8 Restorative Yoga Poses for Restful Sleep
Insomnia or inability to sleep can be caused due to anxiety, stress, depression, poor sleep routine, and many other factors. We should not take insomnia lightly as prolonged sleep deprivation can cause serious health problems like heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and many other major and minor problems in our life. One of the best ways to improve sleep quality is restorative yoga.
Restorative Yoga Poses help in improving blood flow, relaxation of muscle by passive stretching along with meditation. This type of yoga helps to calm our nervous system by slowing the mind and body – all which can aid in restful sleep. In restorative yoga, props like pillows, walls or blocks are often used to support our body so that we can rest, feel as relaxed as possible and hold the poses effectively and longer. Restorative yoga poses can be done on a mat, on the bed or on the floor. Each of these poses needs to be held for 3-5 minutes.
Before moving on to the 8 restorative yoga poses, we need to keep in mind that we must create an environment that promotes restful sleep. Turn off all electronic gadgets and turn down the lights 90 minutes before bedtime. A quiet environment in the bedroom is the first step. Now let’s move on to the 8 restorative yoga poses for restful sleep.
1. Uttanasana or Standing Forward Bend Pose
How it is done:
Start with a normal standing position. Bend forward at the hips and move your torso down. Bend until your fingers can touch the ground. Now bring your hands behind the heels. Inhale and lift the front torso slightly, then exhale and release it into the forward bend. Keep doing this and hold the pose for 3-5 minutes.
Why it is useful for restful sleep:
Gravity is an important factor in this yoga pose. Gravity helps us in stretching the spine, back, and hamstrings. Uttanasana or Standing Forward Bend Pose helps us to calm the nervous system, especially the forward bend pose helps in relieving anxiety and stress by relaxing the spine, which ultimately helps in promoting sleep.
2. Balasana – Child’s Pose or Child’s Resting Pose
How it is done:
Balasana is a resting pose which is performed with a full gravitational pull. The name of this yoga pose Balasana is derived from the Sanskrit words Bala meaning child and asana meaning pose. Balasana is performed by sitting up comfortably on your heels. Then move your torso forward and bring your head in a resting position on a mat or on the floor in front of you. Now lower your chest in a way that you can stretch your arms in front of you and your shoulders should feel relaxed. Focus on deep Inhalation and exhalation while holding this pose for 3-5 minutes.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
This yoga pose helps in promoting relaxation and calmness by relieving tension in the neck, back, shoulders, and hips.
3. Marjaryasana – Cat/Cow Poses
How it is done:
Start on your hands and knees and position them like a tabletop. Your knees should be kept directly under your hips. Make sure your hips, your wrists, and shoulders are in a line in such a way that they make perpendicular to the floor. Your eyes should be looking at the floor. Begin with the Cow Pose – Inhale and drop your belly towards your mat or your floor.
Lift your head and chest and look up at the ceiling. Do not try to pinch your back, stretch it as you drop your belly towards the mat. Then draw your belly to your spine, round your back towards the ceiling Like a cat stretching its back, round the upper back and center your head back to the neutral position with your eyes looking at the floor. Inhale as you do the Cow Pose again and repeat this for 3-5 minutes.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
Marjaryasana or Cat/Cow Poses relieves the spine and belly organs, providing mental relaxation required for restful sleep.
4. Viparita Karani — Legs Up the Wall Pose
How it is done:
Make sure that your stomach is empty before trying this asana. You need a wall as a guide for this pose. Begin in a seated position five to six inches away from the wall. With your shoulders and head in a resting position on a mat or on the floor, lift your legs up onto the wall. Lift your legs until your legs make perpendicular to the hips. Make sure to keep your chest long. Allow your feet to scoot against the wall. Keep your legs firm, but they should be relaxed. As you feel gravitational pull onto your legs towards the floor, inhale and exhale deeply. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
It helps in improving blood circulation in the body and it also relieves tensions, stress, headaches, and anxiety. This restorative pose calms the mind before bed. When done for 10 minutes, this pose helps in easing tired feet.
5. Upavistha Konasana — Seated Wide-Angle Forward Fold Pose
How it is done:
Start with Dandasana or in a Staff Pose, with your legs in front of you and make sure that your spine is straight. Now spread your legs as wide as possible while using your hands as support to your torso. Ensure that your thighs are on the floor and your knees pointing up towards the ceiling. Now move your hands forward in a way that they are in front of you and between the legs. Keep your spine long and your forearms will support the body. Staying relaxed, continue to stretch as far as possible.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
This forward folding restorative yoga pose helps in relieving anxiety by the stretching of the hips, lower back, hamstrings, and groin, thus promoting restful sleep.
6. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana — One-Legged King Pigeon Pose
How it is done:
Start with Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Raise your right leg up in a way that it extends away from you, then bring it forward and slide your knee towards the back of your right wrist. Now, gently slide your left leg behind you. Your left thigh should be flat on the floor.
Make sure that your right leg is at a comfortable angle, the knee should be on the inside of your right wrist. While relaxing, slowly fold forward with your arms reaching forward and your palms should be against the mat. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes before alternating sides and repeat.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
Pigeon Pose also plays an important role in relieving stress in the hips and lower back, it helps in relaxing and calming the mind, thus helping in improved sleep quality.
7. Uttana Shishosana – Extended Puppy Pose
How it is done:
Start on all fours. Your wrists should be square, under your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Exhale and make sure that your sit bones are halfway back and toward your heels. Your elbows should not touch the ground. Now, drop your forehead to the floor, letting your neck to relax. You will feel a long stretch in your spine and upper shoulders.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
Extended Puppy Pose also relieves tension in the neck, shoulders, upper back, and back. This restorative yoga helps in lengthening the spine, releasing tension in the shoulders, and calming the mind before bed. Ultimately, it helps in achieving deep and restful sleep.
8. Savasana — Corpse Pose
How it is done:
Savasana is done by lying on your back with your legs straight. Your arm should be out at your sides while your palms facing upward. In this restorative pose, you should try to release tension from every part of our body, starting from your toes up to the head. Breathe naturally as you normally do. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes.
Why is it useful for restful sleep:
This restorative, as well as, meditative yoga pose, helps in lowering blood pressure and heart rate. It relaxes your legs, arms, face, and chest and it also plays an important role in the alignment of the spine. It is used mainly to conclude a restorative yoga session. So, like all other yoga poses, Savasana is also important for better sleep quality.
Conclusion
Over the years, all the 8 restorative yoga poses accompanied by short breathing exercises or meditation show signs of relieving tension, anxiety, and stress. It relaxes our mind and body and calms our nervous system which ultimately helps us in achieving deep and restful sleep.
