Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
Instruction
Andrea Peloso has been offering courses based on her extensive experience assisting Judith Lasater as well as other teachers for over a decade and has been studying with Judith and teaching Restorative since 2004. She now teaches regularly across North America and sometimes further afield. Andrea creates a safe, fun, educational, and healing environment in which to learn and grow as people and as teachers. See Andrea’s full bio.
Course Curriculum
In the context of this course we will be studying the science of the nervous system as well as traditional wisdom and many different postures in different variations. We will be exploring the nuance and complexities of creating safer spaces for ourselves and others and creating a platform for deep experiences in the postures, beginning with ourselves.

Fundamentals
- Basics of Restorative Yoga
- Understanding the Nervous System: Parasympathetic and Sympathetic.
- Restorative Yoga Affects the Nervous System.
- The well-propped pose: to prop or not to prop and why?
- Stress related disorders, and how they can be caused by an imbalanced nervous system.
- Understanding the role of traditional wisdom and scientific understanding as it informs the Restorative Yoga Practice.
- Restorative Yoga and the 5 senses. Exploring these concepts practically through practice.
Elements of Support, Adjustments
- Cultural and psychological aspects of welcoming deep support.
- The role of mindfulness in the Restorative yoga practice.
- A detailed look at proper support of the hands, knees, back, pelvis, arms, and neck in Savasana and elevated chest pose.
- Use of blankets to move and support of the body.
- Art of touch.
- Adjustments with blankets.
- Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system with either props or adjustments.
- Use of weights and sandbags
Traditional Wisdom
- Understanding the basics of what each pose does to various systems and parts of the body according to traditional wisdom.
Pelvis and Lower Back
- Restorative Variations on Grounding the pelvis, and healing the Back.
- Using pillars (when possible)
Breathing, Soothing, Lungs, and Liver
- Four Sides of the Lungs.
- Restorative Twists.
- The emotion of anger.
Pregnancy, Fertility, Sides and Hips
- Restorative Yoga for Pregnancy, and Fertility.
- Restorative side supports
- Restorative side lying poses for scoliosis (when applicable)
- Restorative Yoga and Pregnancy – a lecture on the stages of pregnancy, what to avoid, and when.
Kidneys, Heart, Joints, and Depression
- Restoratives for Kidneys and Heart.
- Restoratives for Depression
- Understanding and modifying for specific injuries. Teaching Restorative Yoga with Case studies.
- Restorative Backbends
- Supporting various joint and structural injuries: specific issues, and techniques.
Emotions
- Soothing Anger
- Calming distress
- Comforting Grief
- Awakening from dullness and depression
- Healing Anxiety
- Being Present to the Emotions in a Restorative Practice.
Sequencing
- The Art of Sequencing for Classes
- Restorative Yoga and the Four Seasons
- Teaching for Groups and Individuals
- Bringing Students to deep rest: ideal timing, atmosphere, reading the room.
- Practice Teaching: Gaining Confidence with presenting the material.
A Comprehensive Teacher Training, non-teachers also welcome
This is a complete Restorative Certification for yoga teachers. This training is also open to everyone and many people from all walks of life attend this training.
Final Project for Restorative Certification
For Restorative Teachers there is a final project that completes your certification. Components for the final project consist of cultivating a home practice in Restorative, a photo journal of private classes with individual Restorative students, and a book report. There is a $60 fee for certification within the first 6 months. The fee goes up to $85 after 6 months and no projects will be accepted for certification after one year.
Student Testimonial:
“One of the best things bout the COVID crisis is all of the amazing yoga teachers I’ve had an opportunity to lean from via Zoom. But no one has been more inspiring to me than this lovely soul Andrea Marie Peloso. I’ve been practicing with Andrea since the lockdown began and I can say that it is because of her amazing classes that I’ve been able to maintain my sanity.
She has taught me how to bring compassion and empathy into my classes and how healing it can be to just rest in silence. From the bottom of my heart, my family and I thank you! If you want to experience deep relaxation and contentment I HIGHLY encourage you to attend her class!!!”
– Verlena Vujnovic, yoga instructor and massage therapist
For more student testimonials: Click here.