I can’t believe I made it through last week: I taught two classes and completed two major projects on top of my usual client sessions—in addition to making time to hang out with my daughter who is home from college. I’m definitely tired, but my fatigue level is completely manageable, and there’s a reason why: I took many brief restorative rests during the week.
The rejuvenating power of these rests reminded me how much I rely on them to maintain my sense of well-being in the midst of the demands of a busy life. So I decided to update and re-broadcast this article and video (first posted October 18, 2016) about my very favorite restorative pose. You may know the pose itself already. But even if you do, I recommend reading the article then watching the short video to make sure you’ve got all the subtle “tweaks”: I find these details make all the difference.
This weekend my partner and I took a day to “play” in the gorgeous fall weather. We hiked at a park near here, lined up with the crowd at a popular orchard to buy fresh doughnuts and apples, and drove further into the country to visit a beautiful arboretum where the dahlias are still in full bloom.
After five hours out and about, much of it in the sun, I noticed my energy dropping. My mental outlook shifted subtly but surely from, “We’re having an adventure!” to, “This feels a bit like an endurance contest…”
In the past, I used to ignore the onset of tis kind of fatigue and overstimulation. As a result, I’d push through, then run out of gas completely. Now I know better: whether I’m sightseeing in a foreign city, meeting for several hours in a row with clients, or just out playing with my partner, I can add hours more fun to my day (or evening) if I take a brief pause to rest. Just 15 minutes is enough to do the trick.
Restorative yoga poses—supported poses into which you can completely relax— are the most rapid, powerful way I’ve found to restore both my energy and my serenity. My current favorite is a modified form of the pose popularly known as “Legs Up the Wall” (or Viparita Karani, for you Sanskrit-speaking yogis out there.) I strongly prefer this pose to napping, for two reasons: I have trouble falling asleep for just 15 minutes, and on the rare occasions I do fall asleep, I wake up feeling logy and disoriented.
In this version of “Legs Up The Wall,” your calves rest on a bed or couch, which allows you to stay longer if needed. Yet you will still get the benefits of an inverted pose: a change in point of view (literally!), and a sensation I call “brain drain” as your thoughts drain out of your head, much like the ice melt runs out of a cooler when you release the drain plug.
In today’s video I’ll show you specifics of how to set yourself up in the pose. Then, most important of all, I’ll demonstrate in detail how to use your breathing to get the most possible benefit from the pose.
Everything you need should be handy in a typical house or hotel room:
- A couch or bed
- A blanket or pad (to go under you if the floor has no rug)
- A pillow for your head and neck
- A blanket or coat to cover you, and socks if your feet might get cold
- Something to cover your eyes so no light comes in: an eye bag is best as the weight is soothing, but you can use a folded washcloth or T-shirt in a pinch
- A reliable way to wake up so you can relax knowing you won’t miss your next scheduled event. I use a timer. Don’t use your phone if there is the slightest chance it will buzz during your rest time.
One last thing: set yourself up with care. Turn your phone off and make sure you won’t be interrupted. If you can darken the room you are in, do so. And leave time to come out of the pose slowly. This pose will slow you way down and if you leap up and plunge back into your day without a few minutes’ transition time, you’ll jolt your system and erase many of the benefits.
This is so interesting. I’m a teacher and on the days we have parents’ evenings I’m in school for over 12 hours. I’ve started doing this. I’ve taken a mat into school and I use a chair. If anyone asks I say I’m doing my yoga breathing. It is the best thing to do, it restores my energy levels and my ability to cope.
HI Fiona, wonderful, that is a great use of this restorative pose…I find that being in even a partial inversion “drains my brain.”
This sounds very interesting. I was unable to watch the video attached to your blog, but I will search for it online. If the pose is what I think it is, I used to do this when I was a teen with cramps in my calves. If it drains my brain, I’m all in. I am having so much difficulty with restlessness and anxiety.
