While most people associate yoga with the day - for better energy and weight loss. But we sometimes forget the true purpose of yoga - to connect with ourselves and bring about peace of mind.
If you’ve been struggling to sleep, it means you're unable to maintain the state of mind one requires for sleep. So, why not try yoga for night time? The calmer poses in yoga allow us to relax just a little more, with a focus on stretching as we wind down for the night. Doesn’t that sound lovely?
Here are four yoga poses for night time you have to include in your bedtime routine:
- Chandra Namaskar:
Okay, so we aren’t exactly starting with one pose but a series of poses. When you start learning yoga, one of the first things you learn is the Surya Namaskar, aka the sun salutation. Chandra Namaskar or Moon salutation might be the less famous sister. But, it is the perfect addition to your bedtime routine. The literal opposite of the sun salutation, it’ll cool down and restore your body. Here’s a pictorial guide to help you understand this how to go about doing this.
- Pigeon Pose:
Also known as the swan pose, the pigeon pose is something you can do in bed. By forcing your hips to open up, you’re allowing your legs - that have done the most work for the day - permission to relax. You can take this a step further by lying your upper body facedown as you settle into the pose. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you master the pigeon pose.
- Extended Child’s Pose:
Sit on your knees and bend down as you stretch your hands out in front of you. Don’t exert yourself but rather, gently ease into it. Remain in that position for a few seconds as you let go of your stress from the day. You’ll feel your shoulders relaxing, so careful not to fall asleep in that position!
- Savasana:
The OG relaxation pose. It can be the last thing you do before you go to sleep. It’s kind of silly how simple this is - anyone can do this. Close your eyes and put all your focus towards relaxing every muscle in the body. Focus on this from toe to head, first relaxing your legs as you move up to your head. You should feel light, almost as if floating out in the dead sea. And there you have it - the savasana! So simple, you won’t believe how relaxed you’re going to feel as you stumble into some amazing, quality sleep.
Want more clarity or guidance? Here are a couple of tutorial videos that would help guide you through the process:
- A video for upper and lower back stretches that’s also good for your shoulder.
- For the more relaxed poses done at a slow pace, check out this one.
- When you want to wind down for the day with a relaxed state of mind.
- If you suffer from anxiety, this bedtime yoga sequence from Yoga with Adrienne is perfect for you.
Yoga doesn’t have to be the complicated process many make it out to be. As you just read, yoga for night sleep is so simple, it can be done in bed. Like we pointed out with the savasana, it involves a bit of letting go and just relaxing.
Make it a consistent practice and soon enough, you’ll find yourself waking up rejuvenated from better sleep. It’s even better if you sleep on crisp and clean quality cotton sheets.
Just saying :)
