Restorative Yoga Teacher Training

Important Principles of Restorative Yoga Practice

1. Ahimsa 

→ Ancient Philosophy: Nyam and Yam principles

2. Nervous System: How Can Restorative Yoga Support the Parasympathetic Nervous System?

→ Understanding the nature of the mind

→ Consequences of stress

Adrenaline topic

Dopamine topic

→ Mindfulness to help self-acceptance

→ Mind-emotion connection

→ Restorative for the parasympathetic nervous system

→ Anatomy and scientific resource of the nervous system

3. How to Set the Intention for Restorative Yoga? 

→ Adopt self-reflection

→ Abandon expectations

→ Create a routine for your practice with a specific goal

4. Special Head and Neck Support Attention

→ The importance of the neck alignment for breathing

→ Head support to increase concentration

5. Pranayama for Restorative Yoga

→ Introduction: why it so important to focus on the breath for restorative yoga?

→ Guide and pull the student to stay on the breath by counting the breaths

→ Teach how to control the monkey mind and stay present

→ How to teach Full Yogic Breath + 20 minutes practice for 1 week

→ How to teach Ujjayi breath  + 20 minutes practice for 1 week

→ Back-banding: breath on the back of your lungs practice + 15 minutes practice for 1 week

→ Long exhalation why and when + 15 minutes practice for 1 week

6. Self Journal for Self Practice Pranayama

7. Restorative Yoga General Holding Time

→ Recommended holding time for each Asana’s family and why

The Six Restorative Posture Groups

1. Restorative Foundation Supported Asana: head above the heart

Supported Bound Angle Pose:

→ Supta Baddha Konasana 1: with straight legs

→ Supta Baddha Konasana 2: with butterfly legs

Supported Child's Pose:

→ Salamba Balasana 1: with chair, bolster and blocks 

→ Salamba Balasana 2: with bolster and blocks on the floor

2. Restorative Back-Bending  Asana

Bridge Pose:

→ Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana 1: with one bolster

→ Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana 2: with two bolster or blocks under the feet

→ Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana 3: with blocks under the sacrum

Hero Pose:

→ Supta Virasana 1: with one bolster and blanket under head

→ Supta Virasana 2: with inclined bolster

Upward Baw Pose:

→ Samaba Urdhva Dhanurasana 1: With blankets only

→ Samaba Urdhva Dhanurasana 2: with bolsters

→ Samaba Urdhva Dhanurasana 3: with bolsters and blocks for the hands on the back of the head

