Yoga for Sleep
Practicing yoga helps to relax, calm and still the mind. It’s not surprising that a gentle yoga practice can help you achieve the perfect nights sleep.
There are many physical benefits that yoga brings. Learning basic yoga relaxation techniques and breathing techniques can prove valuable for those that often find themselves in bed awake or wake during the night and struggle to fall back to sleep.
This simple breathing technique and relaxation can be practiced before you fall asleep, it will improve sleep quality helping you achieve a restful nights sleep and wake feeling revitalised and raring to go.
Yoga Breathing Technique and Relaxation to Help you Sleep
Begin lying on your back, lightly close your eyes, relax all of your facial muscles and breathe slowly through your nose. Place your hands lightly onto your stomach between your belly button and your sternum, as you breathe in feel this area rising and then falling as you exhale. Continue to breathe slowly filling the whole of your lungs with air, work to lengthen each exhalation, as you do so relax and soften your whole body. Muscles relax as you exhale, so every exhalation can be used to release tension.
When you feel ready place your hands beside your hips with your palms facing up. Feel that you are lying in a straight line, relax the facial muscles, broaden the upper back and release the shoulders, lengthen your lower back, relax the hips so that the legs rotate in the pelvic girdle, relax your ankles so that your feet just hang.
Continue to breathe slowly focussing on the breath slowly entering and leaving the body through your nose, every time you exhale work to release tension and feel yourself relaxing and softening. Focusing on your breath will help still and calm the mind, if your mind begins to wander try tuning in to the sound of your breath. Continue for as long as required.
This blog article was written by Sue Fuller creator of the Yoga 2 Hear range of audio yoga classes and yoga teacher training courses.
