Restorative and pranayama classes have the same function as sleeping and dreaming: they help practitioners assimilate information absorbed during their more dynamic practice. They help us take the information that we have acquired from the outside, through our bodies, and bring it inwards and integrate it.
Restorative classes are not about “taking it easy.” In fact, a lot can go on beneath the surface. If we slow down and do “nothing,” we might begin to notice the quieter signals that the body and mind are sending us. And, as Guruji said, “When we have a restriction or problem, it makes us pay attention.” Restorative classes like this one give us a chance to slow down enough to notice the subtler points to which our attention is drawn. Be still and observe: what is my attention telling me? why has it gone there? what lessons can I learn from this?
Video stills from this sequence
