If you have been following us on our blog and social media this week, you might have noticed that we mentioned restorative yoga a few times. No matter what kind of life situation we are in, we all need some time to ourselves. Restorative yoga is wonderful for everyone, especially if you work at a high-stress job or are constantly on the go, as it completely rejuvenates the mind and body. So, this weekend we challenge you to restore, rejuvenate and re-set with restorative yoga.

Restore with Amy Ippoliti: http://bit.ly/Mo5pt0

Each week we scour the interwebs to bring you amazing yoga articles, insights and stories that we hope will illuminate the power of yoga, the ways in which it can heal and soothe and the ways in which it can make us laugh, smile and learn much more about ourselves than we ever expected. This week’s links we think you’ll love are all about how yoga can make you feel empowered. Whether you are a maxed out mother, frustrated child or someone in the fight of their life, yoga can make you feel like you can take on the world.

• On how a yoga camp is used to empower children: “Because of the environment and the things going on around the children, knowing how to calm themselves down and how to deal with some of the trauma that they’ve been introduced to is important,” Saddler-Walker says. “They need to know how to respond in a nonviolent way.”
• Restorative yoga helped with the healing: As she grappled with the rigours of fighting a terminal illness and breast reconstruction surgery, Skaey took action, leveraging several complementary practices to stay active and positive… She found a restorative yoga class that allowed her to gradually rebuild her strength and address physical challenges associated with her breast reconstruction, which had involved repurposing a muscle in her back.
• Yoga For Busy Moms: Busy moms run around with so many items on their to-do list while taking care of their child and subsequently forget to breathe! We take it for granted that we breathe automatically but when you do not breathe correctly, this is what causes stress…
• Yoga Helps to Relieve Aches and Pains from Gardening: To prevent fatigue and energize your body, it is important to take periodic stretch breaks. The following yoga inspired stretches will help relieve bodily discomfort brought on by spending hours in the garden.
• The Yoga of Parenthood: “Parenting is truly the greatest joy, but the most difficult ‘job’ in the world. I, for one, need all the tools I can get to negotiate this path. Sometimes it is a simple asana to bring me clarity, other times it is yogic philosophy. Even a few meditative breaths go a long way. The beauty of parenthood, though, is like yoga – there is no right or wrong.”

We celebrated Day Nine of 30:30 with a wonderful 90 minute restorative class with Noah Mazé.

Class notes: In this practice of Level 2 Restorative poses, we cultivate stability and steadfastness by holding active weight bearing poses with support for specific lengths of time. Standing inversions, headstand, backbends, shoulder stand, and seated pranayama sequence to create and increase steady strength. This class uses a wall, two or three blankets, two blocks and a strap for the various poses.

Enjoy!