HI S, I’m not sure why that video stopped working but I will update it when I get a chance. You simply lie on the floor with your rear end scootched up to a bed or couch so your calves rest on the bed or couch. Put a pillow under your head. In fact, I just rested in that pose for an hour:)
I had forgotten all about this article. I just spent 3 hours with 3 extroverted people and my brain is ready to explode. I’m going to see if I can set myself up and rest in this pose for a good half hour. Is it possible for HSP introverts to get an actual headache from too much social stimulation? As well, how is it that as an introverted HSP if I am engaging with other people in a calm board game, I feel energized, yet if I am in a setting where everyone is talking and I sit their quietly , I am drained and feeling physically sick.
Yes, you can get a headache from too much social stimulation. It sounds like you are very sensitive to other people’s energy, and being around a lot of different people is tiring; a quiet board game is different. There are fewer people and it’s easier to stay connected to them.
Thanks for your response Emily. I’m just reading this now….over 2 years later! My, how time flys. I have discovered in the past year that I am an emotional and energetic Empath…so your comment that I am very sensitive to other people’s energy is accurate!
I’ve started to set boundaries as to how often I get together with draining people and even the time of day has been adjusted to afternoons. This way I can have some alone time and relax in the evening to settle after the ‘expected’ social situation. I have started deep breathing while I am in the presence of people who overwhelm me and I find this quite helpful.
You mentioned that us HSPs connect with people…whether we are connecting in interest or connecting through our perceptions . I just had the thought…if the group of people are not cohesive in their connections with eachother…ie my inlaws and respective inlaw family members…then I, as an Empath HSP, am picking up their lack of cohesiveness as a family and this and this makes me even more overwhelmed…where when I am with my mother’s family I don’t get any of this overwhelm…they enjoy eachother’s company. Interesting.
Hi Emily, I’m really struggling with overwhelm during my school day. There is usually nowhere to go to get alone time in breaks and I can’t lie down during the school day on my mat, maybe lunchtime occasionally (still with someone else in the room unfortunately). I’m trying to go outside and look at the trees and breathe, and I might go and eat lunch in my car. I just wondered if you have any other possible tips. I could close my eyes for 2 minutes and breathe mindfully and I’ve thought about journaling. I get constantly interrupted. (It isn’t the best environment for me I know now). Thank you very much.
HI Fiona, it does sound like you are dealing with chronic overarousal at work. Breath practices are ideal because you can do them any time and they can be invisible. I recommend you learn coherent breathing: here is a video to give you an idea (Dr. Brown and his wife are wonderful teachers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CngH49c4zgo. You can do this practice without the arms if you don’t have privacy. You can do this on the spot to lower your arousal, and if you practice coherent breathing daily it will reset your nervous system to a calmer level. You can learn more about that here (I highly recommend their intro workshop): https://www.breath-body-mind.com/.
Thank you so much Emily, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and for your suggestions. I’m going to watch the video this weekend. Also it is very helpful that you have named ‘chronic overarousal’, it helps me to understand what is happening. (And work towards change). Thank you.
You are very welcome Fiona!
I am actually, finally, at this stage where even good overwhelm is overwhelm.
I have recently discovered that if I divide up my antidepressant (which I must take) into 4 equal parts and take 5mg every 4 hours that I do not experience the almost intolerable side effects that I get if I take all 20mg at once, as is prescribed by the doctor.
I wish all HSP people knew about this option. It’s like a diy time release med. Just a ok it with pharmacist or doctor first.
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By dividing up my pill, my days are much more consistent and I have the energy, both mentally and physically, to be active for about 5 consistent hours a day.
However, in my exuberance to finally enjoy my days, I find I get very tired very easily. Now I need to find a routine where I pace myself throughout the day!
I often feel guilty about lying in bed for 20-30 minutes two or three times during the day. I read an article stating that lying in bed is actually quite good for our minds and body. All our muscles are relaxed.