Bedtime yoga can be an energizing way to unwind before bed. There are much yoga poses to try before bed, but there are also poses that can help you to doze off. A person’s body is more open to the release of natural endorphins, serotonin, and melatonin. This helps a person’s body to sleep better, have less pain, and experience less anxiety. It helps people to breathe better and maintain a sense of balance.
What is yoga?
Yoga is a collection of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines that have their origins in ancient India. Yoga is one of Hinduism’s six traditional philosophical traditions.
In Hinduism and other religions derived from it, there are many different yoga schools, practices, and purposes. In the Western world, the term “yoga” is frequently used to refer to a modern form of hatha yoga and yoga as exercise, which consists primarily of postures or asanas. Yoga is known to provide relief in many physical and mental problems faced by humans. Bedtime yoga is just one part of the yoga that is practiced by people around the world to get a peaceful sleep.
Importance of Yoga
Yoga is frequently misunderstood as a physical practice limited to asanas or positions. Also, its benefits are mostly seen on a physical level only. However, we fail to appreciate, how beneficial yoga is for connecting the body, mind, and breath. The path through life is calmer, happier, and more satisfying when you are in tune. If you want to reduce weight, build a strong and flexible body, or find calm, yoga can help you achieve all these goals. Yoga has a lot of importance in day-to-day life which is mentioned below:
- Yoga is beneficial to your overall fitness.
- Yoga can help you lose weight.
- Yoga is an excellent way to get rid of tension in the body.
- Yoga promotes deep tranquillity.
- Yoga boosts your immune system.
- Yoga can help you become more aware.
- Yoga strengthens bonds between people.
- Yoga Boosts Energy
- Yoga can improve flexibility and posture.
- Yoga aids in the development of intuition.
What is Bedtime Yoga?
Bedtime Yoga is a sort of guided meditation that promotes deep relaxation, improves sleep quality, and reduces stress. It can simply be referred to as poses of the Yoga before bed. The technique involves lying down, breathing deeply, and following the verbal prompts to help you relax and de-stress. Yoga before bed is simple and can be performed by most people with no problem at all.
Does Yoga Before Bed Works?
Yoga before bed is a great method to let go of anything that you are holding onto mentally or physically before settling down. Bedtime yoga proves beneficial in achieving a restful night’s sleep. Incorporating a gentle yoga session into your bedtime routine may help you sleep better and longer.
How Does Yoga Help for Sleep?
Yoga can help you manage insomnia symptoms if you practice it regularly. According to the results of a new study published in 2019, sleep yoga and other mind-body therapies are shown to be useful in treating insomnia and promoting better sleep.
When it comes to achieving a deep and restful sleep at night, you have three key bedtime yoga tools to use – mindfulness, breathing, and exercise. Mindfulness can be practiced every day. It will help you progress towards a healthy sleep routine. Deep breathing is a relaxation technique that can induce sleep if you do it for 5 minutes before you go to bed. Moderate exercise at least three times a week can also improve your overall sleep quality.
In 2013, researchers looked at the long-term effects of yoga practice in older adults and found that it could be an effective alternative to prescription sleep aids, which are often prescribed to seniors.
Yoga Poses For Sleep
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Uttanasana is a yoga pose that stretches and strengthens the whole body. It is an amazing bedtime yoga pose. It improves digestion, mental clarity, and circulation. One of the benefits of Uttanasana is that it stretches and strengthens the whole body. This is most beneficial for people who suffer from back pain, headaches, and migraines. It also helps relieve tension in the neck and shoulder area as it stretches the entire back, improving digestion, mental clarity, and circulation. It is also a great way to get rid of emotional stress and fatigue. Those who practice yoga to stay fit will have increased vitality and endurance. This pose can be done in many different ways to accommodate people of different heights.
Plow Pose (Halasana)
Halasana is a resting posture that is usually performed during a yoga session. The purpose of this position is to stretch the upper spine and open up the chest. When practiced correctly, it can help to relieve some general back pain that one might experience. The person performing this position should lay on their back with their fingernails pointing up. Keeping their head on the ground, they should then stretch their legs and bend them so that their heels touch their glutes. Next, keeping their feet and toes pointed, they should push back on the ground and walk them closer to their head. Depending on the flexibility of the practitioner, this position can be done without putting anything between the shins and the ground.
Child Pose (Shishuasana)
Shishuasana Known in English as the child’s pose, Shishuasana is a yoga posture that is a writhing asana or seated balance. Practicing this asana will help improve the strength of the back and also increase the flexibility of the spine. It is recommended that you practice this asana in the morning and evening to release tension and enhance your spinal health. The main benefit of this posture is that it also builds awareness. When you relax in Child’s Pose, you will feel your mind calming down and you will feel less stressed. Child pose is one of the favorite bedtime yoga pose of people who practice good night yoga.
Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
Viparita Karani is a yoga pose that is known for its stress-relieving benefits. This pose is great because it doesn’t require a lot of time commitment or preparation. In order to do the pose, one should sit with one’s feet flat on the ground and their right shin on their left thigh. One should then lean their back against a wall and lengthen their right leg in front of them. The next step is to bring their heel towards their buttocks and cross the left ankle over the right one. The right palm is then placed on the floor in front of one’s right foot and one’s left palm is placed on one’s chest. This pose can be done for as little as two minutes.
Reclining Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Supta Baddha Konasana is a restorative pose of many bedtime yoga routine, this pose is used to give the person the best position for cleansing. It is best to take this pose before and after a meal to prevent any discomfort. The person should sit on the mat or ground with the back and head straight. The bent leg should be folded, with the other leg bent on top of it. The person should then tuck both of their feet under their butt. They should then lie back and grab a hold of their foot. The chest and head should be on the ground. This pose will give the person the perfect position for rest and digestion.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Savasana is a wonderful pose to end a bedtime yoga routine. Savasana is a pose that requires you to lie on your back with your arms to the side of the body and palms up and legs extended. The pose is often mistaken for “resting” or “sleeping” which couldn’t be further from the truth. Savasana is a time in the practice in which the body and mind are deep in relaxation. It is important to be very still and focus on your breath going in and out of your body. While in this pose, all the tension from the muscles of your body will go away, leaving you feeling very calm and serene.
Conclusion
Yoga is a fantastic way to improve general health. It improves balance and coordination, boosts the immune system, strengthens muscles and relieves stress. Yoga helps you to be calm and balanced, relieves some of the stress in your life, and can also help treat insomnia and other sleep disorders. Yoga can be practiced by anyone, even if you’ve never done it before. if you experience trouble going to sleep, try a course of bedtime yoga sequence – it’s something that anyone can do.