Rx: Restorative Yoga

To help turn off the adrenal glands and calm the mind, practice restorative
yoga postures daily in a warm, dark, quiet environment. Here is a series
that can work wonders. It purposely includes few postures, so you can
hold each one for as long as it is comfortable.

1.  Supported Sukhasana (Easy Pose) forward bend, with forehead

and arms resting on a padded chair seat. Stack folded blankets on the
chair seat until you reach a comfortable height. This pose releases
tension in the back and neck muscles, and feels very calming. If your legs
are not too tight, you can also add similar forward-bending postures with
one or both legs extended straight while the forehead rests on the chair.
Most people need to raise the pelvis on one to three folded blankets while
practicing these postures.
2. Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall), with pelvis elevated on a
bolster or folded blankets. If the legs tire of being straight, bend the knees
and cross the legs, with knees near the wall. This pose stimulates
baroreceptors (blood pressure sensors) in the neck and upper chest,
triggering reflexes that reduce nerve input into the adrenal glands, slow
the heart rate, slow the brain waves, relax blood vessels, and reduce the
amount of norepinephrine circulating in the bloodstream.
3. Supported Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose),
supported on a bolster or on long, folded blankets. This pose also
stimulates the baroreceptors, so it has many of the same effects as
Viparita Karani. It relieves tension in the chest and front body, and
prepares the lungs for breathing practice.
4. Savasana (Corpse Pose), with normal inhalation and long, slow
exhalation. This pose allows complete relaxation in a neutral position.
Emphasis on exhalation slows the heart and calms the mind.