Often we come home very restless or stay up late with our minds off, thinking about what we did or what we have to do, and we can not sleep. Some even fall asleep, but wake up in the middle of the night and do not go back to sleep.
Here are some Yoga postures to help you gauge sleep and improve recovery after a restful night with quality. They should be done between 30 and 40 minutes before bed and can be part of a sleep ritual, to teach body and mind that it is time to rest.
This sequence of postures calms the nervous system, reduces the amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the blood and relieves the strains of muscle created during the day.
Practice whenever possible or you need to have a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed the next day.
1. Adho Muhka Svanasana – Posture of the dog face down.
Rest your knees on the floor, sit on your heels and extend your arms forward. Slowly extend your knees, raising your hips toward the ceiling, forming a triangle for those who see you from the side. Put a forehead support, keeping your neck extended and comfortable. Breathe a few times and undo the posture by resting your knees on the floor.
2. Janu Sirsasana – Use blankets or head blocks.
Sitting with your legs extended, flex the left knee to the side, bringing the foot in contact with the inner side of the right thigh. Inhaling raise your arms and during exhalation flex the trunk forward with your hands toward the right foot, use blankets or blocks to make the height necessary for the forehead to be supported. Stay awhile and change the position of the legs.
3. Viparita Karani – Legs on the wall.
With your back on the floor, bring your legs to the wall making a perpendicular angle with the trunk. Hold your elbows behind your head and stay for a few minutes in position for as long as it is comfortable. Remember to change the position of the forearms in the middle of the desired time.
4. Suppose Badhakonasana
Take a large cushion or fold a blanket so that it stays long and place it behind you when sitting. Attach the soles of your feet and bring your heels closer to the trunk. Lay on the material and keep your arms at the side of the trunk with your palms facing the ceiling. Take care to take a breath, after a few minutes, move on to the next posture.
5. Setu bandha Sarvangasana – With support
Use the same large pillow or rolled up blanket and sit on it. Extend your knees and lie down so that the top of your torso is out of the material, touching the ground, and your neck is well supported, expanding your rib cage. With arms at the side of the trunk, breathe deeply realizing the magnification of the inspiration that posture allows to happen.
6. Savasana – Body Stance
Lie down comfortably, making sure that your back from the base to the top is well supported, extend your knees slowly and stay for a few minutes, noticing if there is any point of tension in your body. body and through exhalation take the attention to this point and relax. Stay still for 5 to 10 minutes and finalize your practice slowly, gently awakening your body.
