“There’s no magic pose that’s going to bring about sleep,” says Lisa Winters Cox, a yoga instructor at Piedmont. “But it’s encouraging to know yoga uses our mind and body and the way it’s made to help encourage the natural process of deep sleep and restoration to occur.”
What you’ll need: A space to practice the sequence, preferably in your bedroom, so you can go to sleep immediately afterward. Wear your pajamas and have a pillow nearby.
What you won’t need: Distractions. Silence your cell phone, turn off the television and power down the computer. And resist the urge to check these devices after you finish your practice – everything can wait until the morning.
So let go of your to-do list and memories from the day and try these poses to fall into a more restful slumber:
- Seated with spinal stretch
- Seated with side stretch
- Cat and cow
- Extended child’s pose
- Bridge flow
- Knee-to-chest stretch
- Spinal twist
- Double knees-to-shoulders stretch
- Final relaxation
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