If you're feeling anxious and overwhelmed, resting in a comfortable position on the floor is an incredibly effective tool to help the nervous system remember that even amidst chaos, there is still firmness and steadiness. Here, I share tips on integrating this practice (also known as "restorative yoga") into your day and getting the most out of it.
Anyone feeling overwhelmed? Anxious?
I struggled with these complex feelings for decades and it wasn't until I discovered restorative yoga, a practice that involves lying in comfortable positions on the floor, that my nervous system started to calm.
What struck me sooooo deeply about the practice was that as my body sensed the firmness and steadiness of the ground beneath me, as it felt all that stable physical support....my nervous system started to feel more steady and supported as well.
As our bodies feel more supported, our muscles begin to soften, which in turn sends signals to the brain that shift us away from fight-or-flight and more into rest-and-digest state.
I teach the more formalized practice of restorative yoga in a variety of settings, usually for longer periods of time and with specific cues, props and poses.
But you don't need a free hour, any knowledge of yoga asana or even any particular props to try resting on the floor and receiving huge benefits.
In fact, I carve out just 5-15 minutes every morning upon waking for a more free-form resting-on-the-ground practice. I roll out of bed, use the restroom, then find whatever positioning calls to me most that day with a few comfy pillows and blankets.
Doing this daily BEFORE picking up the phone, talking to anyone, getting sucked into the day and headlines, does wonders for my nervous system. It sets the tone for the day to come, recalibrating my stress baseline lower and anchoring me in calm.
It's effective any time of day, though...to help reset amidst work stress if you have a private place where you can rest, to release tension before bed, whenever you need to re-ground yourself.
How To Practice & Get the Most Out of It
Find Your Comfortable Positioning and Propping
Try a few variations of body positioning and propping until you find one or more than are comfortable.
ON POSITIONING: Three shapes to try are:
Lying flat on your back ("savasana"), ideally with some light padding beneath your whole body (like a yoga mat or blanket), a pillow beneath your head and maybe another beneath your knees to release the low back slightly, and a blanket over the body for warmth or possibly a folded, denser blanket over the thighs, torso or both for grounding weight.
Lying flat on your back but with the knees bent ("constructive rest"). This position is generally considered gentler for the low back than the above. Again, try a pillow under the head and blanket across the thighs or for warmth.
Lying on your back with your legs up on a chair seat, couch, or your bed ("legs up"). I recommend finding a surface height on which you can comfortably rest your calves, bending the knees to 90 degrees. This is gentle on the back and provides the most support for the legs. Remember: more support equals more calm! Use a pillow for the head (maintaining a neutral neck and spine), and try a blanket on the body.
Find Your Mental Anchor & Begin to Consciously Relax the Body
There are many anchors you could choose from here to help your mind and body settle. But my top suggestion is....
MEDITATE! Especially if you’re newer to the practice, I recommend putting on a guided meditation of your choosing to give you some direction and a mental anchor. I do this most mornings myself, and really enjoy letting someone else take the wheel.
The body scan practice is my favorite because of how tangible and tactile it is and how directly consciously releasing muscular tension can encourage a shift out of fight-or-flight.
Here's a free 5-minute body scan I share on the Insight Timer meditation app, and a longer 12-minute version. If you enjoy these, most of my practices on the app feature some form of body scan!
BREATHE: Alternately, you could focus on your breath if that feels OK. (Sometimes folks with very high anxiety find this more stressful, so check in and see what’s feeling good today!)
Counting your gentle breaths from 1-10 repeatedly (inhale 1, exhale 1, inhale 2, exhale 2, and so on) is very effective, or count the duration of your inhale and see if you can match the duration of your exhale to it (for example 4 counts in, 4 counts out), and stay with that counting as your anchor. Better yet, extend your exhale slightly, so 4 counts in, 6 counts out. This signals to our nervous system that it’s ok to shift to rest-and-digest mode.
BE PRESENT: Keep bringing yourself back to THIS MOMENT and the firmness and steadiness beneath you. Your nervous system feels this too!
FOCUS ON WHAT'S GOOD: You might even call to mind something(s) you’re grateful for and really hold it in your heart. You could notice one thing that feels good right HERE, right now.
Figure Out Which Time of Day Works Best for You
Try different times of day and see what feels best for you and has the biggest impact.
To make it easier for yourself, block off this time on your calendar and put your mat and props someplace convenient so it’s sooo easy to practice. For example, mine are right next to my bed so I literally have to stumble over them when I wake up. As shared in the brilliant book "Atomic Habits," setting conditions so it's harder to NOT do it is the best way to build a healthy habit.
Repeat as needed throughout the day! You can ground in the same way seated in your office chair or a couch, too. Even if you only have 3 minutes!
What Do You Think?
As I shared, this practice has been the number one most effective tool in soothing my anxiety and overwhelm, and is one I use daily as part of my self-care maintenance.
So many of my students have been transformed by it as well.
See what you think...and let me know! Use the contact form below to get in touch, or DM me on Instagram!
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