Fully supported postures. Long passive holds. Parasympathetic nervous system activation. The style most directly connected to the vagal tone research and the one I practice most for autoimmune management.

Restorative yoga isn't about effort. It's about doing as little as possible, intentionally.

The practice grew directly out of Iyengar's teachings, introduced in the 1970s by Judith Lasater, one of his students. Iyengar himself had discovered the healing potential of deeply supported, prop-heavy poses while recovering from illness, and Restorative yoga formalized that discovery into its own complete practice, originally designed for people recovering from injury or illness, not for building strength.

A Restorative class typically includes only five to eight poses, but each one is held for a long time, sometimes five minutes or more, fully supported by bolsters, blankets, and blocks so your muscles can stay completely passive. The goal isn't a deeper stretch. It's nervous system regulation: slowing everything down enough that your body shifts into genuine rest and begins its own healing process. In a culture that treats stillness as wasted time, this is the practice that argues otherwise.