Yesterday I did Jillian's first day of her two-day Restorative Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Works. Today is the last part. I have done this training twice, and her Level II Restorative once. And I will- as long as it possible- always try to make it when she is in town. I find that the knowledge continues to deepen with each progressive study. Also her inventiveness and playfulness are a source of inspiration for me. There were moments when she would express something in class and I would turn to the other people in the room as if I was saying, "did you guys hear that? Isn't she brilliant? Aren't we lucky to be here and share this with our students? 

I can be such a Hermione sometimes.

The aforementioned moment of excitement happened for me when Jillian was explaining the koshas. The koshas are these seemingly abstract five layers or sheaths that the body is supposed to contain. Think of the Russian dolls which nestle within each other. For years I would forget about the koshas cause I found them confusing or abstract. Or I would just not really think about them at all in my teaching. Jillian has been the one teacher who not only brought them to life but reminded me that when we teach yoga we are actually teaching to the koshas. We are trying to align not just the physical body, but  also the energetic body, the mind, and the heart. In a Restorative class this can be so powerful.

For instance, yesterday I left the training an hour early because I had to go and teach my Restorative class at Still. We did about 5 poses in class yesterday. And even though I didn't tell the students I was doing this,I guided them through their koshas.

On the first pose I only gave notes related to the physical body (let your bones be heavy; melt the space where your legs and pelvis meet...) 

For the second pose I gave notes relating to the energetic body (welcome your breath; deepen your breathing; feel how your inhale opens your ribs...) 

For the third and fourth pose I talked about the mind, how it chatters and how we can think of our thoughts as clouds across a blue sky; "let the clouds move across the sky of your mind and still remember that you are that vast blue sky which holds all your thoughts and emotions." 

For the last pose I gave a lot of space for quiet and said a few things like: "rest in the idea that you are all that you seek."

I was guiding the students thought the map of the koshas and they don't have to necessarily know that I was doing that ("And now we are moving through pranayama kosha everyone!") But after class you could see how calm and relaxed they were. This is such a great teaching technique to have in your tool belt whether you teach Restorative or not.

Jillian has also studied for 10 years with the generously wise and beloved Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. You can feel how deeply Chodron's work seeps into Jillian's teaching. She talked about how difficult Restorative yoga is because it is the one place (outside of meditation) where you get to not engage and be with what is. And that can be so incredibly difficult for so many of us. To rest with what is: Without any distraction, stimulations, without even being distracted by your muscles, since they are not holding you up. 

The Restorative yoga which Jillian teaches and which I subscribe to and teach, is one which you are being held completely. We are not going after a sensation or a stretch. We are trying to find that place where our body can release tension and be held completely. So Jillian encourages us to really support our students with blankets, towels, anything that would say to the body: "it's okay, it's safe, you can let go." Really powerful and beautiful stuff.

There is something about Restorative that I think a lot of people don't understand. Which is that many see it as a delicious class that they go once every other month but most of the time they are going to the "harder" classes which are the Hatha yoga class. When in reality for the great majority of us, Restorative yoga IS the hardest class. It is infinitely easier to engage and push than to release and practice the art of relaxation. It's just something to think about.

I can't wait to go back today and finish the training.

I love and honor my teachers.

PS. As far as my regular yoga classes go, we had a great class yesterday morning at Still. 

The theme was "Surrendering" and the Anusara Poster Project Pose was: Virasana.