I am about to go on a yoga retreat to Montana in USA. Montana is a very sparsely populated state and I will be staying at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in the foothills of the Rockies. It is the most beautiful and pristine environment. We are served deliciously nourishing food and are encouraged to do very little other than to relax and soak up the vibe. Our afternoons are spent practising restorative yoga under the guidance of Judith Hanson Lasater.

What is restorative yoga? Using a variety of props such as blankets, blocks and bolsters, the body is placed into very simple positions and is completed supported enabling the practitioner to totally let go and release tension from the body and mind. There are optimal conditions necessary to induce this deep release, most importantly we need to reduce stimulation of the senses so complete quiet and a eye cover are essential and the body needs to be warm and completely comfortable. Each posture will be held for much longer than in a conventional practise so in one session, it is possible that only 3 or 4 poses will be practised included a variety of different savasana postures where the head and heart are both at the same level.

Sometimes people ask me why would you want to practise in this way. You are not improving flexibility, you are not improving strength, balance or stamina either so what on earth is the point and isn't it boring too? We have to remember that yoga is more than a practise involving the physical body although that is mostly what we do in the West. We also have thoughts, feelings, emotions as well as our breath and depending on your personal believes, we have a deeper level that some people may describe as spirit or soul. A yoga practise can nourish these deeper levels of our being too. Mostly in today's task driven frenetic world we are hugely stimulated and when we are relaxing, we may have our computers on, we maybe engaging with social media on our phones or watching videos or binging with a box set. Physiologically our autonomic nervous system is divided into 2 branches: the sympathetic the so called "fight, fright or freeze" and the parasympathetic the so called "rest and digest". We need both branches to function normally. We need to have the drive and motivation to get up in the morning and to engage with our day and commitments but we also need to fully unwind too. Sometimes the overstimulation of everyday life means that we can get a little stuck in the fight, flight or freeze mode and the varies different stress hormones that course through our system can lead to stress related illness and a sense of depletion.

A restorative yoga session helps to redress the balance and bring a sense of harmony back to the system. Just sitting silently for a few minutes a day can be enormously beneficial. Do I need to go to Montana for find peace? No not at all but it sure is a stunning place!