So many of us rapidly swim through our days, barely stopping to come up for air. By making rest more effective, the need to rely on stress hormones will be a distant memory. Utilising the powerful benefits of getting enough rest will improve how you tackle the day and also how you sleep at night. Meaning life’s demands can be met in a sustainable, healthy way. What’s better than waking up feeling refreshed— and perhaps a little smug — after a good night’s sleep, rested and ready to seize the day? We say, more of this please.

After commissioning a research project, we found 76% of you want better sleep*. Room for improvement, right? And so, we’ve set out to make a change. Doing our bit to get more of you having that high quality, highly necessary zzz’s.

WHAT? AN HOUR TO SWITCH OFF.

We worked with Dr Sophie Bostock, The Sleep Doctor, to launch Rest & Restore, a non-heated class, aimed at allowing you to hit pause. The 60-minute sessions are an intentional shutdown, facilitated to help you recharge, restore and rejuvenate. The pod provides a cocoon that enables you to zip the world away. The low lights, purple hue, curated soundscapes and pleasant aromas create the perfect ambience for relaxation. The session includes breathwork, a soft restorative physical practice, as well as an extended meditation with roots in ‘yoga nidra’, a form of non-sleep deep rest. All to help you get good quality and quantity of sleep.

WHEN? NOT JUST FOR EVENINGS.

An evening yoga class is a great way to unwind. Relaxing your mind and readying you for a night of good and effective shut eye. But it’s not just the evening sessions that will help your head hit that pillow when night-time comes. A Rest & Restore session during the day is a highly beneficial way to dramatically better your sleep. Here’s why…

  • PRACTICE IS KEY.

Let’s start with the fact that relaxation is a skill. Like all skills, practice makes progress. The more you fine tune the technique of stepping into a state of calm — by practicing breathwork, mindfulness and techniques to relax in the day— the easier switching off will be when bedtime comes. This same practice will also help you fall back to sleep if you wake in the night. Trips to the toilet at night are sometimes unavoidable. But what can be avoided is the alertness and inability to return to sleep that often follows. The body and the mind need training, and an afternoon Rest & Restore class will have you metaphorically and physically flexing all the right muscles.

  • POWER UP WITH POWER NAPS

Next up, The Sleep Research Society conducted a study. They found that naps ranging from 10-60 minutes had clear and lasting benefits for positive mood and alertness four hours post-nap. Improvements in memory were recorded for naps lasting 30 minutes. While Rest & Restore classes are not quite naps, scheduling in time for a non-sleep deep rest meditation will get you close enough. Meaning after an afternoon rest, you can re-join your day reinvigorated, having rested the ample amount.

  • PRIORITISE BREAKS. 

Taking movement breaks during the day may lessen body exhaustion, improve brain function and reduce sleep problems. Post-work recovery — particularly for those working from home — can often be slow. Depending on your home setup, the two may begin to feel intertwined. Integrating breaks for rest and movement has been shown to decrease the risk of mentally detaching from work, while working. And taking breaks can help make the switch from work life to everything else easier. An afternoon Rest & Restore class offers the perfect balance, allowing you to gently move, ironing out any niggles caused by makeshift workstation setups. You will recoup both physically and mentally. Improving brain function, while supporting that work/life balance.

We are campaigning to prioritise rest at Hotpod Yoga. Join the movement by stepping away from your screens and into the pod for a Rest & Restore class.

Find out more about Rest & Restore here or book yourself in to your local studio today.

*Based on research carried out online on behalf of Hotpod Yoga by Opinion Matters between 06.03.2024 – 08.03.2024 amongst a panel resulting in 2000 nationally representative adults aged 18+.