Guest Post by Jade Langton
If you are having trouble falling asleep, you can try some yoga poses. In this article, let’s learn about some of these poses. We’ve put together insightful information to get you started on the right track. Find out more here!
Whether you are spending your day working at your desk, commuting to different places, or managing your finances, your body is being put through its paces daily. Therefore, you must give your body a bit of TLC after the day has ended. Practising yoga is considered the best way to release all the tensions you have held throughout the day. If you practice some yoga poses before sleeping, you will be in for a deep and fantastic night.
Incorporating various yoga exercises before sleeping will improve the duration and quality of your sleep. These poses have been deemed beneficial for people that have insomnia, sleep lightly, or do not get enough sleep. Let us learn about some of the best yoga exercises for a good night’s sleep.
What Are The Five Best Yoga Poses For A Better Sleep?
Here is a list of yoga poses that you can try to better your sleep:
1. Balasana (Child’s Wide-Knee Pose)
This yoga pose is considered one of the easy yoga poses that provide some calmness and stability to your body and mind. However, ensure that you do not suffer from injuries on your knee or hip. Here is how you can do this pose:
1. On the floor, kneel and group together your big toes.
2. Keep your knees separated and as wide as the edge of the mat or the width of your hips.
3. Exhale and try to touch your torso to your thighs.
4. Alongside your torso, relax your hands; the arms need to be pointed towards the back of the room, and the palms should be facing upward. This way, the tension of your shoulders gets released when you widen the shoulder blades away from one another.
5. If you want to get more physical, you can reach your hands forward, with palms facing the mat.
6. Ensure that your forehead is on the ground. Gently roll your head to each side.
7. Breathe in and out slowly.
2. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
This is one of the best yoga balance poses that can relax the tension in your neck and also gently stretches your hips, calves, and hamstrings. Be careful if you are suffering from a back injury.
1. With your feet hip-width apart, take a deep breath.
2. When exhaling, extend your torso forward so that your torso is just touching your chest; this will elongate your spine.
3. Let your hands rest on the floor or shins, or you can hold onto your elbows.
4. Make sure that you do not strain yourself hard to reach the floor; this pose aims to elongate your spine and relax your shoulders and neck, not to elongate your spine.
5. If your back feels uncomfortable, place blocks under your hands for additional support.
3. Ardha Uttanasana (Standing Half Forward Bend)
This position is another variation of the Uttanasana. It’s one of the best yoga poses for anxiety.
1. Place your yoga mat next to a wall and stand a foot away from it.
2. At hips-width, your feet need to be apart and parallel to the mat’s edges.
3. Press your hands against the wall with your palms spread at hips width.
4. Take a step back with your feet apart and keep lowering your torso until you reach a flat back position; you will notice that your torso will be perpendicular to the floor.
5. Press the wall away using your palms so that your back lengthens. Also, keep pressing into all four corners with the help of your feet.
6. As you are pressing the wall away with your palms, ensure that you keep breathing deeply.
4. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
This is one of the most basic yoga poses that you can practice. All you need to do is become a ‘corpse’ and breathe in and out.
1. Start by lying down on the mat.
2. Ensure that your knees are together and tight.
3. Your feet need to be hips-width apart and relaxed.
4. Your hands need to be on your sides, with palms facing upwards.
5. You can start inhaling deeply. When doing so, bring your knees towards your chest without lifting your back.
6. While exhaling, bring your knees down and stretch your legs out as you possibly can. Ensure that you keep your tailbone grounded at all times.
5. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle)
It’s one of the most straightforward yoga poses for beginners. This exercise is perfect for easing the tension in your groin and hips area. However, be careful if you have groin, hip, or knee injuries.
1. Begin by lying down on the mat.
2. Bring the soles of your feet together by bending your knees; your soles need to be close to your tailbone.
3. Allow your knees to relax.
4. Relax your arms on the floor; the palms need to face the ceiling, and your arms should be 45° away from your torso.
5. Do not add any pressure on your knees. You will feel a gentle stretch in your groin and hips; this feeling is not painful.
Final Thoughts
The above-mentioned yoga poses for sleep are considered some of the best by expert yoga practitioners worldwide. Sleep is something that is very much required by the body for proper functioning. If you are unable to sleep properly, you will not feel fresh and will not give your 100%. Therefore, these exercises can definitely help you get some extra winks. But, ensure that you do not do these poses right after having your dinner.
What’s your take on all this? Let us know in the comments!
Jade is a financial analyst and has been involved in many successful business projects with a range of companies throughout the country. She started writing 3 years ago and enjoys researching, discussing, and writing on the topics of finances, budgeting, money advice, instant payday loans online, lifestyle, and wellness. Jade loves to spend time with her family and has a lot of hobbies including hiking, riding a bike, cooking, and traveling.
