5 YOGA POSES FOR BETTER SLEEP
With crazy busy and stressful work hours, more and more people are finding themselves deprived of good sleep. Both sleep deprivation and stress are closely linked. When you find yourself unable to fall asleep or get enough sleep you tend to get stressed about it. Very often you will find yourself growing irritable and easily agitated. In short sleep deprivation can affect the quality of your life.
To combat sleep deprivation, more and more people are turning to the ancient practice of Yoga. Practiced in ancient India, Yoga is a combination of spiritual, mental and physical practices. Yoga has been popularized all over the world as a form of exercise and a tool for peaceful mind as well.
The benefits of yoga are immense. While people think yoga is a good way of staying fit and healthy and developing a strong core and over all body strength, not everyone knows that Yoga can also be used to help overcome insomnia or improve the quality of your sleep. This is because it involves physical exercise coupled with relaxing meditation.
When you make yoga a part of your daily exercise, it improves your sleep in the following ways:
When deciding on what yoga poses to do for better sleep, it is important that you choose the right form of yoga as styles like vinyasa, get the heart rate up. Since you are looking for your mind and body to calm down, you must practice restorative poses. Here are few yoga poses that will help you sleep better. You can do these anytime of the day, but if you are someone who has major sleep issues then you should practice these right before you go to bed. Make sure to focus on your breath and stay in these poses for 3 to 5 minutes.
WILD LEGGED CHILD’S POSE (BALASANA)
A resting pose, Balasana, helps clam down your body and mind, helping you get rid of anxiety. It helps relieve any fatigue and tiredness. It is also a great pose to strengthen your spine, and aids in better digestion.
To do this pose:
LEGS UP THE WALL POSE (VIPARITA KARANI)
`This yoga pose is particularly relaxing for those who are on their feet all day. This pose helps recirculate the blood. It increases blood supply to the brain, calming down the mind in the process. This pose is great for managing menstrual cramps and improving digestion.
To do this pose:
RECLINED BUTTERFLY POSE (SUPTA BADDHAKONASANA)
This restorative yoga pose, eases tension and pain in the groin and hips. It also relieves stress and mild depression. It also reduces the symptoms of menstruation and menopause. It is a great way to stimulate kidneys, bladder, ovaries and prostate gland.
To do this pose:
SEATED FORWAD FOLD (PASCHIMOTTANASANA)
A great pose to relieve stress and wind down, this pose has a lot of other benefits as well. It is great for stretching your spine, hamstrings and shoulders. It also helps reduce headaches and anxiety. it improves digestion and stimulates the kidneys and liver.
To do this pose:
CORPSE POSE (SHAVASANA)
the final resting pose of yoga, Shavasana is practiced at the end of a yoga session. It slows down the breathing and relaxes all muscles. It reduces blood pressure and anxiety. It also calms down your mind and relaxes your body. It is effective in improving your memory and concentration
To do this pose:
Sleep deprivation can have some serious affects on our every day life. It starts taking a toll on your health, both physical and mental. You will be an annoyance not just to yourself but to others around you. To avoid this, you should take different measures, yoga being one of them. So, take out that yoga mat that has stayed hidden forever and get down to busines.