As students, our job is to think. Even when we’re not ‘working’: When’s my next assignment due? Where do I need to be in 10 minutes? What can I make for dinner that’s slightly more refined than pesto pasta?
But what happens when we need to switch our thinking off?
Sleepless nights spent anxious about the day passed and the day yet to come (and that time in 2011 you did something so embarrassing) trust me, are not something you experience alone. I’ve been practising Yoga for seven years now and the impact it’s had on my mental and physical health in general is something I am eternally grateful for: here are ten simple, restorative poses you can use to either begin or enhance your current practice; perfect for winding down for the day.
1. set The scene
Get yourself a mat, blanket or practice straight from your bed. I like to switch off the main light in my room and put on some smaller lamps and candles, you could switch on a diffuser if you have one or even apply diluted essential oils; be creative with making a sanctuary for yourself that you feel safe and comfortable to relax in.
2. child’s pose
You’ll find as you go on in your practice that this is one of the common poses to begin with. Kneel on your ‘mat’ with your toes touching and knees either together (this version helps with anxiety) or apart (this version helps with digestion and gut health), bum to your heels. Take a long stretch out in front of you along the mat, keeping your back straight. If your head can touch the floor, you can either keep your arms outstretched in front of you for a more active stretch or place them behind you towards your feet. You can come back to this pose at any point if you need a rest.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
It’s worth noting at this point that a standard restorative practice would hold this type of pose for 5 deep breaths (through the nose) whereas a Yin practice would hold it for around 5 minutes (deep, focused breathing all the way through).
3. Cat-Cow
Come to tabletop, on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and hands directly below your shoulders. As you breathe in, arch the spine so that your belly drives towards the floor and open through your chest, head towards the sky. Breathing out, round your back by pushing through your hands and knees and look towards your belly button. Repeat this 10 times with your breath.
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva from Pexels
It can be nice to incorporate some twisting in with this pose once you start to feel a little looser. Try circling your hips in opposite directions from cat to cat.
4. upward dog
Push through your arms from tabletop and keep the tops of your toes on the floor. Let your belly fall through your arms but stay strong in your legs so that the pelvis and thighs float above the floor, open through your chest and look towards the ceiling as you take a big breath in.
Photo by Elina Fairytale from Pexels
5. Downward facing Dog
Push through your hands and lift your bum to the sky; create an inverted ‘V’ shape rooting through your hands and feet, allowing your shoulders to slide up your back. If it feels comfortable, walk out your feet to stretch your calf muscles. Look towards your belly button and stay here for 5 deep breaths.
Photo by Kamaji Ogino from Pexels
It can be really nice here to take one leg up to the sky and allow your body to twist around with it as shown, this is three-legged dog, you can even take your tiptoe to the floor and lift your opposite arm to the sky if you’re really flexible!
Photo by Marta Wave from Pexels
6. Pigeon pose
Sweep your leg from the sky between your hands and allow your strong back leg to come to the floor with your toes untucked. In the full pose, your front leg is at a right angle on the floor in front of you, but you can have it wherever’s comfortable. If this is enough of a stretch for you with your hands on the floor– stay here for 5 deep breaths. If you’d like a stronger stretch, reach your hands out in front of you like the start of child’s pose and allow your torso to fold down on top of your front leg.
Photo by KnitSpirit from Flickr
Push through your hands, curl your toes under and push back up into downward facing dog. Repeat steps 5 and 6 on both sides.
Once back in a downward dog following your second round of pigeon pose, allow yourself to collapse back into a restful child’s pose. Rest here for a few breaths.
7. Shoulderstand
Begin lying on your back. Engage your core and pull your legs and torso up to the sky, bringing your hands to your back to support you. As you mould into the pose, shuffle your shoulder blades closer together and walk your hands higher up your back, pushing your body straight up. Breathe here for as long as you feel you want to. 
Photo by hopezvara from Flickr
From shoulderstand, I like to come into Plough: practice by bringing one leg down to the floor behind your head as you breathe out, and back up as you breathe in. Repeat this for both legs. Once you feel ready, breathing out, bring both legs to the floor behind you and release the hands from your back to the floor. Keep your legs straight.
Photo by Rollond Eddy from Flickr
Stay in Plough for three breaths, if you like you can try lowering your knees to the floor next to your ears. Once finished, come back into shoulderstand and slowly lower to lie on your back.
8. fish pose
To counteract the last stretch, a back bend should be completed next.
Bring your arms underneath your body and push up through your chest onto your shoulders. Open the chest and throat, allowing the head to fall back and lightly touch the floor. I find this pose can be quite uncomfortable so feel free to lean over a couple pillows until you get more used to it!
Photo by Fitness Star from Flickr
9. Happy Baby
This is one of my absolute favourite yoga poses, usually completed towards the end of a class, start by lying on your back. Lift your legs up and keep your knees really soft grab the edges of your feet from the inside or outdise with elbows between your knees. Just allow yourself to be really soft here and maybe rock from side to side. Look towards the ceiling and smile like a happy baby!
Photo by Kawin Kankeow from Flickr
10. Savasana
All yoga practices are finished with a savasana, lie flat on your back and have your arms fall out beside you with your palms facing up. Breathe in through the nose, feeling your belly expand followed by your chest. Imagine your body filling with a bright white light. Exhale through the chest first and finally deflate through the belly. Imagine breathing out all the tension from the day, try to make your inhale last longer than your exhale; breathe out fully.
As the white light from your inhale travels around your body, pay special attention to relaxing your toes, feet and ankles; calves, knees and shins; shoulders, hands and face.
When you feel ready, begin to breathe deeply and come out of savasana. Take a moment of gratitude here to thank yourself for taking the time to practice.
Namaste🙏