Four simple Yoga Moves for a good night sleep

You know the feeling of peace you experience after a yoga class when you are relaxing on your back listening to your breathing?

Sara Clark from the Yoga Journal recommends trying some soothing poses right in your bed that will help for better zzz’s. Of course, the first step to a good relationship with your sleep is SWITCHING OFF your phone an hour before bed. Easier said than done!

There are a plenty of benefits of a good night’s rest. Reduced depression, anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure to name a few. Proper sleep helps us to increase our metabolism, optimism, resilience and even solve problems. So, it’s worth a try, right?

1. Child’s pose (Balasana)

Rest your chest and belly on one or two stacked pillows with knees wide apart and big toes touching. Rest an ear on the pillow, eyes closed, and jaw and belly relaxed. Your arms can rest on the sides of the pillow or underneath. Focus your attention on the nostrils and enjoy the sensation of breath flowing in and out.

2. Supported half frog pose (Ardha Bhekasana)

Lie on your belly, with pillows under the belly optional. Extend one leg out to the side and bend it at a 90-degree angle with your knee level with your hip. Invite the opposite leg to straighten and extend behind you. Invite your head to turn and rest in the direction of your bent leg. Relax your belly, eyes, and jaw. Focus your attention on the nostrils and enjoy the sensation of breath flowing in and out.

3. Supported Reclining Twist

Lie flat on your back. Bend both legs at a 90-degree angle and let them fall to the right. With knees stacked and hips level, slide one or two pillows between your thighs. Extend your arms straight out at shoulder level and turn your head to the left. With eyes closed and jaw and belly relaxed, focus on feeling the breath flow all the way up into your collarbones. Stay for as long as you’d like and then switch sides, twisting to the left and turning head to the right

4. Corpse pose (Savasana)

Allow your body to rest with hands by your sides or on stomach. You can place pillows under your upper thighs or behind knees for more support if desired. With eyes closed and jaw and torso relaxed, feel your breath filling up your belly, expanding your ribs, and flowing up into the chest on an inhalation. Exhale by relaxing your chest, ribs, then belly.

At Statewide Home Health Care, we also have a range of therapeutic pillows recommended by health professionals to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Try some “bed-yoga” and use our pillows and let us know how you go!