Yoga for Burnout Series | Practice One

Deep Rest, Down Regulation, and Feeling Held (45 minutes)

This practice is built for the days when everything feels like too much. When your whole self and system are tired but wired, or when you know you need rest but can’t quite access it.

We move slowly through simple, supported shapes, Child’s Pose, prone rest, Caterpillar, a gentle twist, and legs on a chair, giving the body clear signals of safety and containment. There is nothing to achieve here. The aim is to reduce input, soften our effort, and allow the nervous system to shift out of survival mode and into rest.

This is a practice of being held, by the ground, by the shape, by your own awareness.

Nervous system focus

Down-regulation, moving from sympathetic activation or freeze into a more settled parasympathetic state. Expect subtlety. The change is often quiet.

Self-inquiry prompts

• What feels like “too much” right now, and can I let 5 per cent of that go?

• Where am I holding without realising? Jaw, belly, hands?

• What happens if I stop trying to relax and instead allow myself to be supported?

• Can I notice the difference between collapse and true rest?