Restorative Class #1

About This Class

This 49-minute restorative class with Melissa Mercedes guides practitioners through a series of fully supported, long-held poses designed to release tension and invite deep rest. Using a bolster, block, and blanket throughout, the class opens with a seated mindfulness meditation focused on breath awareness and the transition from "doing" to "non-doing." The practice then moves through a supported back bend draped over the bolster, supported fish pose with the block targeting the mid-back behind the heart, reclining twist and side-stretch sequences on both sides using the bolster for full-body support, and a supported child's pose for cooling and grounding. A gentle happy baby pose and supine knee-drop twists ease the body toward final relaxation in Savasana, which is cued with detailed body-scan guidance. Throughout, Melissa frames the class as a counter to the forward-folding, desk-bound postures of daily life, emphasizing chest opening, spinal arching, and shoulder external rotation. Mindfulness of breath and non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and sensations are central themes, making this class equally a meditation and a physical release.