Rest, Joy, and Somatic Restorative Yoga with Melissa Smith-Wilkinson

Today we have a heartfelt and inspiring conversation with Melissa Smith-Wilkinson, an expert Restorative Yoga teacher and the founder of Pranava Yoga Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You'll hear how Melissa defines Restorative Yoga, and how this practice of rest and non-doing can refresh body and mind. Melissa weaves somatic movements into her teaching of Restorative Yoga, and we talk about how these gentle "developmental movements" can help prepare the body for long Restorative poses. She also describes how Restorative Yoga can offer us time and space to tend to the internal, emotional experience, and how it can be used for physical rehabilitation (as in the example of her frozen shoulder). We talk about some of the nuts and bolts of Restorative - like are you supposed to feel a stretch? How can you practice at home with minimal props? And how can you practice in the midst of pain? This is a rich conversation, including practical advice for finding rest in sometimes unconventional ways, and making room for moments of joy throughout your day. To connect with Melissa, you can visit her website at https://www.pranavayoga.studio/ try her Restorative sequence with minimal props (on YouTube) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW1zmRZYxVk or check out her Caregiver Wellness Retreat organization at https://www.caregiverwellnessretreat.com/ To connect further with me (Addie), check out my main website movedtomeditate.yoga or the Moved To Meditate Class Library at movedtomeditate.com And, as mentioned at the beginning of the episode, our current Deeper Dive theme is Equanimity. There is a free 3-page worksheet that you can download for inspiration and self-reflection. I will be sending the worksheet out with my email newsletter during the first week of February...you can sign up to receive it here. P.S. If you missed the newsletter because you're listening to this later, you can still get the worksheet. All you need to do is email me at [email protected] and ask. :)