#3 September Savasana Series

DARK

Welcome to third post this special series for Savasana September. 

If you missed week one, STILL (free to view until the end of September 2023) you can catch up here, and find week two, QUIET here.

The full series of videos is for paid subscribers, so if you would like to access the entire collection, you can upgrade (and be in with a chance of receiving a personalised signed copy of my book) here.

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Want to experience some of these practices with me in-person? Join me in London for Rest + Restore on 13th October here and The Rest Sessions: A Rest + Calm Mini-Retreat on 25th November here.

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“Eye pillows have a reputation for being the new age version of snake oil: a little bit of flax, and a lot of money. Yet they may be one of our most powerful healing tools, especially when it comes to a balanced nervous system. Your vagus nerve is one of twelve cranial nerves that originates in the brain, travels down the back of the neck and into the chest and heart, and then moves down into the abdomen and digestive tract.” - Bo Forbes

This week’s theme for Savasana September is DARK. 

This is the third of four aspects of restorative yoga.

The quote above is from Bo Forbes, Psy.D., E-RYT, C-IAYT who I’ve had the great pleasure of studying with in-person and online over the years. You can find Bo here on Substack and I highly recommend her book, Yoga for Emotional Balance. 

Bo also kindly wrote the foreword to my book, Rest + Calm. 

Why do we recommend using an eye cover in restorative yoga?

In my book, I write about the vagus nerve and how stimulating it activates a relaxation response of the parasympathetic nervous system. 

Did you know that light pressure on the eyeballs can stimulate the vagus nerve? 

This is where a simple tool such as an eye pillow or similar eye cover can offer real benefits. In addition, light can be an irritant and hinder our ability to fully relax in Savasana, so covering your eyes will address this. If you don’t like the feeling of an eye pillow or cover on your eyes, try resting it on your forehead instead.

There are many other ways to stimulate the vagus nerve too, and in this third tutorial in the September Savasana Series we’ll be using a blanket to do just that.

A few reasons you might choose to opt for this version of Savasana include:

• If you have a back condition that makes lying on your back uncomfortable.