Do you wish you had more energy? Are you having trouble falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or wish you could stop overthinking in the evenings? Let yoga teacher Amanda Holmström guide you through May with tips and guidance for better sleep and ways to recharge.
We are halfway through the four-week program and this week I am introducing how yoga can be a perfect solution for investing in yourself, re-energizing and improving your sleep!
- Set a time for yourself when you wish to be in bed
- Detox from electronics one hour pre bedtime (at the latest 10pm)
- 3 minutes conscious breathing
- 5 minutes of yoga (or more!)
Instead of keeping the mental activity high in the evening by being on the phone, on the computer or planning for tomorrow, allow yourself to surrender to the soothing energies that the evening offers with yoga as a tool.
I simply love this quote: “If you have time for Facebook, you have time for yoga”, it just nails it. By setting aside 8 minutes to your evening routine you can experience the calming effects of a breathing technique (see previous post) and what a simple yoga pose can do for you. In the evening we want to avoid any vigorous practice, but gentle yoga such as moon salutations, forward folds and shoulder stand are examples of ways to unwind and let go of mental and physical tension.
Bedtime Yoga
According to Yogi Bhajan, if you are going to do only one yoga pose Legs-up-the-wall is the one to do due to the many therapeutic effects it has, such as calming the mind, relieving stress and anxiety, improving digestion and circulation and regulating blood pressure.
Lie on your back with your sit bones as close to the wall as comfortable and extend the legs up. Your arms can rest by your side, on your belly or above the head. Option to elevate the hips on a block, blankets or pillows so that you find a position that works for you. Close the eyes and enjoy the pose from five minutes up to 10 or 15 minutes for deeper relaxation.
Whenever you notice that your thoughts have drifted off to whatever might have happened during the day or to worrying about tomorrow, gently bring your awareness back to your breath. Another way to practice present moment awareness is by scanning through the body to see if you are tensing anywhere where you actually could relax right now. Let go of mental and physical tension and allow time to do the work for you as you relax deeper with each exhale and visualize breathing out any tensions, stress or worries.
You can even do this pose lying in bed if you have a wall beside you to extend the legs up against!
If you wish to practice a longer sequence, click here for a bedtime yoga sequence by Eveliina Hanski. Remember that this is a time for letting go and relaxing, so see if you can let go of temptations of reaching further or striving for results and instead surrender to what is.
More tools for calming an overactive mind, wandering thoughts and how to let go coming up next week!
Snooze better with a calm body and a calm mind. Namaste,
Amanda
Videosuositukset
- Viparita Karani Mudra – Kaisa Kärkkäinen
- Ujjayi - syvä kurkkuhengitys – Satu Tuomela
- Nadi Shodana - hengitysharjoitus joka puhdistaa nadeja ja rauhoittaa mieltäsi – Satu Tuomela
- Calming and Grounding Yoga Nidra Practice – Mona Anand
- Fall asleep Yoga Nidra practice – Mona Anand
- Rentouttuva hyvän yön yin – Kaisa Kärkkäinen
Lue lisää
- Recharge and improve your sleep in May 1/4
- Recharge and improve your sleep in May 2/4
- Vaivu syvään uneen – Vinkkejä jooga-asennoista
Photo taken by Saara Oinonen at Wasa Yoga Center
