Try the following simple restorative sequence before bed for a good night’s sleep or any time during the day when you feel you could do with a little down-time and re-centering during busy periods.

The suggested time for each pose is 5 minutes. However, if you have the time, you can stay for up to 10 or 15 minutes in each pose.

If you don’t have a bolster or blocks, you can create them using items that you have at home:

• Bolster – use a thick, heavy rolled up wool blanket
• Block – use a thick book

1) Supported twist

1 bolster

• Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor
• Take a breath and slowly exhale, consciously releasing your weight into the floor
• Place your bolster between your shins and your knees
• Using the help of your hands to support the bolster, gently release your knees to the floor on the right side
• Take a moment to ensure that you can relax your legs completely, with the bolster simply resting between them
• Open your arms into a T position, palms facing up, and if it’s comfortable for your neck, gently look towards your left hand
• Close your eyes, and with every exhale start to release your weight completely, releasing every muscle in your body
• Stay for 5 minutes, and repeat on the left side

2) Seated wide-legged forward fold

1 bolster, 1 folded blanket, 2 blocks, 4 additional blocks or rolled up blankets

• Make sure you place plenty of height underneath your sitting bones – use 1 or 2 folded blankets
• Gently stretch your legs out to a comfortable width, placing a rolled up blanket or block under each knee
• Rest your bolster on top of 1 or 2 blocks choosing a suitable height to support your upper body
• Slowly release your upper body onto the bolster, turning your head to the right
• Place your forearms on blocks or rolled up blankets for complete support
• Close your eyes and consciously release your weight into the bolster, blocks and the floor
• Stay for 5 minutes, remembering to turn your head to the other side half-way through

3) Supported child’s pose

1 bolster, 2 blankets (optional)

• Come to a kneeling position
• Place your bolster between your knees and slowly release your torso onto the bolster
• Turn your head to the left, resting your cheek on the bolster
• You can also place a blanket over you for extra comfort and warmth
• Close your eyes and surrender your weight completely to the bolster, and releasing your hips onto your heels (if this becomes too uncomfortable for your ankles, fold a blanket and place it underneath your ankles to reduce the pressure)
• Stay for 5 minutes, remembering to turn your head to the right half-way through

4) Legs up the wall

1 rolled up blanket, 2 folded blankets

• Prepare 1 or 2 folded blankets that you will use to place underneath your hips
• Prepare another folded blanket with one end rolled just enough to sit snuggly underneath your neck
• Sit with your right hip against the wall and start to lie down diagonally, walking your feet across the wall as you do this and bringing your back on the floor with your feet up on the wall
• Placing your feet flat on the wall, press into the soles of your feet to lift your hips, and slide the folded blankets underneath your sacrum so that your hips remain elevated
• Place the small roll underneath your neck to gently cushion it
• Straighten your legs against the wall and rest your arms alongside your body with your palms facing up
• Close your eyes, and consciously release your weight into the blankets and floor with every exhale
• Stay for 5 minutes

Click here for more information on Restorative Yoga.