3. Restorative Forward-Bending Asana

→ 1. Seated Forward Bend

→ 2. Paschimottanasana 1

→ Paschimottanasana 2: with chair

→ 3. Head to Knee Pose

→ 4. Janhu Shirshasana 1

→ Janhu Shirshasana 2

→ 5. Simple Seated Posture

→ 6. Dandasana

4. Standing Forward Bend

1. Supported Standing Forward Bend

→ Salamba Uttasana 1+2: with blocks and chair

2. Wide Stance Forward Bend 

→ Prasarita Padottanasana

3. Supported Downward-Facing Dog Pose

→ Salamba Adho Mukha Svanasana 1: with block

→ Salamba Adho Mukha Svanasana 2: with chair

5. Restorative Hip-opening Asana

1. Supported Pigeon

→ Eka Pada Raj Kapotanasana

2. Supported Seated Wide-Angle Pose

→ Upavista Konasana

3. Supported Cobbler's Pose

→ Baddha Konasana 1: seated

→ Baddha Konasana 2: far-ward band

6. Restorative Passive Inversion Asana: head below the heart 

1. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose

→ Viparita Karani 1: straight legs on the wall with belt

→ Viparita Karani 2: straight leg on the wall with bolster

2. Inverted  Supported Seated Wide-Angle Pose

→ Upavista Konasana 1 : Legs  On The Wall

→ Upavista Konasana 2: Butterfly Legs On The Wall Variation

3. Supported  Shoulderstand

→ Salamba Sarvangasana 1: with bolster

→ Salamba Sarvangasana 2: with block

→ Salamba Sarvangasana 3: with wall

7. Twisting Restorative Asana 

1. Supported Spinal On The Side Twist: with bolster on the side 

→ Supported Spinal Twist Supine: with bolster and blankets

8. Special Asana you can teach with the use of a chair to follow restorative principal in your classes

1. Easy Twist On a Chair

2. Chair Balasana

3. Chair Tree Pose

9. Relaxations Restorative Asana: head level with the heart

1. Reclined Big Toe Pose

2. Supta Padangustasasana 1

→ Supta Padangustasasana 2

→ Supta Padangustasasana 3

Corpse Pose

3. Shavasana 1

4. Shavasana 2

5. Shavasana 3

6. Shavasana 4

7. Shavasana 5

→ Side-Lying Stretch 1: with blanket under the head and 2 bolsters

→ Side-Lying Stretch 2: with extended arms above the head 1 bolster

→ Surfboard Pose

→ Fish Pose Special Variation

Teaching Tips 

1. Helpful Words and Phrases to Use While Student are Resting in Restorative Asana

→ List of words

→ Time for silence

→ When to make a list of benefits?

2. 1 Hour Restorative Yoga Practice

3. Personal Diary for Your Practice  

→ What Asana did you find difficult?

→ What Asana did you enjoy the most?

→ What Asana you felt best for you?

→ How your mind reacts to the longer holding time?

→ General Impression after the practice

4. How to deal with Emotions in Restorative Yoga?  

→ Ensure your students of what is very common to happen in the Restorative class

→ Explain the reason emotions are released

→ How to handle your student emotions?

5. How to Teach: 

→ Tone of voice

→ How to demo: live and on-line?

→ How to be present in the space with your student live and on-line

→ Preparing to teach: make details plan

→ Understanding your student live and on-line

6. How to Correct: 

→ Physical alignment

→ Energetics alignment

→ Verbal correction first

→ Touching students with consciousness

7. How to Teach Them to Move Props by Their Own? 

→ Verbal guidance and mirroring

Structuring Your Classes

 1. A Practice for Every Body Type 

Best Way to Handle

→ Healthy and active student

→ Stress and hypertensive student

→ Student with specific conditions

→ Anxiety student

→ Student with difficulties in how to use props

→ Student recovering from illness

→ Two hours full restorative practice for depression

 2. Restorative Yoga for  Busy Lives 

→ Teach basic relaxation pose to your student for daily life

→ Teach how to be there in the moment

→ The importance of slow dawn even for a short time

→ Reeducate your student into the art of doing nothing

→ Teach how to seat in a proper way

→ Teach how to stand in a proper way

 3. Restorative Yoga for Teachers

→ Why teachers do need Restorative Yoga

→ Importance of self-practice in order to teach it properly

 4. Structuring Your Restorative Yoga Class

→ Better way to start

→ How to sequence: set the goal of the class

→ How to sequence: no stress sequences

→ How to sequence: no need to cover all postures Asana

→ How to set the time for each pose: brain waves Beta

→ Best way to close the class

 5. How to Add a Restorative Yoga Classes in Your Week

→ Best time and day for restorative class

→ How to promote Restorative Yoga?

→ How to price Restorative Yoga class?

→ Restorative Yoga for special Sundays events: live and on-line

 6. Restorative Yoga Online Classes

→ Why go on-line with Restorative Yoga: positive and negative points of view

→ Tips from the teacher for on-line classes

→ Create your own video for your on-line students with basics indication and home props

→ Teach to your on-line student how to set up the space, light, music, turn off devices and how to dress.

 7. Create Your Restorative Weekly Plan

→ How to create an effectively practice routine in your week?

→ How to teach your student to have an effectively practice routine and be constant?

 8. Common Question From Your Students and How to Answer

→ When should I practice?

→ How long should I practice because I don’t have time

→ Where do I begin?

→ I don’t have space in my house

→ What should I wear?

→ Can I have food before Restorative Yoga?

→ Is there any danger if I do it wrong?

→ What should I do if I experiment pain in the pose?

→ How can I keep the time?

→ How can I help myself to be more concentrate?

→ Can I use the timer in the phone?

→ How should I breath?

 9. General Caution for the Practice

→ Tips from Lucia to teach safe and relaxed

 Specific Sequences

 Ready to teach sequences with holding time for each asana and pictures

 1. Stress and anxiety sequence

 2. Depression and fatigue short sequence

 3. Depression and fatigue long sequence

 4. Migraine and headaches sequence

 5. Sequence for PMS

 6. Sequence to adjust menstrual cycles

 7. Relax and distress sequence

 8. Lower back rigidity sequence

 9. Sequence to increase lungs capacity and improve concentration

 10. Special restorative webinar On-line: a full outline