Active rest might be an oxymoron, yet it perfectly describes what students sometimes need the most. Amid assignment-induced stress, it is sometimes necessary to purposefully set aside time to reset, and restorative yoga is the perfect solution. Syllabus week is long gone, and the doom and gloom that comes with midterms, papers and actual schoolwork has set in.

Restorative yoga originates from the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, a yoga practitioner from India. His original teachings included invigorating classes that utilized props to help practitioners align the body. Yoga teacher Judith Hanson Lasater helped the practire grow in popularity with her 2005 book, Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times.

Over time, restorative yoga has evolved to take many forms. The poses and style of practice vary between instructors, but the end goal remains the same: Refresh the body and mind. With the use of props like yoga blocks or blankets to remove any strain on the muscles, restorative yoga can decrease stress and improve mental health.

Angel Gonzalez, a certified yoga instructor with over 200 hours of practice, offers a restorative yoga class each Monday in Yates Studio A with calming music, string lights and extensive guidance for those just starting out with restorative yoga.

Restorative yoga is a yoga practice in which we support the body to such an extent that we feel safe enough to completely relax the body and mind, Gonzalez said in an interview with The Hoya. So typically the poses are held for a long time, and youll only do four to six poses. And the reason why your body is fully supported is to allow your muscles to fully relax.

This relaxed state triggers a hormonal response from the parasympathetic nervous system, the system that allows the body to rest, replenish cells and calm down from fight-or-flight hormones triggered by the sympathetic nervous system.

Restorative yoga allows you to enter the parasympathetic system, or the parasympathetic nervous system, in order to kind of replenish or restart those systems, Gonzalez said.

To get into this deep state of active relaxation, yoga poses like childs pose and corpse pose are not too straining, so it is easier to focus on easing the mind. Restorative yoga is beneficial to mental health, since participants enter with the intention to relax and distress both physically and mentally.

Gonzalez first began practicing yoga midway through his undergraduate years, when he was pursuing a degree that he disliked in order to meet familial expectations. When he started doing yoga, he felt transformed by the practice.

It was a time that was difficult for me; I was in a degree that I wasnt entirely happy with, Gonzalez said. I took a chance of taking some yoga classes every year in my university. It was a wonderful studio. And that was it.

Gonzalezs dilemma is not uncommon; many college students can feel unhappy with their studies at certain points throughout the semester, so trying out yoga classes might be the perfect activity to engage in during a particularly stressful week.

Betsy Regan (COL 25) tried out Gonzalezs restorative yoga class at Yates for the first time this week, attempting to take a relaxing and restful break from studying (Full disclosure: Regan is a Blog writer at The Hoya).

I have taken yoga before but never at Yates or a restorative class, Regan said in an interview with The Hoya. I liked it. It kind of felt like organized napping, but it was a nice break from my day. Id been studying a lot for my midterm, so it helped me relax, and it was a break that let me clear my head.

Gonzalez encourages everyone even remotely interested in yoga to try out variations, including restorative, as a form of relaxation and stress relief. For those unwilling to make the trek to Yates, YouTube also offers many free videos ranging from ten minutes to an hour.

Restorative yoga is accessible and can be adapted to everyone regardless of age, experience, injuries or physical ability, because we can always use props to accommodate and support peoples bodies, Gonzalez said. Everyone can practice the postures and experience relaxation.

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Active Relaxation: The Power of Restorative Yoga - Georgetown University The Hoya