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Do you struggle with getting to sleep, and staying asleep throughout the night? Perhaps you are holding some tension in the body that is preventing you from relaxing. Or your mind is wandering with thoughts that are keeping you up. In those instances, you can try these 6 poses to ease you in to a good night’s rest.
These poses can be done right from your bed. You don’t need any external props, just use the pillows already in your bed.
Before practicing, get into your pajamas, do your nightly routines, and get ready for a good night’s sleep!
1. Seated Meditation – Sit up tall on the bed and close your eyes. Let your hands rest on to your thighs. Release the tension from your jaw, necks, and shoulders. Whatever is on your mind, let it drift away. Instead bring your focus to your breath, letting it flow in and out through the nose. Moving in to 4,4,8 or 4,4,4 breathing. Inhaling for the count of 4, holding for 4, then exhaling for 8 (or 4). The practice of holding your breath, and elongating the exhale will activate your parasympathetic nervous system. A system which helps you to relieve anxiety and in turn prepare for a good night’s sleep.
2. Butterfly Fold – With your feet in front of you, bring the soles together and the knees apart. Fold forward, softening in to the pose. If you want to get extra cozy here, you can use a pillow to support the chest or the forehead. Continue or come back to the 4,4,8 or 4,4,4 breathing technique. Forward folds are the best poses to prep the body for bedtime, they are great for stress relief.
3. Caterpillar Fold – Extend your right leg out, then draw the left foot in to the groin and drop knee to the side. Hinge forward over the extended leg. You can dangle here, or use pillows to close the gap between you and your mattress. Allow the aches and pains to leave the body, rather than focusing on your form here. After holding for a desired length of time, slowly switch sides.
4. Reclined Pigeon – Lay down on to your bed, as you normally would. Bend the knees, then cross your right ankle over the left knee. Stay here or pull your left knee in towards the belly. Let the glute relax and open up as you hold here. If your eyes aren’t already, allow them to close.
5. Laying Spinal Twist – Cross the right thigh over the left. Move your arms out to the sides. Shift the hips slightly towards the right, then drop your knees towards the left. Release any tension that is being held in your low back.
Repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
6. Savasana – Before getting in to savasana, settle yourself under the covers. Extend out, taking up space and turning the palms up. Begin to do a body scan, starting at the crown of your head and moving down the body. Asking each part of the body to relax. Release into the mattress, relaxing more with every exhale. Let your mind wander off now, letting whatever comes up form the basis for your dreams.
If you would like to be soothed in to sleep with my voice so you don’t have to worry about anything else, press play on the video below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
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