BY JENNIFER & JOHN BURKHART

Come with us to experience the restful benefits of restorative yoga.

September is National Yoga Month. As such, we thought it was the perfect time to try out a new yoga class. We were surprised by just how many types of classes there are these days. There’s something for all levels of ability. We really wanted to try puppy yoga — yes, that’s really a thing — but sadly that didn’t work out. Which is probably a good thing because we may have died from cuteness overload, anyway. After much research, we landed on a class called “Restorative Yoga; Stress Reduction.” It seemed like a perfect way to hit the pause button on our busy schedules.

She Said: When our yoga instructor joked that the class will be like naptime for adults, I knew I was in the right place. I was long overdue for a nap, and admittedly, I find it truly difficult to relax at home. The “to do” list is always there, rudely nagging at me while I doom scroll on the couch. But, get me out of the house and into a very calm space with warm lighting suspended from wood beam ceilings, wooden floors, and chill music, and suddenly I have no problem dozing off. I loved the cozy yoga studio. Our instructor helped us get set up with a mat, bolster, blocks, rubber balls, a sandbag, and a blanket. We got into the first position, lying on the propped-up bolster with the sandbag on our hips. The instructor encouraged us to unwind, focusing on our breathing when our minds wandered. That was the toughest part for me. I had to remind myself to be present — that I didn’t need to do anything but enjoy the experience. Taking deep breaths helped, as did the music. But not in the way you’d think. A few songs had words, and sometimes those songs were playing while the teacher was talking. The combination was a bit much for my struggling-to-relax brain. But it also helped me to refocus on the session. The poses were easy. Each one involved lying down with gentle stretching. Thankfully, we changed positions often enough that I couldn’t actually fall asleep or get bored. Afterward, I was pretty refreshed and rested, and I was even moving a bit easier even though I felt as though I hadn’t done much. Maybe I found my kind of nap, er, yoga.

He Said: I wasn’t entirely sure what restorative yoga was before signing up, but I figured if the class description included words such as “restful” and “passive stretching,” it couldn’t be that strenuous. Turns out I was right. Restorative yoga is all about slowing down, relaxing, and holding just a few gentle poses over the course of an hour. It’s basically yoga for people who look at regular yoga and think, “That seems like a lot of effort.” Walking into the studio, I noticed there were more props than actual exercise equipment. Bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets: The room looked less like a fitness class and more like the world’s coziest sleepover. The instructor handed us item after item until I was pretty sure I was one stuffed animal away from nap time at daycare center. The poses were simple, and we’d settle into each one for several minutes at a time. There was no sweating, no balancing on one leg, and nobody asking me to “feel the burn.” At one point I genuinely wondered if the instructor had quietly gone home. But I wasn’t complaining. It was surprisingly refreshing to spend an hour doing what looked suspiciously like competitive lounging. My only criticism was the music. For a class centered on deep relaxation, the playlist occasionally sounded as though it belonged in a hotel lobby. Every time I started drifting off, an upbeat song reminded me I wasn’t actually supposed to fall asleep. Despite that, by the end of class, my shoulders felt looser, my mind had slowed down, and I’d become emotionally attached to my bolster. Restorative yoga may be the lazy man’s yoga, but sometimes slowing down is exactly what you need. Besides, any workout where you’re encouraged to lie down for an hour can’t be bad.

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