Repose: The New Relaxation
Welcome to Week 1 of our new series on restful practices that promote sustainable recovery. Explore how using props can guide you closer to experiencing repose.
Rest is one of the best medicines we have right now for Long COVID fatigue. However, sometimes resting is easier said than done. Long COVID impacts energy levels. A tired muscle is a tense one, and the tenser we are, the more that tension disrupts our body’s natural ability to relax. The good news? Reducing that tension isn’t something that just happens, it’s a skill that we can learn and develop. That’s where props come in: simple tools like pillows, bolsters and blankets that help your body find ease and rest without extra effort.
Repose as the New Relaxation
Think of rest and effort as being two elements to balance. Paradoxically, the idea of trying to relax our muscles is a form of effort by itself. Even when quietly resting, most of us continue to hold too much tension in our muscles, which prevents us from relaxing fully. You can’t force relaxation, but you can set yourself up for it. If your lower back isn’t properly supported, for example, your muscles might be subtly engaging to keep you comfortable. If your shoulders are tense, your breath might stay shallow. This is why relaxation can sometimes be so difficult: achieving a state of relaxation requires us to think differently, not just act differently.
Enter repose.
Theoretically, repose is “a state of quiet readiness…more than peace of mind or muscular relaxation…[it] indicates as much stillness and restfulness as is consistent with instant action in any direction” (Hannon, 1999, p. 55). This sounds a bit confusing, because it is. Stillness and action? But it also makes some sense.
Imagine a state of quiet readiness where the body is supported in a way that allows complete ease while remaining poised for movement. Repose is not just about passive rest; it’s an active process that involves retraining the body to recognize a state of weightlessness and ease. Think of it like the balance of a cat lounging yet fully alert, or the effortless posture of a skilled dancer. This is what we are striving for.
Why don’t we all have repose, if our bodies are designed for it? Often, we stiffen without realizing if we experience pain, as a way to ward it off or protect ourselves from more. Stability can be another reason: if we feel off-balance, we stiffen up to protect ourselves from falling or tripping. We’re also stressed out! Our dominant cultural ideas about effort generally revolve around the idea that hard work and effort pay off and that rest is for the weak. So, we work hard even when we don’t need to and over time, we habituate, or get used to, the feeling of immobility and tenseness instead of repose and relaxation. If we are convinced that excess effort is the best strategy, then we will apply this strategy to everything we do. However, this excess effort might be the very thing keeping us from relaxing.
Most of us have a hard time achieving repose, but it’s all the more important that we make it a priority. Here’s five reasons why:
Muscle tension is metabolically wasteful and leads us to use more energy than we need to accomplish things throughout the day. Imagine a container of water and then imagine that same container with a small leak. The amount of water in the container without a leak will last a lot longer than the leaky one. A body in tension is like a leaky container of water. Energy is a precious resource that we have to treat as such. Reducing the tension in our muscles will help us preserve our energy for more things we really need and want to do.
Having excessive muscle tension is a risk for chronic strain. A tense muscle is a muscle in action. This activity in stillness may cause preventable injuries.
Excessive muscle tension tenses underlying supportive fascia and interferes with fluid transfer. All muscles are wrapped in a special ‘bubble wrap’ called fascia, which is a thin and fibrous connective tissue that surrounds and supports all the structures in the body. When muscles are constantly active, this tension is transmitted to the fascia that surrounds and supports them, causing tenseness. Because fascia encases all body structures, it exists in layers, which are important for the movement of fluids like lymph and blood which carry nutrients and remove waste products. When the fascia becomes tense due to chronic muscle activity, this tightness can compress these layers and interfere with the movement of fluids. Even just a little of this fluid, when trapped, can compress mechanoreceptors (the part of your nervous system that senses pain and touch), causing pain.
Muscles that are continuously engaged may cause changes in how your joints come together. When muscles around a joint are constantly active, they can pull on the bones in an uneven way. This uneven pull causes the forces within the joint to be distributed asymmetrically, meaning some parts of the joint surfaces bear more weight and pressure than others. This strain can lead to irritation, inflammation and pain. Think of it like this: imagine a door hinge. If you constantly had a small force pulling the door slightly to one side, the pressure on the hinge wouldn't be evenly distributed. Over time, this uneven pressure could cause the hinge to wear out faster or even become strained and squeaky. Similarly, constant, uneven muscle activity around a joint creates this kind of imbalanced pressure on the joint surfaces and the surrounding tissues.
Long bones provide the necessary structure for muscles to work efficiently by maintaining their length, which allows for the storage of both mechanical (due to the pull across the bone) and chemical (within the muscle fibers) potential energy. This stored energy can be instantly released for movement. However, if muscles are chronically shortened or become stiff, their ability to store and utilize mechanical potential energy is compromised, similar to how fatigue reduces the chemical energy available for contraction.
In response, innovative techniques that use props for relaxation have emerged as effective tools to achieve.
