Yoga is a gentle and restorative way to wind down your day. A national survey found that over 55% of people who did yoga found that it helped them get better sleep. Over 85% said yoga helped reduce stress. You can use supportive props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks to make poses comfortable so that you can stay in the pose for longer and continue to breathe.
Your breath is key to be able to relax in these poses. Breath in yoga is equally important—if not more important—as the physical pose. Use a gentle and calming yoga breath technique called Ujjayi Breath, also known as Ocean Breath or Victorious Breath. Inhale deeply through the nose. With your mouth closed, exhale through your nose while constricting the back of your throat as if you are saying "ha" but keep your mouth closed. This exhalation should sound like the waves of the ocean (or like Darth Vader from Star Wars). Use this slow and steady breath to soothe yourself in each of these poses.
Practice these yoga poses right before bedtime and stay in them about 3 to 5 minutes each. Use your Ocean Breath in each pose, with the exception of Corpse Pose, where your breath returns to normal.
These seven restorative yoga poses relieve tension and stress at the end of the day. The more that you practice these poses regularly, the more you likely you can get a good night’s rest.
Best yoga poses for assisting sleeping patterns:
1. Wide-Knee Child’s Pose (Balasana)
2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
3. Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana) at the wall
4. Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)
5. Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani )
6. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
7. Legs on a Chair Pose
Other ways yoga can assist you to sleep better?
Yoga improves mindfulness, increases melatonin levels, and helps reduce sleep disturbance.
The deep breathing technique is extremely relaxing and it induces sleep.
The key to possessing proper sleep is regular exercise with a combination of yoga.
Yoga and meditation help us de-stress.
It relaxes our nervous system.
It revives our body, makes us feel good, and provides us with a relaxing effect.
Yoga is good in many aspects of life as it helps improve our overall health and helps us attain a better and calming mind. If we indulge ourselves with the practice of yoga, then physical and mental stress are reduced and we stay in a happy, positive state of mind helping us to be mindful, and responsive.