Rest, Joy, and Somatic Restorative Yoga with Melissa Smith-Wilkinson
Today we have a heartfelt and inspiring conversation with Melissa Smith-Wilkinson, an expert Somatic Restorative Yoga teacher and the founder of Pranava Yoga Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Episode Details:
You’ll hear how Melissa defines Restorative Yoga, and how this practice of rest and non-doing can refresh body and mind. Melissa weaves somatic movements into her teaching of Restorative Yoga, and we talk about how these gentle “developmental movements” can help prepare the body for long Restorative poses.
She also describes how Restorative Yoga can offer us time and space to tend to the internal, emotional experience, and how it can be used for physical rehabilitation (as in the example of her frozen shoulder).
Somatic Restorative Yoga details we discuss:
- Are you supposed to feel a stretch in a Restorative Pose?
- How can you practice Restorative Yoga at home with minimal props?
- And how can you practice in the midst of pain?
This is a rich conversation, including practical advice for finding rest in sometimes unconventional ways, and making room for moments of joy throughout your day.
Guest Bio:
Melissa Smith-Wilkinson (Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500) is a Yoga Teacher Trainer for Restorative, Gentle, and Sustainable Yoga, and is the founder of Pranava Yoga Studio. She is also the founder and Executive Director of CaregiverWellnessRetreat.com for caregivers of Alzheimer’s and other Dementias, offering free retreats online and in four cities. Melissa engages in online yoga mentoring and working with injuries adaptively; organizes international retreats; and for fun offers an art/poetry and yoga series.
A native Texan, Melissa lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her teaching style lends itself toward mindful, slow sustainable asana with for strength, injury prevention, and restoration. With a passion for special populations and their needs, she shares her techniques to developing a discerning eye as a teacher. She is soon to be a graduate with her masters in Clinical Mental Health. Her for desire is for teachers to connect and deeply listen within, integrating their own intuition into not just practice, but daily life.
Resources & Links from this episode:
-
Restorative Yoga Therapy: The Yapana Way to Self-Care and Well-Being by Leeann Carey (excellent book by our mutual teacher)
- Melissa’s Somatic Restorative Yoga sequence with minimal props on YouTube
To connect with Melissa, you can visit her website at https://www.pranavayoga.studio/ or check out her Caregiver Wellness Retreat organization at https://www.caregiverwellnessretreat.com/.
You can also practice with your podcast host (Addie) in the Moved To Meditate Class Library! Sign up for your MTM Library Card to access this month’s FREE practices.
If you missed the newsletter mentioned in this episode with the Deeper Dive worksheet on Equanimity (because you’re listening to this later), you can still get the worksheet. All you need to do is email Addie and ask.
P.S. May I suggest…if you liked this episode on Somatic Restorative Yoga, continue your listening journey with Episode 14 – Somatics and Self-Kindness with Erica Webb!