I have been finding that my mornings and days are very busy and the time of day I have the least amount of interruptions is the evenings. On the app, Yoga for Beginners | Mind+Body, I decided to try a series called Bed Time Flow and I have been LOVING them! These videos are about 10 minutes long so they are quick and easy to do prior to my unwind time in bed. They are geared towards beginners, slow paced and focus a lot on deep stretches to help relax the muscles before bed. I have been trying to use some of the breathing techniques that I learned last week and incorporate them into my yoga so I can begin working through a more mindful and spiritual experience. Who knew that I would like doing yoga before bed!?! What time of day do you prefer to do yoga or any type of workout?
Yoga can benefit sleep. It allows you to let go of the mental and physical aspects of your daily life that you carry with you into sleep. For people who have insomnia, night time yoga may be your answer to promoting a good nights rest. Yoga promotes relaxation which may help you fall asleep quicker and stay in a deep state of sleep for longer. Your yoga before bed could include meditation to add another element of relaxation to your experience.
When searching yoga for sleep, I found the term Yoga Nidra. This type of yoga is practiced in the corpse pose (laying flat on your back). It is a mental exercise rather than a physical exercise, similar to meditation.
This post is making me jealous that I didn’t decide to do Yoga for my learning project! I definitely thought about it. I’m going to have to try this sometimes. I’ve been finding it very challenging to wind down at night and fall asleep. It’s that time of the semester when everything is due! BUT, it’s still important to take care of your mind, body, and soul, and I think it’s safe to say that Yoga Nidra would help.
Ashley,
I would love to know if you have tried doing yoga in the evening to help you unwind and relax. If you have, did you find that your sleep pattern as improved?
Hi Megan!
The title of this post really caught my attention and I am so glad it was because I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! I don’t do it often, but when I have done yoga I’ve always done it in the afternoon and find that I am ready for a nap right after. Now, I will definitely be trying it out before bed, that seems like the perfect time! Thank you for sharing the YouTube video, I will be trying it out tonight!
Chayse.
Hi Megan,
I really like this idea. I think it is really important to get in the right headspace before bed. I’d imagine that it would help quiet both your mind and your body. Not sure I have the interest in doing yoga, but I definitely see the benefit here! Thanks for sharing! Keep up the great work!