Do you struggle to get a good night’s sleep? You are definitely not alone! Insomnia is a condition many of us suffer from in our overly-stimulated, stressful society. In both my ‘Soothing Yoga for Stressful Times‘ and ‘Yoga for Empowered Aging‘ online courses, I share sequences for Insomnia–full of postures to help you relax, release tension and restlessness in your body, and ‘digest’ the experiences of your day. Below are 5 of the many postures I include in those sequences. Try them out before bed or in the middle of the night if you can’t sleep. And if you want even more yoga poses for sleep, as well as sequences to help you regulate your nervous system, release tension, lower cortisol + blood pressure, and slow down your ‘monkey mind,’ enroll in one of my upcoming 8-week online courses now!
Supported Reclined Butterfly
Anytime we can support our body with props like blocks, it helps us be able to relax more.
Downward Dog with Block
Supporting our head with blocks in postures like this is very calming for our mind and body. Of course, you need to find the right place for the block to make sure it feels comfortable and relaxing on your head and neck.
Seated Wide-Angle Forward Bend with Block
Forward bends are very calming and soothing on our nervous system. This is another good example of how you can use a block to make them even more relaxing.
Supine Leg Stretches
I usually combine this supine twist variation with supine hamstring and adductor stretches. They’re a great way to ease any restlessness in your legs before bed, as well as help you ‘digest’ the events of your day.
Legs Up the Wall
And finally everyone’s favorite. The wall supports your legs in this gentle inversion, helping you go deep into rest and relaxation.
If you’re a woman in (peri)menopause, find more helpful sleep tips here.
Zucchini-palooza!