Sleep enables our bodies to repair and restore themselves; that’s why it’s so important to get enough, quality sleep. Did you know that getting a good night’s rest…
- Boosts your immune system
- Strengthens your heart
- Reduces stress and improves your mood
- Increases productivity
- Increases exercise performance
- Improves memory
So what if I told you there’s an easy way to optimize your sleeping experience from the comfort of your own bed? Jump into your soft and comfortable bedding, and follow our expert Christina's 30-minute bedtime yoga sequence for optimal sleep. It will relax you into falling asleep so easily and become your new daily routine.
Christina is a Reiki healer, yoga and meditation teacher. She has her Master level Reiki Certification, 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, and Yoga Therapy Certification from Loyola Marymount University. Christina is passionate about empowering people to transform their lives through empathic healing, yogic science, meditation, and breath work. Check out her amazing programs at https://myheartspacejourney.com/
1. Supported Bridge Pose
How-to:
Lie down on your back with your knees up and feet flat on the bed. Lift your hips up and slide a pillow underneath your hips, you want to have a thin pillow (no more than 1-2 inches high) so your back isn’t arched or strained. Note that the pillow should be under your tailbone. The topmost edge of the pillow should not go past the top of your butt and there should be space underneath your lower back.
Stay in this position for 5 minutes (or longer if needed)
Benefits:
This pose releases your psoas or hip flexor muscles (muscles that connect your middle spine to your thigh). It’s especially useful if you sit at a desk all day long. Hip flexors can get really tight and cause quite a bit of back pain. This is also a mild inversion which allows blood to flow to your brain and heart.
- Relieves headaches.
- Promotes deep relaxation.
- Soothes the nervous system.
- Relieves anxiety, depression and irritability.
- Improves digestion, respiration and circulation.
- Stretches the neck and shoulders.
- Reduces “heaviness” in the abdomen and reproductive system
2. Restorative Twist Pose
How-to:
Do one side at a time, start with the right side.
Bring your legs to your left side. Bring your right hip to the middle of the pillow, with the pillow longways in front of you. Your legs staggered to the side, turn your torso towards the pillow and lie down. Make sure your neck is facing the same direction as your knees.
Stay 2 ½ minutes on this side. Then switch to the other side.
Benefits:
This pose calms the nervous system, refreshes the organs and brings the energy down in the body. It improves vertebral joint flexibility, digestion, and circulation.
3. Restorative Pigeon Pose
How-to:
Do one leg at a time, start with the right side.
Bring your knee out in a diagonal position to the side of your stomach and place your foot underneath your groin. The left leg goes out towards the back. Shift your hips back into a comfortable position and lie your torso down onto the pillow.
Stay in this position for 2 ½ minutes. Then switch to the other side.
Benefits:
This is a great position because we hold a lot of tension in our hips. Our side glutes (gluteus medius) get very tight and weak. This pose opens your side glute muscles and lengthens our hip flexors. It also stimulates our internal organs. And it releases stress, trauma, fear and anxiety in the hips. It’s a powerful pose!
4. Reclined Bound Angle Pose
How-to:
Lay the pillow lengthwise at the bottom of your back. Lie back (your whole spine should be supported by the pillow). Place your knees up towards the sky with your feet together. Let your knees gently drop to the sides like a butterfly. Place additional pillows underneath your knees if you need extra support. Place your palms facing up and just relax!
Stay in this position for 5 minutes.
Benefits:
This pose is considered one of the ultimate relaxation poses in yoga. It’s a great way to open up your heart, because your chest is facing the sky. Your pecs get to release because they are dropping the opposite way than our regular hunched posture. Your palms facing up increases receptivity and opens you to abundance. You will love this pose!
5. Relaxation Pose
How-to:
This final position prepares you for sleep. Place the pillow underneath your knees. Lie there and relax. You can also do a quick breathing and visualization exercise. Christina recommends doing the following:
Imagine all your stress is up in your head and your upper chest, causing your breathing to be short and shallow. Take a deep inhale through the nose, hold it for a few seconds at the top and exhale all the air out through the mouth. Imagine that all that stress and anxiety drops down to your lower belly as you exhale. Doing this is very grounding and makes the stress feel more manageable. You can imagine that your belly is filled with soft absorbent foam that soaks up all the stress on your exhale. You can take it a step further by taking another deep inhale and exhale, this time imagine that you release all the stress from your belly out of your body, out of your hips, legs, feet, and into the earth.
Stay in this position for 5 minutes (or longer if you wish).
Voila, you did it! You finished your 30-minute bedtime yoga sequence for optimal sleep. And now, you restorative sleep awaits.
Wishing you a wonderful night
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