Restorative Yoga

Yesterday I attended my first class at the Y. It was a programmed Restorative Yoga class which runs for 9 weeks at the YMCA located at 2020 Massey Drive.

Because the Yoga was a programmed class, it requires registration and an additional fee, however if you are a YMCA member the prices are considerably discounted. The Restorative Yoga cost $64 for non-members and $20 for members. Coming from Vancouver, this is a very reasonable price for Yoga, even if you are a not a member of the Y.

I have never done Restorative Yoga before, but I have a background taking many Pilates and Power Pilates classes.

Before the class started I chatted with the instructor Kimberly for a little bit. She let me know that the class was very gentle, and had a focus on breath and meditation. She asked if I had done Yoga before and I let her know my experience with Pilates. Kimberly then informed that this class may be difficult for me because it gives attention to stillness, where more conventional Yoga or Pilates classes are all about movement.

So I came in with an open mind…

Restorative Yoga on the YMCA website is described as:

“A very gentle yoga class for those new to yoga and/or those with physical limitations due to weight, illness, stress, etc. Celebrate movement through alignment in postures, flexibility training, and achieve relaxation through breathing exercises and meditation.”

I would say this description hits it right on the spot, with a key emphasis on ‘very gentle’ and ‘relaxation’. I would defiantly recommend this class to those who are recovering from a minor injury or who feel they have some other limitation, and are hoping to build up there flexibility in a relaxed and gentle way.

There was a variety of equipment needed which aided in making the Yoga postures as relaxed as possible. All the postures and poses were very relaxed and soft. The class consisted of meditation and focused on the fundamentals of Yoga.

My favourite part of the class was the last 20 minutes. I’m not sure what the technical Yoga term for it would be but I’m going to call it 'marvellous relaxation time'. You lie down on your mat and wrap a blanket around yourself and just listen to the instructor calmly voice a body part to relax. I believe Kimberly called it guided relaxation.

I wouldn’t recommend this class if you’re looking for an extreme fitness challenge, but if you’re into some gentle stretching, relaxation, and meditation, this may be the class for you.