Modern restorative yoga is derived from a yoga style that was invented by B.K.S. Iyengar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest yoga masters in the world. Iyengar instructed his students to make use of props to perfect their poses, and his teachings became known as Iyengar Yoga, which provided the foundation for the development of restorative yoga. Later on, one of Iyengar's students, Judith Lasater, made restorative yoga a popular form of yoga around the world.
Restorative yoga provides healing for the body and the mind. It is especially useful when one need to eliminate fatigue and stress that result from your daily activities. It can also help to recover from illness and injury or overcome emotional depression and anxiety that are caused by traumatic events such as divorce, loss of job and death of a beloved.
It is known that restorative yoga can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which enables automatic control of the body. As such, the regular nervous system will be at rest, and the muscles will become more relaxed. Constant practice of restorative yoga will make the body less vulnerable to stress-related illnesses and help to heal and achieve optimal health. Many restorative yoga poses are similar to normal yoga poses, except that they are performed with the support of props. The support creates a feeling of safety, lets the practitioner surrender in the pose and helps to release. Each restorative yoga pose has to be held for a few minutes, and it can even be as long as 10 to 15 minutes.