When was the last time you were cheerful on very little sleep? If your answer is never, you are in the majority. Many aspects of one’s day come down to whether they had a good night’s sleep or not. Sound sleep is vital for your health and wellbeing, yet it’s not easy to achieve. If falling asleep at a reasonable time is a problem for you, don’t worry. Sleep problems like insomnia are on the rise due to Netflix and smartphones. However, it is essential to make an effort to change that for the betterment of your physical and mental health, and your best course of action would be yoga for sleep.
Yoga for sleep involves deep, rhythmic breath control practices and various physical postures that engage your mind and body. By engaging both the body and mind, it helps you destress and feel calm. Once you get in this headspace, it becomes easier to fall asleep. Here are 5 of the best yoga for sleep asanas you can get started with:
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): Stand straight with your feet together. Take a deep breath in and bend your body forwards by the hips. Bring your torso as close to your legs as possible. Place your hands down next to your feet; remember to keep your knees as straight as possible. Take deep breaths and hold this pose for a while before straightening gently.
- Balasana (Child’s Pose): First, lower your body onto your knees and settle your hips comfortably over your ankles. Then, take a deep breath in as you stretch your arms overhead. Bring your arms down in front of you with your upper body as you exhale. Your upper body should be resting on your thighs with your arms stretched ahead. Keep your neck in a relaxed position and breath out.
- Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall Pose): Sit on the floor or your bed with your side against the wall. Now, swing your body to lie down flat on your back and feet up the wall. Keep legs straight and place your arms in a comfortable position. Stay in this position for up to 15-20 minutes, and then gently push yourself away from the wall to release.
- Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Butterfly Pose): Sit down in a comfortable position and place both the soles of your feet against each other to form a diamond-like shape with your legs. Lower your upper body flat on your back, hold this pose, and gently flap your legs like a butterfly’s wing.
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose): This is the most important pose of all as it requires one to relax. Lie down on your back with your arms and legs straight and relaxed. Close your eyes, take deep breaths to tune in to your body, and feel the pull of gravity. Stay this way for a few minutes.
These poses will help relax your body and mind so you can have a peaceful night of sleep. Learn how to master these poses from professional guidance offered by cult.fit and start living a healthier life.
Yoga helps people loosen up in order to assist with sleeping. It also reduces anxiety and stress that prevent one from sleeping well.
Meditation helps too.