019: Restorative Yoga with Andrea Peloso

Andrea Peloso asks us to delve a little deeper into the meaning and benefits of Restorative Yoga. As an experienced yoga teacher who practices and teaches from a variety of disciplines, it is Restorative Yoga that she holds close to her heart.   Andrea's passion for Restorative Yoga and its innumerous benefits, along with lifelong learning and a desire to create an inclusive yoga environment shines through in her discussion with Shannon.   Andrea has been teaching for 15 years.  She has over 1700 hours of yoga teacher training, including studies with respected elder yoga teacher Judith Hanson Lasatar. Andrea met with Judith at a time when Andrea was experiencing back pain and fatigue. It didn't take Andrea long to focus on sharing with others the incredible benefits of yoga. She has taught across Canada, The United States, and Japan. Andrea holds a honours degree in Philosophy and Women's Studies and has studied Eastern and Indian Philosophy.   5:00 Andrea's perspective on fostering community in the yoga world 8:50 Importance and definition of Restorative Yoga 9:10 Effect on parasympathetic nervous system 10:25 Andrea's yoga journey 13:40 The difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga 17:50 Are props necessary for Restorative Yoga? 21:15 Creating a safe space for our yoga students- before, during and after class 28:00 Music or no music for a restorative class? 35:00 Verbal cues in Restorative Yoga 38:30 How to study with Andrea 39:10 How Restorative Yoga has helped Andrea in her own life. 40:45 Practicing kindness to self Links Andrea's website 40-Hour Restorative Training with Andrea Andrea's Yoga Facebook Page Andrea's Know Thy Hips Workshop at Tone Studio in Owen Sound, Ontario Youtube Video: All is Love by Bjork The Connected Teacher Facebook Group   Quotes  "Restorative Yoga is the use of props to support the body in such a way that elicits a healing response. The response should be a deep relaxation- the deeper the better so we are actually stimulating our deep parasympathetic nervous system when we do this practice. The parasympathetic nervous system is in charge of everything that makes life wonderful and long: fertility, digestion, immunity, relaxed diaphragmatic breathing, the body healing itself internally, lower blood pressure, etc. etc." ~ Andrea Peloso   "Safety is about physical space, also a relational space where we can be ourselves, disagree, and say no in the company of our teachers.  It is also a space where we will not have to experience once again prejudice or negative stereotyping that we may experience it in the world at large.  Needless to say to be a yoga teacher who creates safer spaces is to be one who continues to educate themselves about what it is like to be human being with different sets of life circumstances than their own." ~ Andrea Peloso