Yoga for Better Sleep

Yoga for Better Sleep - Yoga is a gentle and refreshing to relax your day form. A national survey found that over 55% of those who think yoga helped him get better sleep.  

Over 85% said that yoga helps reduce stress. You can use support accessories such as necklaces, blankets and blocks to ease so you can stay in the position longer and keep breathing poses.

His breathing is key to relaxation in these poses. Breath in yoga is just as important, if not more important, than physical posture. Use a gentle technique called yoga breathing Ujjayi, calming breath, also known as breath or victorious breath of ocean. Inhale deeply through your nose.  

With your mouth closed, exhale through your nose while tightening the back of the throat, as if you say "ha," but keep your mouth shut. This end should look like ocean waves (or Darth Vader from Star Wars). Use this slow and steady breathing to calm yourself in each of these positions.

The practice of these yoga poses before bed and just stay on them about 3-5 minutes each. Use your breath ocean in each set, with the exception of corpse pose, where the normal breathing returns.

These seven restorative yoga postures to relieve tension and stress at the end of the day. The more you practice these poses regularly, chances are you can get a good night rest.

1. Flat knee Child Pose (Balasana)

This resting posture provides a sense of calm and stability. Be careful if you have hip or knee injuries.

       *  Kneel on the floor and bring your toes together.
       *  Spread your knees or shoulders wide hips as wide as the edges of the carpet.
 
       *  Exhale and sink your chest on your thighs.
       *  Let your hands relax with his chest, so that your arms are pointed at the back of the room, palms up. This should relieve the tension of the shoulder by extending the shoulder blades away from each other.

       *  If you want a more active attitude, reach your hands forward, palms down on the carpet.
 
       *  Keep your forehead on the floor. Stretch the top of each side carefully. This releases tension in your forehead.
 
       *  Breathe slowly and regularly, and nose.  

2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

       *  It looks hip width apart feet. Inhale deeply.  
       *  Exhale and extend your torso forward and his legs to lengthen the spine.  

       *  Keep on your elbows or let your hands rest on the floor or buttons.  

       *  Do not force to reach the ground in the goal is not to get a perfect shape, but lengthen the spine and relax your neck and shoulders. 

This tilt tension forwards allows you to defend your neck and stretches the hamstrings, calves and hips gently. Be careful if you have a bad back.

        *  If it is difficult for hands to reach the floor or the back is uncomfortable, place shims under each hand to provide more support.

        *  Inhale and exhale through your nose slowly and gently.
        *  If you have tight hamstrings, keep your knees "soft" bending slightly so that your chest can relax on the thighs.
 
        *  Gently shake his head "yes" and "no" to unwind and relax the neck muscles.
        *  To get there, walk slowly roll to avoid dizziness. 

3. Standing Forward Bend middle (Ardha Uttanasana) wall

This is another change in posture, standing forward bends. Video available here.  
 
       *  Place your mat perpendicular to the wall. 
       *  It seems almost a foot away from the wall.  
       *  Your feet should be shoulder width apart and hips parallel to the edges of the carpet.  

       *  Press your hands against the wall with your palms on the hips spread.  

       *  Step back with your feet hip-width apart and lower your torso back to a flat position so that the torso is perpendicular to the ground.  

       *  Use your hands to press the opposite wall you stretch your back.  
       *  Click on the four corners of your feet. 
       *  Keep your ears in line with your arm.  
       *  Adjust your distance from the wall to make sure your body is at a 90 degree angle (L-shaped).  If you are too close to the wall, back and arms can not be fully extended. If you are too far from the wall, you will not be able to lean forward enough.  

       *  Keep breathing deeply while pressing the wall away from you with your palms. 

4. Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)

This posture relieves on your hips and groin. Be careful if you have knee injuries, hip or groin.

         *  Lie on the mat.
         *  Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor near his tailbone.

         *  Bring the soles of your feet together and allow your knees to relax away from the other, while placing blocks or firm pillows under your knees on either side to support her hips.

         *  If you have narrow hips, you can adjust your feet so they are further away from your tailbone or add other blocks or pillows under your knees for extra height.

         *  Relax your arms on the floor about 45 degrees from your torso, palms facing the ceiling.
         *  Do not press your knees to create additional stress. Gravity is already doing the job.
         *  You should feel a gentle stretch in the hips and groin, but should not be painful. 

5. legs the wall pose (Viparita Karani)

At the end of the day, especially if your job is to stay on your feet, ankles and feet swollen and can get tired. This simple pose helps your recycled bloodstream.

         *  Find an empty space on your wall and place your mat perpendicular to the wall.

         *  Sit on the mat and bring your side of the left or right wall as close to your body responds to the side wall.
 
         *  Lie on a stretcher and gently hold your legs up the wall.
         *  Relax your arms at your sides.

Optional: You can add support a firm rolled mat or pillow under your tailbone to share your tailbone added.  

 6. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Corpse pose is the last traditional home practice yoga poses. You can leave the breathing returns to normal in this pose.

         *  Lie on the mat.

         *  Hug your knees to your chest hard and take a deep breath.

         *  Exhale and stretch your legs away from you, keeping your tailbone grounded on the mat.

         *  Your feet should be shoulder width apart hips and relaxed away from each other, towards the edges of the carpet.
 
         *  Let your lower back soft and relaxed. You should not feel any pain or pressure in the lower back.
 
         *  Relax arms at your sides, palms up.
         *  Make sure your shoulders are not hunched, and if so, relax your shoulders away from your ears.

       Optional: Place a folded towel over her eyes to block all light.

 7. legs on a chair Pose

This position is useful for people who may have greater difficulty fully extend your legs up the wall because of back injuries, knee or lower hip. You can find a video of how to get into this pose here.

        *  Place a chair at the end of your yoga mat for you encounter.
        *  Place a towel or a folded blanket on the seat of the chair. Depending on the height of the chair, you may need a couple of folded blankets under the sacred well.

        *  Sit close to the mat, with his seat near the front of the chair.
        *  Lie on one side with knees bent in a fetal position. Scoot over the mat center.
        *  Riding on the back with knees bent so your calves can sit on the chair seat.
        *  Your thighs should be at a 90 degree angle to the shins.
        *  Keep your arms relaxed at your sides, palms up. 
By: Marlynn Wei, MD, JD