So many people struggle with insomnia. Whether it's difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, if this is you, you're not alone. Creating a bedtime routine is crucial in setting the stage for your mind and body to begin to let go and slip into a peaceful nights sleep. Yoga can also be extremely powerful in creating that deep state of relaxation and there are specific poses that have been proven to help encourage a good nights sleep. Lena Schmidt from Chopra blog wrote about this in an article she wrote. Here's some of what she wrote below;
Follow the sequence below, or do the poses your body is craving.
Cat/Cow Pose
- Come to hands and knees.
- Align your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Inhale and arch your back, gazing forward.
- Exhale and round your back, gazing in towards your belly.
- Repeat slowly several times to release your spine and joints from the day’s activities.
Child’s Pose
- From hands and knees bring your big toes together and widen your knees however much is comfortable.
- Sit your hips back towards your heels and rest your torso on a bolster or just between your legs.
- Reach your arms forward and rest your forehead on a block or the ground.
- Stay for 3-5 minutes breathing deeply.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose
- Come to your back.
- Bring the bottoms of your feet together.
- Allow your knees to open to the side. For an even more restorative variation, recline onto a bolster and roll up blankets for under your head and knees.
- Stay for 3-5 minutes.
Spinal Twists
- From your back, hug your knees into your chest.
- Stretch your arms open to your sides like a “T” and let your knees fall to one side.
- Adjust to make sure you’re comfortable: knees can stay together or wrap one around the other, one leg could extend, or a blanket between the knees may feel best.
- Stay for 2-3 minutes and switch sides.
Happy Baby Pose
- From your back hug your knees into your chest.
- Separate your knees and draw them to your shoulders.
- Reach your hands up towards your feet or ankles.
- Move your elbows inside of your knees and pull down.
- It may feel nice to rock gently or to remain still as you breathe.
- Stay for 1-2 minutes and release.
Legs Up the Wall Pose
- Sit next to the wall and roll down to your side.
- Swing your legs up the wall and move as close to the wall as is comfortable for the backs of your legs.
- Rest a blanket under your head as a pillow and under your low back for support.
- It can also feel grounding to put a folded blanket on top of your feet, especially if it’s the weather is cold.
- P.S.: If your bed is against a wall you can do this one right in bed and then slide into sleep.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed that the creation of an evening routine will just be an addition to your to-do list, consider what elements among these suggestions you may like to incorporate. Start with one thing that really strikes you (such as, “yeah, I could drink some tea before bed, that’s manageable”) and begin to add on from there as you carve out more time for self-care before bed. Sweet Dreams!
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