Body practice like yoga: real benefits on sleep
The practice of physical activity promotes slow waves and allows for deep immersion in sleep. Among these activities particularly beneficial for sleeping is yoga. In fact, to access deep sleep, some people need to feel good, to be physically, mentally, and emotionally secure before going to bed, and yoga provides this security.
The benevolent bond we establish with our corporeality is a factor of lasting balance: in Asia, this dimension has always been fundamental, and millennia-old techniques, of which yoga is an example, have made bodily benefits one of the foundations of existence.
Today, yoga is also practiced in Western countries, and a yoga session before sleeping can help you fall asleep. In fact, when you slow down the pace and maintain a posture, you can feel the parts of the body that are tense and resist the stress of the day: it then becomes possible to release the tension simply by breathing into the posture. Stretching, especially if practiced before going to bed, also has a calming effect.
There are, in particular, at least 3 or 4 recommended postures for their benefits on sleep. It is advisable to practice a sequence of each posture, held for one to five minutes. Each posture taken should be performed in comfort, without experiencing pain or excessive discomfort, perhaps helping yourself by using additional supports such as specially placed pillows.
What yoga poses are good for sleeping well?
Yoga promotes physical, mental, and emotional security: all aspects to keep under control for falling asleep. The practice of certain yoga poses, such as the candle pose or the cobra pose that we will discuss in this article, helps to relieve tension. It is also possible to do yoga at night, in bed.
Nitra yoga, in particular, also called sleep yoga, is close to meditation: it is done while lying under a blanket, closing your eyes and focusing, in particular, on your breath. These various postures, practiced just before going to bed, will likely help you fall back asleep!
The placing of the candle before going to sleep
The light of the candles, also known as "Sarvangasana", helps to calm the mind when going to sleep.
"Being an upside-down exercise, it generates relaxation and well-being, as the flow of emotions is then inverted. The candle is therefore ideal for circulating energies. It helps to transform negative waves into positive energy."
You should therefore lie down, keeping your back and head glued to the ground, and lift both your legs and hips. Your arms and hands can be used to maintain balance, with the goal of achieving the most vertical position possible. At the same time, breathing plays a fundamental role: it will require long and deep inhalations, followed by very slow exhalations, first through the chest and then through the stomach.
The action of Sarvangasana has many benefits, particularly because it is an inverted posture: it would primarily act on the thyroid system, and therefore on the whole body. The heart is at rest, being less called upon to supply the brain, and can bring blood from the legs to the lungs; this alleviates the cardiovascular system.
At the bodily level, the candle posture is therefore excellent for blood or lymphatic circulation, improves the oxygenation of the body and blood, promotes intestinal transit, stimulates the thyroid, engages the abdominal muscles and the deep muscles of the back. This posture also brings benefits to the mind, strengthening self-confidence and letting go, thus reducing stress and promoting creativity and sensitivity.
The position of the cobra before going to sleep
The cobra pose is also called "Bhujangâsana". This is, by the way, the seventh position of the sun salutation. It helps to let go and thus find a certain balance on an emotional level. This body position perfectly represents the posture of the cobra: one of the rare snakes that stands up in the face of danger.
To perform it, start from a lying position on your stomach, with your elbows bent and hands positioned at the sides of your chest. After taking a deep and slow inhalation, exhale and push with the palms of your hands, lifting your torso and neck until the spine is fully extended. In Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose): the elbows will be extended and the torso will be lifted until the abdomen is raised.
The benefits of the cobra pose are numerous, among which we find, in addition to the benefits for sleep:
- strengthen the abdominal muscles;
- a positive effect on the functioning of the kidneys, intestines, and lungs;
- spinal alignment;
- strengthen the joints from the hands to the shoulders;
- strengthening the lungs by facilitating deeper breathing;
- the fluidification of blood circulation as well as energy;
- strengthen the mind and self-confidence.
Finally, three tips for doing yoga before sleeping:
- don't abuse your body and listen to it
- stay in your comfort zone
- do nothing that causes pain
