Sleep deprivation and stress can be a vicious cycle and is very common in Australian adults, affecting 33-45% of adults(1). Having trouble getting to sleep can mean we’re worried, or anxious and in turn can make us stressed the next day.
Yoga is a gentle and restorative way to wind down your day and help you soothe your mind and body to catch some well deserving ZZZ’s.
A national survey found that over 55% of people who did yoga found that it helped them get better sleep. (2)
Not only is yoga proven to help you fall asleep quicker and sleep better, there are particular poses known to help you relax and improve the quality of your sleep. Sleep faster, wake up fresher and bend and stretch your way to a great nights sleep with these 6 poses, which you can do right in your Koala bed!
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Rest your chest and belly on one or two stacked pillows with your knees wide apart and big toes touching. Rest one ear on the pillow, close your eyes and relax your jaw and belly. You can rest your arms on the sides of the pill or underneath. Focus your attention on your nostrils and enjoy the sensation of your breath flowing in and out. You can sleep in child’s pose!
Supported Half Frog Pose (Ardha Bhekasana)
Lie on your belly, flat on the bed or with pillows under your belly. Extend one leg out to the side and bend it at a 90-degree angle with your knee level with your hip, whilst your other leg remains straight and extended behind you. Turn your head to rest in the direction of your bent leg. Relax your belly and jaw with your eyes closed. Focus your attention on your nostrils and enjoy the sensation of your breath flowing in and out.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Lie flat on your back. Bring the soles of your feet together with your legs bent to form a butterfly. Place a pillow under both thighs and an optional pillow behind your head, folding the pillows if needed for more support. Place your hands on your stomach. Close your eyes, and relax your jaw, bring your awareness to your hands resting on your belly. Focus on feeling the rise and fall of your torso with each slow and deep breath in and out.
Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana)
Lying flat on your back with an optional pillow behind your head, straighten and extend one leg long in front of you and bend the other leg, hugging it in toward your side body as if your knee could touch your armpit. Interlace fingers around your shin or behind the knee of your bent leg. With closed eyes and a relaxed jaw, breathe into your belly, enjoying the sensation of your breath flowing in and out. Stay for as long as you’d like and then switch legs.
Supported Reclining Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Lay on the back and bring one knee into the chest. Cross the knee over to the opposite side and allow the hip to move naturally. Grounding through both shoulders, take the gaze in the opposite direction of the bent knee. Bring a cushion or small pillow under the knee to add less intensity to this twist if need be. Focus your attention on your nostrils and enjoy the sensation of your breath flowing in and out. Stay for as long as you’d like and then switch legs.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Lie down on your bed, with your feet falling relaxed out to the sides and your hands resting by your sides with the palms facing up. You can place pillows under your upper thighs or behind knees for more support if you’d like. With eyes closed and jaw and torso relaxed, feel your breath filling up your belly, expanding your ribs, and flowing up into the chest on an inhalation. Exhale by relaxing your chest, ribs, then belly. Allow this wave-like rhythm to lull you to sleep.