How Props Make a Difference
Props like pillows, bolsters, and wedges have long been used in various therapeutic settings. The idea is simple but powerful: when the body is provided with appropriate support in a particular posture, it requires less active effort to maintain that posture and so the muscles are allowed to relax naturally. When muscles are allowed to relax naturally in a specific position, the nervous system is allowed to re-orient itself to a more relaxed state in movements throughout the day.
Props are like a gentle support system that tells the body, hey, you’re safe. You can relax now. Using props is a way to harness our tendency to choose effort over relaxation to achieve repose. Props provide stability, reduce strain, and allow muscles to stop working so hard. Props can also help to optimize breathing. When the chest and shoulders are supported, the lungs can expand more fully, which promotes deeper and more efficient breathing. When the body feels supported, the mind follows suit, making it easier to slip into a true state of repose. The goal?
Get your body into a position where nothing has to work too hard.
Here are some ideas of poses to try.
Lay on your back and place your feet on a sturdy pillow. You want your shins and your feet to be perpendicular to each other. Try this if you experience tight calf or shin muscles.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Lay on your back and rest padded blocks or folded towels under the hips. Putting a pillow under your knees can further help the back relax.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Lay on your back and use two knee pillows to support your knees in a lifted position so that your heels are not on the table. The pillow must be wide enough to support your legs without fear of them falling off. This position helps the back and diaphragm to relax.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Lay on your back and put a large flat folded pillow under your head and upper back. This position promotes relaxation of the neck and back and can relieve headaches.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Lay on your back and place a small cervical round pillow or a rolled-up towel under your neck. This can promote relaxation of the spine.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Lay on your back and place a folded towel or blanket along the length of your spine. Place a pillow or another folded towel under your head. This position opens up the chest and helps to relax the shoulders.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Lay on your side and place folded towels or blankets between your knees and lower legs. Make sure that your legs are parallel with each other and bent at the knee. Place your upper arm on your ribcage to open up your chest. This position is often used to sleep more comfortably.
Image credit: (Hannon, 1999)
Experiment with these options and notice how minor adjustments might create significant differences in your overall comfort. Remember, repose takes time. Consider 5-15 minutes in a pose daily as a useful time frame to see beneficial effects.
One of the challenges in the journey toward relaxation is recognizing when your body is truly letting go. Here are some practical indicators to monitor as you practice prop-assisted relaxation:
Tableprint Change: Notice if the contour of your body on the surface becomes wider and more relaxed. This “tableprint” indicates that your muscles are releasing unnecessary tension.
Deeper Breathing: Observe whether your breathing becomes deeper, with a smooth rhythm and less effort.
Increased Sensitivity: As you relax, you might notice a heightened awareness of subtle sensations in your body, including thoughts and emotions.
Like anything else, repose takes practice, but the great thing about using props is that they can give you a head start. To make it a habit, you might choose to set up a cozy relaxation space in your home. Keep your favorite pillows, bolsters, or blankets nearby so you don’t have to go searching for them when you’re ready to unwind. Repose postures can be paired with slow, mindful breathing or calming music for an even deeper effect. You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine. If this sounds interesting to you, begin by experimenting with different prop placements and see what works best for your body. The most important part is notice how you feel before, during, and after a session. These small changes can add up over time. It’s also important to take care of yourself. If something doesn’t feel right, stop and evaluate. Perhaps you might choose to give another pose a try. Or you might choose a different repose strategy. Everyone’s body is different, so make sure to listen to yours.
Incorporating props into your relaxation routine can be a simple and powerful way to support both body and mind. By making small adjustments to how you rest, you can create opportunities for deeper relaxation, improved posture, and better breathing. Over time, these changes can contribute to overall resilience and well-being.
References
Daines, L., Zheng, B., Pfeffer, P., Hurst, J. R., & Sheikh, A. (2022). A clinical review of long-COVID with a focus on the respiratory system. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, 28(3), 174-179. https://doi.org/10.1097/mcp.0000000000000863
Davis, H. E., Assaf, G. S., McCorkell, L., Wei, H., Low, R. J., Re'em, Y., Redfield, S., Austin, J. P., & Akrami, A. (2021). Characterizing long COVID in an international cohort: 7 months of symptoms and their impact. eClinicalMedicine, 38, 101019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101019
Hannon, J. C. (1999). Pillow talk: The use of props to encourage repose. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 3(1), 55-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1360-8592(99)80043-6
Patel, J., & Javed, S. (2021). Myofascial pain syndrome and SARS-Cov-2: A case series. Pain Management, 12(3), 255-260. https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt-2021-0044
Rogerson, O., Wilding, S., Prudenzi, A., & O’Connor, D. B. (2024). Effectiveness of stress management interventions to change cortisol levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 159, 106415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106415
Viseux, F. J., Simoneau, M., & Billot, M. (2022). A comprehensive review of pain interference on postural control: From experimental to chronic pain. Medicina, 58(6), 812. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58060812
What a great explanation of repose. The drawings accompanying the different positions are really helpful. I will come back to this when I need a reminder of how to truly rest.