My love,
There is a hush at the edge of the year.
A space between endings and beginnings — not empty, but full of feeling.
The world spins faster now: calendars thick with plans, hearts stretched between obligations. But beneath the noise, a whisper: come back to yourself.
This is where Restorative Yoga lives.
It is not a pose. Not a stretch. Not an achievement.
It is a soft landing — a cocoon for the soul. A place to pause, to reflect, to let the body exhale what the heart has carried all year.
Let this be your invitation: to stop striving, to sink deeply, and to meet the moment not with answers, but with presence.
Stillness That Holds
Restorative yoga is the practice of being held — by cushions, by quiet, by breath.
You build a nest. You enter slowly. You stay.
And in that staying, something shifts.
🜃 The shoulders drop.
🜃 The breath deepens.
🜃 The mind begins to unspool its tangled threads — not by force, but by softness.
This is where reflection begins. Not through effort, but through surrender.
The end of the year is not a deadline.
It is a turning. A gathering. A return.
Preparing Your Sanctuary
Before you begin, create a space that feels like nourishing.
🜂 Dim the lights.
🜂 Light a candle.
🜂 Diffuse lavender or sandalwood.
🜂 Lay out your props — bolsters, blankets, cushions, anything soft and supportive.
Dress in layers. Let your clothing be part of the comfort. Wrap yourself as if in kindness.
Then sit. Place a hand over your heart. Close your eyes.
Ask softly: What do I need to remember? What am I ready to release?
Let this be your intention — a thread that weaves through every breath.
A Sequence of Soft Reflection
These postures are not for performance.
They are for remembering.
Let each one hold you for 5–10 minutes or more. Let the stillness become the teacher.
1. Child’s Pose — The Beginning
Place a bolster beneath your chest, arms draped forward or back. Rest your head on one side, then the other.
This is the pose of folding in, like a seed in winter soil.
Ask: Where did I begin this year? What did I plant, hope for, or try?
Affirmation: I honour the seeds I planted this year.
2. Reclined Bound Angle — The Heart Remembers
Lie back over a bolster. Soles of feet together, knees supported. One hand on your heart, one on your belly.
Let the chest open. Let the breath move slowly.
Ask: What brought me joy this year? What moments still glow within me?
Affirmation: I am grateful for the gifts of this year.
3. Supported Forward Fold — The Soft Release
Sit tall, legs extended. Place a bolster across your thighs. Gently fold, resting into the support. Let your spine round. Let your head be heavy.
Ask: What am I ready to release? What no longer needs to come with me?
Affirmation: I release what no longer serves me.
4. Legs-Up-the-Wall — The Shift in Perspective
Scoot your hips close to a wall. Lift your legs, resting them upward. Support the low back if needed. Cover yourself in warmth.
Ask: What have I learned? What wisdom has found me — even through difficulty?
Affirmation: I embrace the lessons of this year.
5. Savasana — The Return to Self
Lie back. Bolster beneath your knees. Blanket over your body. Eye pillow, if you like.
Let everything settle.
Let the breath be soft.
Let the silence speak.
Ask nothing.
Receive everything.
Affirmation: I am at peace with the year behind me, and open to what lies ahead.
Let the Stillness Stay
When the practice ends, rise slowly.
Not because it’s over — but because you’ve been changed.
This is how we integrate. Not with resolutions. But with intention.
🜂 Journal, if words are ready.
🜂 Light a second candle, if the heart wants to.
🜂 Or simply sit in silence, holding your own hand in your lap.
Let what came through stay close. Let it steep.
You don’t need to plan your new year today.
You only need to honour this one.
A Final Whisper
There is no rush to close the year.
There is only this breath.
This softness.
This moment where you choose not to perform, but to feel.
May this practice hold you like warm hands.
May your reflections be kind.
May your rest be deep.
And may the doorway to your new year open with grace.
You are not behind. You are not late.
You are simply returning.
With stillness and gratitude,
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

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