Yoga for Better Sleep:
Effective Poses and Practices
for a Restful Night
By Hanne
In our busy lives, achieving restful sleep can be challenging. Especially as women balancing work, family, and personal well-being often take a toll on our sleep quality. Fortunately, yoga offers a holistic approach to improve rest and relaxation. In this blog post, we’ll explore yoga poses and practices that promote better sleep, while also incorporating the soothing benefits of essential oils, specifically doTERRA’s Serenity system. Let’s embark on this journey to deeper sleep, self-love, and emotional well-being. So, let’s find out what are the effective poses and practices for a restful night?
Yoga for Better Sleep:
Effective Poses and Practices
for a Restful Night
The importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized. It is crucial for our physical and mental health. It allows our bodies to repair and regenerate, supports cognitive function, and helps regulate our emotions. Poor sleep can lead to a host of issues, including decreased immunity, mood swings, and reduced physical performance. Incorporating yoga into your evening routine can help calm the mind, relax the body, and prepare you for a night of restorative sleep.
Yoga Poses for Better Sleep
1. Child's Pose (Balasana)
Child’s Pose is a gentle resting pose that helps to calm the mind and relieve tension in the body.
How to Do It:
• Kneel on the floor, touch your big toes together, and sit on your heels.
• Separate your knees about hip-width apart.
• Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs.
• Extend your arms forward, palms facing down, or rest them alongside your body.
• Hold for 3-5 minutes, focusing on your breath.
Mechanism and Benefits: Child’s Pose gently stretches the lower back, hips, and thighs, releasing tension that can accumulate throughout the day. This pose also promotes a sense of safety and comfort, which helps to reduce stress and anxiety. By encouraging deep, diaphragmatic breathing, Child’s Pose activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and preparing the body for sleep.
2. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
This restorative pose promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
How to Do It:
• Sit sideways against a wall, then gently swing your legs up onto the wall as you lower your back to the floor.
• Rest your arms at your sides, palms facing up.
• Close your eyes and breathe deeply, holding the pose for 5-10 minutes.
Mechanism and Benefits: Legs Up the Wall helps to improve circulation and reduce swelling in the legs by allowing blood and lymphatic fluid to flow more easily back to the heart. This pose also calms the nervous system and reduces stress by encouraging relaxation and slowing down the heart rate. The gentle inversion helps to relieve pressure on the lower back and promotes a sense of calm, making it easier to drift off to sleep.
3. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
This pose opens the hips and promotes a sense of calm.
How to Do It:
• Lie on your back onto a bolster and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to fall open to the sides.
• Place blocks or pillows under your knees for support if needed.
• Rest your arms at your sides, palms facing up.
• Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes, focusing on slow, deep breaths.
Mechanism and Benefits: Reclining Bound Angle Pose gently stretches the inner thighs and hips, which can hold a lot of tension and stress. By opening up these areas, this pose helps to release emotional and physical tension. The supported position also encourages deep relaxation and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which aids in calming the mind and preparing the body for sleep. The deep breathing associated with this pose enhances the relaxation response, promoting better sleep.
4. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Paschimottanasana helps to stretch the spine and calm the nervous system, making it ideal for winding down before bed.
How to Do It:
• Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you.
• Inhale, lengthen your spine, and lift your arms overhead.
• Exhale, hinge at your hips, and reach for your feet or shins.
• Allow your head and neck to relax as you fold forward.
• Hold for 3-5 minutes, breathing deeply and focusing on relaxation.
• For more comfort you can use bolster on top of your legs.
Mechanism and Benefits: Seated Forward Bend stretches the entire back of the body, from the heels to the neck. This deep stretch helps to release tension in the spine and hamstrings, promoting relaxation. The forward fold position also encourages introspection and quiets the mind, making it easier to let go of the day’s stresses. By focusing on deep, even breathing, this pose helps to calm the nervous system and prepare the body for sleep.
5. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Savasana is the ultimate relaxation pose, perfect for ending your yoga practice.
How to Do It:
• Lie flat on your back with your legs slightly apart and your arms at your sides, palms facing up.
• Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths.
• Focus on releasing all tension from your body.
• Stay in this pose for 10-15 minutes.
Mechanism and Benefits: Savasana allows the body to fully relax and integrate the benefits of the yoga practice. By lying still and focusing on deep breathing, this pose helps to calm the mind and release any remaining physical tension. Savasana activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a state of deep relaxation and reducing stress levels. This pose is essential for preparing the body and mind for a restful night’s sleep.
Essential Oils for Better Sleep
Incorporating essential oils into your yoga practice and your evening routine (better sleep routine) can enhance relaxation and promote better sleep. doTERRA’s Serenity system is specifically designed to support restful sleep and emotional well-being.
How to Use doTERRA’s Serenity System
Serenity Restful Blend:
• Diffuse a few drops in your bedroom 30 minutes before bedtime to create a calming atmosphere.
• Apply a drop to the bottoms of your feet or wrists to promote relaxation.
Serenity Restful Complex Softgels:
• Take one or two softgels before bedtime to help you unwind and prepare for restful sleep.
Other Essential Oils for Sleep
Lavender:
•Known for its calming properties, lavender oil can help reduce stress and anxiety, making it easier to fall asleep.
• Add a few drops to your pillow or diffuse in your bedroom.
Roman Chamomile:
• This soothing oil promotes relaxation and helps alleviate insomnia.
• Diffuse or apply topically to your wrists and temples.
Creating a Sleep-Inducing Evening Routine
To maximize the benefits of yoga and essential oils for better sleep, consider creating a consistent evening routine:
1. Set a Consistent Bedtime:
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your body’s internal clock.
2. Unplug from Electronics:
Avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime to reduce exposure to blue light, which can interfere with sleep.
3. Practice Your Yoga Routine:
Incorporate the poses mentioned above into your evening routine to calm your mind and relax your body. Try this Sleep Well Yin Yoga | A Soothing Nighttime Routine practice.
4. Use Essential Oils:
Diffuse or apply doTERRA’s Serenity blend and other essential oils to create a peaceful environment.
5. Practice Mindfulness or Meditation:
Spend a few minutes in quiet meditation or mindfulness practice to ease into sleep.
Good night
Integrating yoga and essential oils into your evening routine can significantly improve your sleep quality, helping you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day. By focusing on self-love and emotional well-being, you can create a balanced and fulfilling life. Start incorporating these practices today and experience the transformative power of yoga for better sleep.
Have questions or need personalized advice? Feel free to reach out in the comments or send me a message! How has yoga improved your sleep? Share your experiences below!
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About me
Hi, I'm Hanne
I am a yoga instructor and personal trainer dedicated to holistic wellbeing and natural living. On my blog, I share insights and practical tips to help you find balance and harmony in your life.
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