My love,
The holidays arrive like a glittering storm — all tinsel and tenderness, expectation and exhaustion.
There is beauty in this season, yes. Connection. Celebration. But also… noise. Planning. Pleasing. Performing. And somewhere in the middle of all that, the body begins to brace. The breath shallows. The shoulders lift. The nervous system starts to hum with effort.
This is why we rest.
Restorative yoga is not another item on your list. It’s what helps you return to yourself beneath the list.
Not to stretch. Not to accomplish. But to soften. To unravel. To be held — gently, fully, and without condition.
This is your invitation to pause.
Create a Space That Holds You
Before you begin, create a nest that feels like quiet care.
Dim the lights. Light a single candle or let fairy lights twinkle like stars in the corner. Wrap yourself in socks and softness. Gather props: bolsters, pillows, blankets. These aren’t extras — they are medicine. Every fold, every layer says: you are worth cushioning.
Let the preparation be the start of your practice. Unroll your mat slowly. Place your props with care. Let your breath deepen, just slightly, as you settle. You are already beginning to come home.
A Sequence for Soothing
Let these shapes be doorways — not to doing, but to undoing.
Each one is a place where your body can whisper: finally.
Child’s Pose – A Return to the Hearth
Come to your knees. Lower your hips toward your heels. Let your chest rest on a bolster or pillows. Arms can stretch forward or drape softly by your sides.
Place a blanket between your thighs and calves if it helps you soften. Place another beneath your forehead if your neck craves it.
Now breathe — into the back of your body.
Feel your spine lengthen, your belly soften, your mind grow quiet.
This pose doesn’t ask for anything. It welcomes everything.
Stay here for five minutes or more. Let your breath become the sound of waves returning to shore.
Reclined Bound Angle – An Opening of the Heart
Set a bolster lengthwise behind you. Lie back slowly, resting your spine along its length. Bring the soles of your feet together, knees falling open. Use cushions beneath your thighs for support.
Let your arms rest beside you, palms facing upward, heart exposed but safe.
As you breathe, imagine your chest opening like a winter rose — not rushed, not forced. Just blooming on its own time.
This shape says: You are allowed to pause.
Supported Forward Fold – A Gentle Bowing Inward
Sit with legs extended. Place a bolster across your thighs. Fold forward and rest your torso onto it. Let your head turn to one side, or rest on stacked hands.
If your legs feel tight, slide a blanket under your knees. Let go of trying. Let gravity do the work.
In this pose, the back body unwinds — spine, shoulders, the invisible weight we carry.
It’s not about touching your toes. It’s about touching your truth.
Breathe here. Let your thoughts float past like snow through lamplight.
Legs-Up-the-Wall – Letting the Day Drain Away
Scoot your hips close to a wall. Swing your legs up. Support your lower back with a folded blanket if that feels good. Arms can rest beside you or drape across your belly.
This shape reverses the flow. It drains tension from your legs, calms your pulse, soothes the buzzing edge of the day.
Close your eyes. Feel the quiet pull of the dark. Let your body empty — not in fatigue, but in freedom.
Stay here as long as it feels good. Time bends in this pose. That’s part of the magic.
Supported Savasana – The Ultimate Rest
Lie back. Place a bolster beneath your knees. Support your head and neck. Drape a blanket over your whole body. Add an eye pillow if you have one.
You are not performing stillness here. You are becoming stillness.
This is where everything integrates — the breath, the release, the surrender.
Let your body be soft. Let the earth do the holding. Let your nervous system downshift into quiet trust.
There is nowhere else to be.
A New Kind of Gift
These poses don’t “fix” holiday stress — they create the conditions for you to meet it differently.
When you are rested, you are more patient.
When you are soft, you are more spacious.
When you are held, you are more able to hold others — without losing yourself.
Let this be your reset.
Your reclaiming.
Your gentle refusal to be swept away.
A Final Whisper
The world won’t stop spinning because you lie down.
But you will soften.
Your breath will deepen.
Your heart will quiet.
And from that stillness, you’ll rise with more grace, more clarity, more you.
So roll out the blanket. Light the candle.
Let the to-do list wait.
You are not behind.
You are exactly where you’re meant to be — breathing, resting, returning.
With stillness and warmth,
Lily
If this practice speaks to you, I offer guided sessions on YouTube — soft practices, meditations, and seasonal stillness for the nervous system. Come rest with me, if you like.
YouTube: Serenity in Motion Channel
Serenity In Motion 
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