Are you exhausted?

When you’re feeling off balance in life, it’s all too easy to look for solutions in the obvious places. Feeling anxious and having trouble winding down? Maybe a glass of wine. Low energy or poor focus? Another coffee. 


Or if you’re on a slightly healthier path, you might ask “am I eating right?”, or “do I need to get more steps in?”, or “do I need to practice more gratitude?”


One critical area we often overlook is our ability to rest. When it comes to health, rest is just as important as regular exercise, a balanced diet, even sleep.


If you’re thinking that you need to lose weight, drink less or get more exercise, rest is the one thing that will make it all far easier, by improving your vitality and boosting your resilience.


Our multidisciplinary approach:

Address the effects of exhaustion and avoid burnout.

  • Somatic Self-Care

    Join us to learn a somatic approach to addressing the wide-ranging effects and specific root causes of your exhaustion.

  • Restorative Yoga

    Restorative Yoga is uniquely empowered to create an expansive container for our awareness. The physical body becomes our guide as we learn to access an inner reservoir of vitality.

  • Science of Rest

    Dive into the latest research on the neurobiology and physiology of stress, to deepen your understanding and learn how to use the latest discoveries to improve your rest.

Ready to learn the science behind the practice?

This is a self-paced course dedicated to slowing down and inviting our attention to turn inward. 


You might be surprised at how the sciences — and integrative practices like yoga — related to health and disease are evolving.


As our understanding of the relationships between nerves, muscles, fascia, organs, and perception expands, we are empowered to tailor asana, pranayama, yoga nidra, and restorative yoga toward healing and wellness. 


Research is increasingly affirming our lived experience with yoga to effectively self-manage conditions such as chronic pain, and to improve our sense of vitality, safety, and integration. 


Join us to learn the science behind cultivating bodily and sensory awareness and reflection.  

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome Video // Watch First

    1. 01.01 Science Lab // Psychosomatic Anatomy

    2. 01.02 Restorative // Side-Lying Savasana

    3. 01.03 Audio // Belly-Centric Somatics Practice

    4. 01.04 Webinar // Week One

    5. 01.05 Webinar // Recording

    1. 02.01 Science Lab // The Vagus Nerve

    2. 02.02 Restorative // Pranayama Savasana

    3. 02.03 Audio // Anuloma Krama Pranayama

    4. 02.04 Webinar // Week Two

    5. 02.05 Webinar // Recording

    1. 03.01 Science Lab // The Science of Restorative Yoga

    2. 03.02 Restorative // Stonehenge Savasana

    3. 03.03 Audio // Progressive Muscle Relaxation

    4. 03.04 Webinar // Week Three

    5. 03.05 Webinar // Recording

    1. 04.01 Science Lab // Yoga Nidra

    2. 04.02 Restorative // Basic Savasana

    3. 04.03 Audio // iREST Practice

    4. 04.04 Webinar // Week Four

    5. 04.05 Webinar // Recording

    6. 04.06 // Bibliography // Optional Further Reading

About this course

  • $249.00
  • 22 lessons
  • 19.5 hours of video content

What topics are covered?

  • Week 1: Brain to Body, Body to Brain

    Get Your (Yoga) Booster: The effects of consistent practice on the immune system.

  • Week 2: Angels to Vagabonds

    Breathe to the Beat: The effects of specific pranayama on heart rate variability.

  • Week 3: Restoratives

    Fill Your Resilience Reservoir: The effects of Restorative Yoga on psychological and emotional well-being.

  • Week 4: Yoga Nidra

    Rest for Reproductive Health: The effects of Yoga Nidra on the unique challenges of a menstrual lifetime.

Teaching Team

Certified Yoga Therapist Mary Richards

Mary Richards began practicing yoga in 1992, and teaching in 2002. A Phi Beta Kappa, she holds a Master's of Science in Yoga Therapy and a Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. Mary is passionate about sharing her experience in yoga therapeutics and other healing modalities to help others cope with -- and ideally, prevent -- injury. Her first book, Teach People, Not Poses, was published by Shambhala in 2023. She has two grown children and lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, dog, and Penelope, the cat.

Yoga Teacher and Creative Lizzie Lasater

Lizzie Lasater began teaching Vinyasa Yoga in 2005, before earning a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University. She lives in Salzburg, where she chases after her four-year-old twin boys while producing online yoga courses with her Mama, Judith Hanson Lasater. Lizzie writes a weekly newsletter all about making space for the pleasure of rest.

Your 4-Week Journey

Learn the Science

Mary Richards is not just a certified yoga therapist with 30 years experience on the mat, she is a hardcore science nerd. Every week of the course, she will share some of the insightful research that correlates these practices with more satisfying health outcomes, and somehow manages to make it fun! 


Do the Practice

With Lizzie as our guide, Mary teaches 2 hour sessions using different yoga techniques for quietening the nervous system, facilitating comfortable movement, and connecting to attention and awareness.


Explore the Nuances

This course includes video tutorials of prop configurations for pranayama and restorative asana, audio recordings of yoga nidra and pranayama practices, and PDF cheat sheets of the somatic practice series. 

Mary's Teaching:

Phenomenal

by Stacey

This course was phenomenal. It answered so many of my questions, and helped me to craft new ones. I am so grateful for Mary. I felt supported and inspired the whole way through.

Accessible

by Karyn

I love the experiential portion of the Mary's teaching - it makes the in depth information provided more accessible.

Spacious

by Julie

To tuck or not to tuck, that is no longer a question! I love this learning platform. I had the opportunity to absorb the information at my own pace, and am able to review as needed. I cannot thank you enough, Mary!

FAQ

  • What is the refund policy?

    We offer a 95% refund policy. Just email us within one week of enrolling, and we can reverse the charge (minus third party credit card fees) back onto your credit card. No questions asked.

  • When does my course access expire?

    One year. We want you to feel spacious with time, so your enrollment in Deep Rest includes one full year to access the online course materials.

  • How long does it take to complete the course?

    You can expect to devote around 20 hours to completing the course material. Some students work through week by week - completing in a month. And some students move more slowly. Both are absolutely ok.

  • Do I need any additional materials?

    You will want to have the following props: 1 sticky mat, 1 bolster, 1 eye cover, 2 blocks, and 5 firm blankets.

  • Can I receive Yoga Alliance credit?

    Yes! We are a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of completion for 20 non-contact hours. After that, you can request continuing education credit from Yoga Alliance or an equivalent organization.

  • My questions hasn't been answered. Who can I contact?

    Lizzie is here to answer your enrollment questions. Please email her directly at [email protected]

Are you ready to feel rested?

Two ways to enroll in Deep Rest today: