Restorative Yoga with Blocks: Three Long Poses

Three restorative yoga poses held for several minutes with the body fully supported by blocks: supported child's pose, supported bridge and reclined butterfly. Unlike active yoga, the goal isn't to stretch but to let go, which helps recovery after a hard session.

How to play

1. Explain the idea of restorative yoga: if a pose takes effort, it needs more support (1 min).
2. Child's pose with a block under the forehead and knees apart, slow nose breathing (3 min).
3. Supported bridge: a block under the sacrum on low or medium height, arms relaxed at the sides (3 min).
4. Reclined butterfly with a block under each knee, or a backpack if there aren't enough, hands on the belly (4 min).
5. Come out slowly by rolling to the side and sitting up; each student says one word for how their body feels (1 min).

Rules

• No pose should feel strained: if something bothers you, add support or come out.
• To exit the bridge, lift the hips, remove the block and roll down one vertebra at a time.
• Keep it quiet and dim the lights if possible.

Variations

Adaptations

• Knee injury: place a block between the glutes and heels in child's pose, or swap it for lying with legs up the wall.
• Limited mobility: do chair versions, leaning the trunk forward onto a desk with belly breathing.
• Hearing impairment: signal transitions with an agreed gesture and post a picture of each pose on the wall.

Learning goals

• Tell restorative yoga apart from active yoga.
• Use props to reach poses without strain.
• Support physical and mental recovery after exertion.

Equipment for a class of 25

• yoga mats: 30
• yoga blocks: 30

Teacher tip

If there aren't enough blocks, use backpacks, folded sweatshirts or foam bricks. Save this for after demanding lessons.

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