It was winter of 2018 and my partner, Taro had been suffering with the flu for three whole weeks.

Despite sleeping in the same bed, I managed to fend it off with immune supplements, going to bed early, and letting myself sleep in every day.

But after getting up at 4am to teach an early morning yoga class, I felt my body starting to give in to the fight, and early flu symptoms began creeping in.

Worst of all, I was scheduled to fly to a Restorative yoga retreat with Judith Lasater the next day. I kept taking my supplements every five minutes in desperation.

On the plane I could feel the bronchitis settling into my lungs.

When I got to the retreat, Judith finished the opening circle with a supported savasana on bolsters and blankets.

And from there it was pretty much “all restoratives all the time” with a special emphasis on asana practices that opened the muscles of the respiratory system.

Everyone talks about how yoga – particularly Restorative – helps reduce stress, and can restore the immune system, but I’d never had any tangible experience of that in my own body, fighting an actual flu.

But after about 36 hours of Restorative poses, each more luxurious than the next, a strange thing happened…

My bronchitis and flu symptoms slowly started to fade away… 

And by the second day of doing these poses, poof! I was back to my normal, healthy self, and never came down with the flu. 

There is no doubt, the intentional and supported rest and stillness of Restorative yoga during my waking hours did the trick.  

Right then I became quite the believer in the power of rest and Restorative yoga on our immune systems!

And it definitely explains why people are flocking to Restorative yoga classes all over the world in droves these days — we’re stressed, beholden to an endless news cycle, with a feed that just does not stop.

But who knew it could impact the immune system so dramatically? I felt that firsthand, and now I can’t stop shouting it from the rooftops: If you want to assist your body in wellness, get yourself onto a pile of props and stay still for a while!

Have you practiced much Restorative yoga?

Share your success stories in the comments below!

About Amy:
Amy Ippoliti, a gifted teacher’s teacher, has been leading yoga teacher trainings since 1999. Her students have gone on to become leaders, authors, conference presenters, and teacher trainers in the yoga world –  both in the United States and all over the globe! She is revered for her innovative methods that bridge the gap between ancient yoga wisdom and modern-day life, helping yoga students “turn up their own volume.” After years of feeling powerless to help her teacher training graduates actually survive as yoga teachers, she started studying business, marketing, finances and technology. In 2010, when she felt confident enough to share what she had learned, she created “90 Minutes to Change the WorldTM”. This professional development program inspired her and Taro Smith to found 90 Monkeys. Amy is a writer… Read More