Chinmaya Yoga School shares asanas to help us sleep better
Did You know That Yoga Can Help You Sleep better? Here’s a Look at Some Poses That Can Help!
Though Yoga has been accepted worldwide as an ‘Art of Living’ and more and more people are incorporating it in their lives, there is still a misconception prevalent about yoga. Many people assume it to be a form of workout that consists of complex poses that leaves you breathless and your blood pumping fast. However, yoga is a deeper practice that has more to it than complex asanas.
The other side of yoga is the one which relaxes and rejuvenates your senses. It leaves you relaxed and in a peaceful state of mind. Yoga clears your mind of the negative thoughts and stress and helps in attaining the spiritual path. It is all about your purpose of imbibing yoga in life and the type of yoga you choose.
Did you know that yoga can also help people who have difficulty in having a peaceful sleep at night? Yes, you read that right! Yoga is known for relaxing your senses so that you can enjoy a blissful sleep and fight insomnia. Here’s a look at some yoga asanas for a good night sleep:
Hero Pose- Virasana
You need to sit in a comfortable pose with your glutes resting on your heels and with the tops of your feet on the floor. The pose causes gentle stretching of your knees and ankles. It also lubricates these areas and protects them from an injury. This pose helps in lengthening your spine upward and opening the chest as you find a calming breath pattern. The deep and even breaths clear your mind and calm your heart down.
Cat and Cow Pose- Marjaryasana and Bitilasana
From the hero pose, you can roll forward onto your hands and knees. For the cat pose, tilt the crown of your head and the tailbone down to the ground while exhaling and arch your spine into a C-curve, pulling your shoulder blades apart. Inhale into the cow pose and bring the crown of the head and your tailbone up towards the ceiling. It should hallow out your lower back. Try to flow between these two poses. When you are done, come to the neutral spine in tabletop.
Child’s Pose- Balasana
From the tabletop position, bring your hips back to the heels and position your chest between the thighs. This will keep your knees far apart and big toes touching each other. You must be comfortable enough to breathe properly. Your head should be on the ground and your fingertips should be out on the front of you, stretching through your arms.
Figure Four Against the Wall
Lie down on your back and position in such a way that your tailbone points at the base of the wall. Position your glutes about a foot away from the base of the wall. Place the bottom of one foot on the wall and place the ankle of another foot on the opposite thigh. Remember to keep your top foot flexed for protecting them from an injury.
Legs Up the Wall
Lie down on your back with your tailbone pointing at the wall and arms stretched on each sides. Now, place your legs straight up the wall. This can be a good gentle hamstring stretch. The pose is helpful in draining the lactic acid and lymph from the legs preventing injury and decreasing soreness or fatigue.
Supine Spinal Twist
Now transition away from the wall and bring both your knees into your chest and start rocking back and forth. When you are ready, bring your arms into a ‘T’ with your hands in line with your shoulder. Let your knees fall over to one side. If you don’t feel as much stretch as you want, adjust your tailbone by bringing your glutes over to the middle of the mat. This will intensify the stretch in the lower back. You can gaze in the opposite side to your knees for a neck stretch.
You can end the yoga asanas by lying in Corpse pose for a few minutes. You must try these yoga poses in sequence so that you can enjoy the maximum benefits and enjoy a peaceful sleep at night.
This blog post is written by Chinmay Yoga in India-
Chinmay Yoga is a Yoga School in Dharamsala, India which works to spread yoga knowledge by provide free drop-in classes, conducting YTTC Courses in India (Yoga Alliance) for 799 USD with amazing homemade food, great accommodation with air conditioning and very knowledgeable yoga teachers from India. Chinmay Yoga also works for the nature and surroundings around it by planting trees and installing dustbins in the city. Learn more about them from www.chinmayyoga.com and on Instagram
