Offering restorative yoga to others is a profound gift of compassion and healing. The recipient experiences the rare and precious opportunity to “just be” in their bodies and minds, fully supported and relaxed, in the warm presence of a caring guide.
Restorative yoga is a deep and subtle practice of fully supported yoga postures that stimulate the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. This active relaxation results in a physiological and psychological quieting, which soothes the negative effects of chronic stress, and returns one’s system to balance.
In this hands-on, experiential training, participants will learn the essential principles and practices of restorative yoga:
• Practice and receive constructive feedback on setting-up effective restorative poses, including twists, back bends, forward folds, inversions, and savasana variations
• Learn the key ingredients to creating a restorative environment for clients,
and how to sequence a restorative class or private session
• Understand the energetic qualities of the postures and how and when to use them to obtain desired therapeutic results
• Uncover greater centeredness, clarity, and expansiveness within yourself through direct somatic experience in the postures
throughout the workshop
• Skillfully incorporate breath work and meditation into your restorative teaching
• Learn appropriate adaptations and modifications for restorative practice for pregnancy, physical limitations, and other challenges including working with clients in a hospital or office setting
MARLIE MCGOVERN, E-RYT, RPYT, MA, teaches meditative and somatic practices from the contemplative traditions of Yoga and Buddhism, informed by contemporary insights from Western psychology.
With an educational background in cultural anthropology and psychology, Marlie explores how we experience ourselves and others in the world. She specializes in restorative yoga, a deep and nuanced practice of fully supported asana that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and facilitates exploration of the subtle limbs of yoga.
Marlie is the Administrative Director of the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, Program Director for the Institute’s Yoga Psychology Training Program, and a graduate of the Institute’s Certificate Program in Contemplative Psychotherapy.