Yoga Poses for Beginners at Night
I would spend time in bed, my mind going through the thoughts like a whirlwind in my head, as the clock ticked nearer to the morning. It seemed that my desire to get a good sleep at night had no end, until I learned a very simple secret, which is a light yoga session that will help me to sleep.
I was an utter amateur, who did not think that a couple of stretches would do the trick. But they did. The habit made my evenings calm, as opposed to frantic. Now, I would like to tell you about my routine. These are the beginner yoga poses at night that I consider to be my non-negotiable routine in terms of telling my body and brain that it is time to put in and rest.
It is not about being fit or flexible. It is about setting up a holy place for yourself at night. By directing your attention to the movements that are not violent and your breathing, you relax the physical strain of the body and the mental noise that does not allow you to fall asleep. I can show you the poses I can use to fall asleep with ease.
The Reason I do Yoga Before going to Bed.
Before we dive into the poses, it is better to understand why this approach has worked so well for me. An energetic, daily practice of yoga may make you feel revitalized, but a slow and restful practice has the opposite effect. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system–the rest and digest mode of the body. This reduces the heart rate, relaxes the breathing, and instructs your stress hormones to hike up.
In my case, the practice is a strong indicator. It is a way of contrasting the hecticness of the day with the peacefulness of the night. When I roll my mat, my brain can figure that it is time to relax. The best part? It does not require a lot of time or any special equipment—only you, a room devoid of noise, and perhaps a cushion or two.
My Night Before Bed Yoga Checklist.
This is how I prepare myself to achieve success each and every night:
Timing is Everything: I begin my practice 30-60 minutes before I would like to sleep.
Make a mood: I will turn the lights down, at times I will light a candle and I may even play some soft, instrumental music.
Keep it Easy: I do not overdo my body. This is not a workout, but relaxation.
Concentrate on Your Breath: I draw a long breath in and out through my nose and make it longer than the breath I the in. This is the magic key.
No Judgement: Sometimes my body is tight like others. I can listen to it and respect its boundaries.
My Nighttime yoga Poses to Fallback on.
Breathe each of these 5-10 deep and slow breaths. Go between, be wise and slow.
1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
This is my go-to starting pose. It stretches my hips, thighs and ankles in a gentle movement, and it makes my forehead lie on the floor which has a naturally relaxing influence.
My way of doing it: I sit against my heels on my mat. Then I roll over and place my torso between my thighs and lean my forehead on the floor. I am able to extend my arms in either direction or to lay them with my body.
2. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani).
This may be my best among all the yoga poses with beginners that are going to bed. It is so passive and yet such a deep relaxing thing. It aids in counteracting the blood flow, calming my nervous system and restoring weary muscles of my legs.
My style: I sit against the wall with my right hip. And then, lying back, I raise my legs up the wall. My sitting bones do not have to be touching the wall, but a little gap is enough. My arms are lying against my sides, open palms.
3. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
This is a great decompression of my whole back. It promotes inner search and abandonment.
My style: I sit in an outstretched posture with the legs facing out. I breathe it in, I stretch my spine and with the breath out I fold forward, not at the waist, but at the hips. I do not push it, I simply allow gravity to accomplish it.
4. Reclining Bound Angle Pose ( Supta Baddha Konasana ).
This heart-opener is simply rejuvenating. It assists me in relieving some stress in my inner thighs and groin, places where I tend to accumulate stress.
How I do it: With a back-lying position, soles of my feet against each other and knees dropped to the side. In case my knees are sore, I put pillows or yoga blocks to support the knees.
5. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
The curls are brilliant to squeeze out the physical strain of the day off my back. This soft turnage is a massage to my back.
How I do it: It is done lying on my back and bringing my right knee to my chest. Then I roll it over my body to the left shouldering both legs on the floor. I look over my right shoulder. I repeat on the other side.
6. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana).
This posture always succeeds in making me a bit lighter. It will stretch me out softly between my hips and lower back and the motion of rocking can be very relaxing.
The way I do it: I pull my knees towards my armpits on my back. I use my hands to grasp the outside of my feet and maintain my shins at right perpendicular to the floor. I have ability to rock sideways gently in case it feels good.
The Grand Finale: Corpse Pose (Savasana).
I never, ever skip this. It is the most significant pose in the whole sequence. It combines all the advantages of the former poses and gives my body a chance to experience the state of relaxation to the full extent.
The way I do it: I lie on my back with slightly opened legs and arms placed at my side and palms up. I shut my eyes and make myself consciously unwind all my body, all the parts, starting with my toes up to my top head. My inactivity here takes at least 2-5 minutes.