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Yoga is a great way to relieve stress, and it can help you open up the muscles as well as relax the mind.
Yoga is also great in helping you fall asleep. It can ease the nerves in the body and induce sleep, especially when you need it the most. Read on to know about a few poses that can help lull you into dreamland.
Sleep-Inducing Yoga Poses
Here's a look at six such poses:
1) Child’s Pose
A resting pose, the child’s pose has the benefit of being a position that can be practiced at any time.
The physical benefits include the relaxation of the hips and thighs, which are often tight for many people. In addition to stretching out these areas, this pose also opens up the chest and shoulders as you press down into your hands. That's a good way to warm up before more physically demanding poses and creating space in the body after moving through more challenging ones.
Here's how to do it:
- Kneel on the mat with your knees under your hips and feet hip-width apart or wider.
- Walk your fingers forward till they're directly underneath the shoulders (or just beyond).
- Sit back onto your heels while lowering your forehead towards the mat or floor.
- Let your chest sink between your arms or elbows, and rest lightly on top of your thighs, whichever feels best.
- Hold for 5-10 breaths before slowly rolling up one vertebra at a time till you're back standing upright.
2) Legs Up the Wall
While it's not a particularly challenging pose in terms of physical effort, this yoga pose might take some getting used to if you haven't practiced yoga or any kind of stretching before. If that's the case, try doing the cat-cow pose instead.
Proceed as follows to do the legs up the wall pose:
- Lie down on your back, and bring the soles of your feet together.
- Place them against a wall. Lift your legs up so that they're facing the wall, and let gravity do the rest.
3) Happy Baby Pose
It's a hamstring and glute opener that can be done in a variety of ways. It's best done on the floor. You can also do it with a yoga mat or bolster between your knees.
Do it as follows:
- Lying face up on the floor with your legs bent at 90 degrees, place a rolled-up blanket or pillow under each knee.
- Lift both feet off the floor so taht they're resting over you.That will stretch out your lower back and hips while also encouraging you to pull your legs as far back as possible.
The happy baby pose is known for its ability not only to alleviate back pain but also anxiety and insomnia, as it helps relax the muscles throughout the body, including those in the neck.
4) Bound Angle Pose
This pose stretches the hips, thighs, and groin muscles, which can be helpful for those with lower back pain or stiff hamstrings. It also improves flexibility in these areas, which means you can enhance your mobility while getting ready for bed.
Do this pose as follows:
- Start seated on the floor, and bring your soles together.
- Extend your legs out to your sides, keeping them bent.
- Push down on your knees for a deeper stretch (If you need to, place a cushion underneath each knee.)
5) Corpse Pose
It's a resting pose that can help you relax and unwind, as well as stretch out the muscles in the back and neck.
It's done as follows:
- Lie on your back with your legs straight, arms by your sides, and palms facing up.
- Close your eyes, taking deep breaths through the nose, if possible, to calm yourself down from any anxiety or stress you might be feeling before bedtime.
- You may modify this pose by bending one or both knees for comfort, if needed, to extend its benefits in terms of relaxation.
You should stay here till you've fully relaxed into the pose — about ten minutes do it for most people but some may need more time than others depending on how much stress they're under during their day-to-day lives. After relaxing into this posture for a while, feel free to move on to another exercise.
6) Knee to Chest
This yoga pose is great for helping you fall asleep, as it calms the mind and relaxes the body by releasing tension in the lower back region.
Another benefit of this pose is that it also helps alleviate pain caused by sciatica (pain caused by irritation or inflammation of nerves).
To do the knee-to-chest pose:
- Lie on your back, and bring both knees towards your chest.
- Grasp each knee with your hands, and slowly lower them to rest on each side of your body.
- Try to keep the hips and legs as relaxed as possible during the pose. That will help you drift off into sleep more quickly.
Takeaway
These were just some of the many yoga poses you can use for sleep induction. If you’re interested in trying them, remember that it takes time to find the pose that works best for you.
You should also keep in mind that each person has their own needs and preferences when it comes to yoga poses and meditation techniques, so do what feels right for you.
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