Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times

by Judith Hanson Lasater

Experience the rest of your life with restorative yoga, the supported poses and breathing practices that will help you heal the effects of chronic stress. In Relax and Renew, the first book exclusively devoted to this work, the author offers in-depth guidance in the Basic Relaxation Pose (Savasana), the heart of restorative practice. In addition, this book provides yoga sequences for busy days, including a fifteen-minute practice, yoga at your desk, and the Totally Invisible Relaxation; programs for back pain, headaches, insomnia, jet lag, and breathing problems; a special section for women during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause; a guide to props; and resources for finding a yoga teacher, recommended books, magazines, newsletters, audio programs, yoga vacations, and more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Reference, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1995

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to work until I am drop-dead exhausted. I tend to worry until I can't sleep. This book has taught me how to take care of myself and relax.

Excellent techniques for my asthma, neck pain, and sinus troubles.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to get a basic understanding of the role restorative yoga can play in a person's life. A great book for anyone interested in lowering stress and improving health.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suggested reading from the restorative module of my 200-hr YTT. I hadn’t really dug in as restorative yoga doesn’t light me up like other yoga styles, but I very much see the importance of these poses, this framework, and have found certain sequences in this book to be just right for times in my life when I needed to practice a little more self-care, a little more awareness around my energy levels and emotions.

This book is oversized with photos and instructions for each pose, along with prop recommendations, benefits, and contraindications. It is for beginners through advanced practitioners, and some of the pose information is repeated from chapter to chapter if the pose is included in multiple sequences. There are not so many poses, so once you experiment a little, it wouldn’t be so difficult to move through a sequence and make it your own, without having to consult the book over and over. I do really appreciate the “being there” section of each pose. These would be great cues for teachers to help students hone in on bodily sensations and being present.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing overview of restorative yoga practices, very thorough. Good stuff.

[K K · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a yoga teacher, this book is really valuable. The poses, cues, sequences are great and will be a book that I’ll keep using as I’m preparing my classes.

[Reading Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

So hey, yeah, I'm obviously expanding my yoga knowledge here, and in addition to Yin, I'm doing a unit on Restorative yoga. This is Lasater's first book on the subject, and really the one that began to popularize the subject in many yoga circles.

But it's not dated, by any means. It's a really solid resource that does the work today, just as it did when it was released, to convince people they need the healing power of Restorative yoga in their lives. Of course, she also has a pile of sequences and poses, with many, many modifications, to make it accessible to everyone.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like a warm hug. I'd done restorative yoga in the past and thought, "This is nice but not yoga." Now in teacher training and this was required reading. understanding the need for and goals of this practice, and seeing the thought behind sequences has helped deepen my appreciation. Now introducing it to friends who emphatically believe they "cannot do yoga" and everyone loves it 🥰

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have resource for restorative yoga teachers and yoga teachers. Touches on pre and post menopausal, chair yoga, menstruation yoga, and pregnancy yoga. Very detailed, great resource, inspiring quotations in the margins. Will keep in my library.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s great to learn about the particular poses and how to really relax with them. I appreciated how she included pictures for each section, it made the book easier to digest and understand if you were looking just for a quick reference for a particular series.

[Deb Sawdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you practice yoga at home but don't give yourself the gift of a beautiful relaxing or restorative practice as often as you should, this book will guide you through gentle poses to imbue some self-love into your practice.

[Julianne Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Required reading for yoga training.
This helped me understand some restorative postures. I wish it covered more asanas without props. Or less props. You don’t always have multiple blankets and bolsters for the whole class.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for learning more about Restorative Yoga and how to develop a Restorative practice of your own.

[yamiyoghurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer to restorative yoga - very detailed information about getting into the poses and getting comfortable in them.

[Sherry A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Restorative yoga--my favorite.

[Natalie]

Required reading for most restorative yoga teacher trainings. Beth Sanchez rec.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old fashioned? No, timeless. This information is useful and the practices really work. Restorative yoga is exactly what I needed.

