In the United States, and certainly in New York City, a lot of people think of yoga as “exercise.” You can “do yoga” at the gym, or stay home and get your downward dog on courtesy of Wii Fit. The word “yoga” conjures images of skinny girls, with tight yoga butts (and bods).

The truth is, yoga is so much more than exercise. It’s a moving meditation, a way of communing with your body and aligning your body with your mind and spirit. Wiser yogis than I have written lengthy, eloquent tomes on the subject of yoga, and I won’t attempt to condense their teachings into a single blog post; I’ll just say that yoga is a fundamentally spiritual act, not an aerobic activity. A number of my teachers over the years have said that the only real “point” of yoga poses, or asanas, is to prepare yourself for meditation.

One obvious illustration of the fact that yoga is more than a physical activity is something called “restorative yoga.” In a restorative yoga class, you simply drape your body over various props (like bolsters, folded blankets and blocks – standard yoga studio fare), and rest in each position anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes (give or take). As a number of my teachers have observed, the hardest thing about restorative yoga is quieting your mind. This practice is not about bulging biceps or abdominal strength – it’s about relaxing into the pose, and allowing yourself to just be.

Relaxing in a restorative yoga pose (scarf not required)

I love restorative yoga (I’m even planning to become a certified restorative yoga teacher), and have found that when nothing else relaxes me — when I can’t get a good night’s sleep, and my body is just pulsing with stress — restorative yoga comes through. Lying in a restorative pose feels like being held, and afterward, I feel refreshed, like I just woke up from a deep sleep and am now clear and alert.

If you’d like to learn more about restorative yoga, check out Judith Hanson Lasater’s website. Lasater is the guru of restorative yoga – she recently published a book, Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times, which provides instruction for practicing at home, and describes the benefits of various poses.

The challenge of a home practice is that you need quite a few props; plus, if you’re new to restorative yoga, you really want to practice with a teacher first to make sure you’re doing the poses properly …Which brings me to a question. I haven’t found any regular restorative classes in NYC – do you know of any? I see a number of classes that combine 30+ minutes of active practice with restorative poses, but I’m interested in full-on restorative. Please send me any recommendations!

Believe me, I love a good martini (Tanqueray 10, please, with a twist); and cocktails have their place. But when you’re strung out, can’t sleep, feel like a wreck: try restorative yoga. I promise you’ll thank me.

Photo courtesy of lululemon athletica on Flickr