Yoga postures for a good sleep
Having trouble falling asleep? Find a restful sleep thanks to the practice of yoga. Ideal to evacuate the stress accumulated during the day and promote relaxation, these exercises will become part of your daily evening ritual. No need to take classes: you can practice yoga in bed to sleep! What is the best yoga exercise for sleeping at night? What are the long-term benefits of these anti-stress yoga postures? All the answers in this article.
A YOGA POSTURE FOR DEEP SLEEP: THE CANDLE
Can't fall asleep at night because you're reliving the day's worries in bed? The candle or "Sarvangâsana" soothes your mind as you go to sleep. This upside down yoga exercise promotes relaxation and well-being by reversing the flow of emotions. Ideal to make energies circulate, it transforms negative waves into positive energy.
While lying down, leave your back and head glued to the floor, while lifting your legs and hips. You can use your arms and hands to keep your balance, so as to adopt as upright a position as possible. Take long, deep breaths in and out very slowly, starting with your chest and ending with your belly.
Do you have difficulty keeping your balance? Try a variation of this yoga position: the half candle. Lift your legs by leaning against a wall. Keep your back, head and shoulders on the ground. Your arms are relaxed along your body. For greater comfort, feel free to place a blanket or cushion under your tailbone.
ACHIEVE EMOTIONAL BALANCE THROUGH THE COBRA POSTURE
Just like the candle, the cobra posture or "Bhujangasana" can help you to let go and regain some emotional balance.
Sit face down on your yoga mat with your forehead on the floor. Spread your legs slightly and place your hands under your shoulders. Keep your feet straight and in line with the rest of your body.
Lift your chest by pushing your pelvis against the floor and using your arms to open your chest. Breathe several times in this position, remaining as still as possible. Concentrate on the inhalations and exhalations in order to make them deeper.
REGAIN CALM AND SERENITY WITH THE CHILD'S POSTURE
Also known as "Balâsana", the child's posture is perfect for releasing tension and refocusing on oneself. Easy to achieve, it is also very beneficial for the back. This yoga posture will relax all your muscles and empty your mind.
Kneeling on your yoga mat, tilt your bust forward as you exhale. With your head on the floor, leave your arms and hands stretched out along your body or in front of you, as you wish. Close your eyes and focus all your attention on your breathing. Feel your lungs and belly filling and emptying with air with each inhalation and exhalation. Accentuate these movements by trying to breathe deeper and deeper.
Note that if your buttocks do not touch the tips of your heels, you can place a blanket over them to make the position more comfortable. Stay as long as you feel the need. This relaxing sleeping position will gradually become part of your evening rituals!
YOGA NIDRA FOR A DEEP SLEEP
To fall into the arms of Morpheus quickly and regain quality sleep, test the yoga nidra, or sleep yoga. Accessible to all, this discipline is similar to meditation and is practiced while lying down. It is therefore not about postures, as in Hatha yoga. Practiced in India for thousands of years, this relaxation technique frees you from muscular and emotional tensions. The good news is that the beneficial effects of this beginner's yoga can be felt from the very first session
Lying down and comfortably under a blanket, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Then bring your attention back to the environment around you, watching for every sound, from the closest to the furthest away. After a few minutes, refocus again on your body sensations.
Then comes the moment to review each part of your body, head, shoulders, hands, spine, knees and legs... up to your toes. By doing so, you relax all your muscles gradually.
Then concentrate on your body as a whole, feeling its heaviness and then its lightness. You are then in a state of deep relaxation, between waking and sleeping. More than a state of physical relaxation, yoga nidra appeals to the subconscious mind. During the session, you will visualize positive mental images and repeat personal resolutions.
If it is particularly recommended for those who have difficulty falling asleep in the evening, nidra yoga also proves to be very effective in case of stress.
EVENING RELAXATION YOGA: WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS?
Practiced regularly, these relaxing and anti-stress yoga postures allow you to take a step back from the worries of daily life and to manage more easily the range of emotions they generate.
By combining thoughts with relaxation exercises, nidra yoga can help you achieve other goals such as quitting smoking or losing weight. What if you tried yoga to lose weight?
More than a natural remedy for insomnia and sleep disorders, yoga improves your concentration, creativity and efficiency.
Last advice: avoid having your stomach too full before doing these yoga postures and stay tuned to your body. A position should never cause pain or discomfort. To sleep better, respect your biological clock and go to sleep at the same time every day. Before going to sleep, avoid stimulants and drink herbal teas made from passionflower, lemon balm or lime blossom. And why not take a hot bath to relax? These few changes in your lifestyle, combined with a yoga session every night, will allow you to get back to a restful sleep quickly.
These few exercises have an undeniable advantage: they can be done in your bed. A good reason to get started tonight! Nighttime awakenings and other sleep problems will soon be a distant memory.