[Knit Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hyper complet !

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent yoga resource!

[Mikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was strange to me that the same poses were repeated so many different times with the same long explanations. Some of the poses in this book to me seem more like yin than restorative. Meh.

[Gail Murdoch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally realised, for yoga, for me, doing is better than reading.

Good book if you can learn this way.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books you never really finish. It's an essential resource for practicing restorative yoga.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The manual for restorative yoga by Judith Lasater- widely recognized as the mother of the movement. She gives great step-by-step instructions for getting in and out of the poses as well as troubleshooting for misalignment or discomfort. She also breaks down how props can be used to best effect and suggests sequences. I know I will refer to this book constantly!

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times"
LASATER, Judith Hanson
Kindle Edition

Livros sobre Yoga existem aos montes. Poucos, entretanto, dedicam-se à prática com ênfase no Yoga Restaurativo consolidado a partir das mesmas técnicas propostas por B. K. S. Iyengar. A obra é inteiramente prática e, ao final de cada capítulo, encontramos um resumo das posturas de cada série.

Segundo a autora, o momento em que mais precisamos praticar é justamente aquele em que não temos tempo ou disposição. As poses do Yoga Restaurativo induzem ao "relaxamento ativo", atuando gentilmente sobre o nosso corpo físico (posturas), nossa fisiologia (hormônios)e, portanto, sobre o nosso equilíbrio emocional.

O "relaxamento ativo" proposto não se trata apenas da postura em que colocamos nosso corpo, mas principalmente sobre o estado mental a ser alcançado. Para isso, são sugeridas as técnicas de atenção à respiração, às sensações do corpo e aos chacras.

Cada capítulo apresenta uma série de poses com objetivo determinado. A descrição dos equipamentos necessários para a execução vem acompanhada de instruções detalhadas sobre posturas inicial e final, orientações sobre a respiração e visualizações a serem aplicadas. Ao final do livro, encontramos farto material bibliográfico para aprofundar o assunto.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. I recently discovered restorative yoga where you completely relax and access you parasympathetic nervous system. You use props like bolsters and blankets to lean against and let go completely. I am taking a class but read this book to get the instructions for doing it on my own at home. If you want to learn how to relax and unwind from working too much, jet lag, or just life, this is a must read. My body is blissed out doing this kind of yoga. Our society needs more relaxation and this book is a good first step. After reading it, do it.

[Hannah O'Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Lasater is the authority on restorative yoga. Although I usually enjoy a vigorous vinyasa based practice, I sure do love restorative as well and this book is the one I turn to when I need inspiration. Lasater describes how to get into the poses as well as the benefits so that you can tailor your restful practice to what you are feeling that day. A great book that always helps me feel a million times better than I began.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on Restorative Yoga. The book begins with guidelines and ideas for begining a yoga practice, and answered many questions I have from practicing yoga. The rest of the book is different restorative practices with different themes in mind. Some of the themes include practice to use after travel, during menstruation, if time is limited, or if you are in a hotel. It's incredibly useful. The pictures and demos are clear and easy to follow.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

All kinds of yoga that is focused on relaxing and opening up tight spots or releasing tension. The only real drawback is that you need several props in order to do it. I will be getting a copy and some more props in the near future. The breathing section really helped with those issues I was having.

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where I live, it's hard to find yoga classes that are purely restorative, so I practice at home. This book contains essential instructions on how to do the poses and ideas for sequencing. There are also explanations for what each pose is trying to accomplish from both Eastern and Western perspectives. Judith Lasater is the master on this subject. A must-have reference book for every yogi.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read with helpful information about various yoga poses for various issues. Don't see myself setting up all the props for many (if any) of the poses on a regular basis. The best part was the easily explained anatomy and physiology behind the whys and why nots of the poses.

[Stef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have liked to see more restorative poses -- some were repeated several times. I was hoping the book would be more creative and perhaps give suggestions on how to make many of the most common, widely practiced poses restorative (e.g., Warrior II lying down, and so on).