely to cave in to temptation when you’re experiencing the stress response than you are when you are in a state of relaxation.

“While your body was getting ready to defend your life, the alarm system in your brain was busy trying to make sure you didn’t get in the body’s way. It focused your attention on the saber-toothed tiger and your surroundings, making sure no stray thoughts distracted you from the threat at hand. That’s right, the fight-or-flight response wants to make you more impulsive.”

As is often the case, a response that makes sense when your life is actually in danger (a time when over-thinking is probably not a good idea) can backfire on you in modern times. The traffic jams and the meeting with the client that were stressing you out weren’t exactly life threatening, so not being “distracted” by your plans for healthy eating won’t improve the situation (and might even make you feel worse after you come down from your sugar high).

Line of Moss by Brad Gibson

Fortunately, yoga has a few solutions to offer, both for the short term and the long term, to help you reduce the impulsive behavior that can accompany chronic stress. For the short term, Dr. McGonigal recommends slowing down your breathing to four to six breaths per minute, which she says helps shift your body from a state of stress to “self-control mode.” This is obviously something you could do discretely at your desk or even in that conference room where the donuts lay glistening at you. (Your meeting might even go better if you stopped for a minute to “center” yourself this way before it begins.) And since lengthening your exhalation is also a good way to turn down the stress response, I’d add that you could practice any form of pranayama that emphasizes the exhalation over the inhalation.

For the longer term, Dr. McGonigal recommends that you spend some time practicing conscious relaxation to “restore your willpower reserve.” She suggests lying down and breathing deeply, which sounds like Savasana (Relaxation pose) to me! Besides this, of course, yoga has a huge repertoire of ways you can de-stress, including meditation, yoga nidra, restorative yoga, supported inverted poses, and active asana poses practiced with mindfulness (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga for further information).

So if you’re having trouble sticking to your healthy eating plans for the new year, why not experiment by trying one or more of these relaxation techniques and see if they strengthen your willpower. I’d love to hear back about any results. (Besides, if worse comes to worst, you’ll at least be less stressed out!)

Featured Pose: Easy Inverted Pose

by Nina (with a little help from Baxter)

Supported inverted poses are some of the most wonderful yoga poses for reducing stress. By physically inverting yourself (having your heart higher than your head), you employ the natural physiology of your body (the mechanisms that control your blood pressure—see Blood Pressure: Talking About Baroreceptors and Yoga) to invoke the relaxation response. However, in order for an inverted pose to work its magic, you not only need to be able to do it, but it also must be comfortable for you. If you’re in pain or even just uncomfortable you’ll be slightly stressed, so the relaxation response won’t be triggered and you won’t be able to relax completely.

So what’s a person with a bad lower back (a problem for Supported Bridge pose and standing forward bends with head support), tight hamstrings (a problem for Legs Up the Wall pose), or tight shoulders or neck issues (problems for Supported Shoulderstand, Half Plow pose, and Supported Downward-Facing Dog pose) supposed to do? And what about people who are afraid of being upside down or have been recommended to avoid it due high blood pressure or heart disease?

The answer, my friends, is today’s pose, which Baxter and I like to call Easy Inverted pose. Resting your calves on a chair with a support under your pelvis puts your body into a slightly inverted position, so the blood flows from your legs down toward your heart (the opposite of standing upright). So Easy Inverted pose is a very calming inversion, which is also very restful for your leg muscles. (In fact, I find it so effective that I can feel myself start to relax just thinking about it!) And, yet, Easy Inverted pose is so comfortable and accessible, almost everyone can do it (hence the name). If the support under your pelvis irritates your lower back, you can simply do the same pose without it. And one of my favorite MDs (that would be Baxter, of course) assures me that this is a safe pose, too, even for people who have controlled high blood pressure, managed coronary artery disease, or glaucoma (see below for a few cautions).

You can practice this pose on its own for stress management or as an alternative to Savasana at the end of any longer practice. When I’m teaching supported inversions, this is my “back pocket” pose. When a student can’t get comfortable in any of the other poses, I pull this one out for him or her and so far have always found success! I hope you do, too.

Instructions: To set up for the pose, find a chair either with an opening through the back you can put your legs through or one your can turn sideways to let your feet dangle off of. Place a blanket or folded yoga mat on the chair on the chair seat to soften the surface. (If your legs are long, you may need to place extra padding on the chair seat.) Next, if you are not practicing on a carpet, you may wish to set a yoga mat on the floor in front of the chair (we don’t show that in the photo). Then stack one or two blankets folded length-wise about a foot or so from the chair legs (you’ll have to experiment for your body type to find the exact length). This will support your pelvis when you are in the pose. Finally have another blanket, towel or thin pillow nearby to put under your head.

To get into the pose, sit sideways on your pelvis support. Then, using your hands on the floor to stabilize yourself, swing your calves up onto the chair seat. Finally, with your legs resting on the chair seat, lie back and place your head under your head (but not under your neck or shoulders). Allow your arms to rest on the floor, slightly away from your body.

Make sure that your pelvis is close enough to the chair seat so your calves can actually rest comfortably on the chair seat (they should be completely relaxed). But be far enough away from the chair so your thighs are at a good angle (not perpendicular with the floor). Now close your eyes and allow your body to relax. (If you wish, you can put an eye pillow or silk scarf over your eyes as the final touch.)

To come out of the pose, bend your knees and move your feet to the edge of the chair seat. Then slowly, slowly, slowly roll over onto your right side for a couple of breaths. From there, slowly, slowly, slowly use your hands to push yourself up to a seated position, leaving your head for last.

Cautions:  Baxter says that although this is a generally safe pose, if you are on blood thinners or tend to have blood clots, don’t stay in the pose more than 5 to 10 minutes. For lower back problems, instead of using the lift under your pelvis, try turning the blanket the opposite away to support your torso, from your tailbone up through your head.

Friday Q&A: Propping for Relaxation Pose (Savasana)

Q: I have been wondering something about Savasana: Aside from the fact that Savasana has not been all that great for me due to low back/SI joint issues which are lately resolving, I find that my knees feel like they hyperextend in the relaxed state with gravity's pull. Would that alone be reason to always place a support under my knees, or not necessarily? Additional information: I developed the habit of sleeping with pillows under my knees probably 15 years ago at the recommendation of a physical therapist I was seeing at the time for neck problems. Lately my back & SI problems are greatly improved so now I am noticing the feeling of knee hyperextension more as I try to back off of over-reliance on knee support during Savasana. Engaging the quads to ease that seems counterproductive to Savasana. I feel fine with props. I just don't want to overuse them if that would set me up for some imbalance elsewhere.

Thank you so much for your time and dedication to the mission of educating us!

A: I have studied with the foremost expert (in my mind and others) on restorative yoga, Judith Lasater, and her teaching as I interpret is that a restorative pose should feel WONDERFUL when you are in it. The aim of Savasana is deep relaxation, and sometimes we have to work a little to get the pose perfect. So if you need to prop your knees or arms, support your head or low back, or whatever, then that is what you need to do for YOUR Savasana to be inviting and nourishing. There is no one way to do any yoga pose, and that is the gift of yoga which is to find out what works for you.

Please allow yourself to explore and experiment in how you position yourself for the utmost ease and enjoyment. Yoga is not “one size fits all.”

Happy journey.

—Shari