Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Do you toss and turn a lot in bed, or is your sleep disrupted every hour or so? Do you wake up in the morning exhausted?
Plough pose: Keep your back as straight as possible, once you are in that position.
You are not alone; insomnia affects many people. Over 50 percent of adults in the US suffer from it, and more than 30 percent are affected by insomnia for more than six weeks at some point in their lives, affecting their memory, mood and making them more susceptible to illness.
Turning to pills does not get rid of the problem, it only makes you become addicted to them. Drugs only treat the symptom, not the underlying problem; as soon as you stop taking them, the insomnia often returns.
Insomnia is often caused by anxiety, fatigue and stress. Experts recommend going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, doing regular exercise, avoiding big meals before going to bed, and limiting the intake of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
You can also create a more inducing atmosphere to relax in your bedroom by keeping it at a moderate temperature (not too hot or too cold) and only using it to sleep, by doing relaxing activities like reading, taking a hot shower or bath, or playing soothing music.
But if none of those help, you can try restorative yoga poses, known to reduce muscle tension, and breathing techniques, which slow the heart rate. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that participants who reduce stimuli in the bedroom and learn relaxation techniques like yoga have a better quality sleep than those who are taking drugs.
Here are a few yoga postures that may work to deal with insomnia. It’s best to do these poses in your bedroom, so you can get right in bed when they start to work.
Note: the first two poses (shoulderstand and plow) should only be done by regular yoga practitioners who have learned to do the poses with the instruction of a qualified teacher. If you’ve never done these inversion poses or never done any yoga, you can skip them; and do the reclining side twists, the wind-releasing pose, the corpse pose and the 2-to-1 breathing.
Yoga practice for insomnia
Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)
Skip this posture if you’re not familiar or comfortable with it. Or use a wall for support. Otherwise, lie down on the mat on the floor, inhale and while using the momentum of a roll-up, push your body up in the air so that your shoulders rest on the floor and your legs are in the air. Support your hips with your hands. At first, only do a half shoulderstand. To do this, create a “jack-knife” with your body. Place your body at a 45-degree angle, and your legs at the opposite 45-degree angle. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible. Don’t forget to breathe.
Feel your shoulders and back unwind and stay there as long as possible. Pay close attention to your breath. This is a more difficult pose than it seems, so stay focused.
Plow (Halasana)
You can move directly into Halasana from Sarvangasana. Synchronize your movement with your breath. Once you feel the tightness in your muscles has unwound sufficiently, allow your legs to go over your head and to the floor behind you. Don’t push yourself too far. Keep your back as straight as possible. Breathe.
Stay there as long as you can.
Reclining side twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Lying on your bed, inhale and pull your right knee into your chest. Leave the other leg straight. Take the knee in the opposite hand. As you exhale, turn your entire body to the left. Stretch your right arm out to the right and if possible, turn your head to the right but keep your eyes closed. Breathe. Repeat the pose on the other side of the body.
Double wind releasing pose (Pavana Muktasana)
This yoga posture helps to release gas, as well as relax the lower back and shoulders.
Inhale, and draw your knees to your chest. Then as you exhale, lift your body up toward your knees.
Draw your shoulders down toward your feet. Breathe. Stay here as long as you feel comfortable.
Corpse pose (Savasana)
Lie down on your bed on your back. Allow your arms and legs to splay outward. Turn your palms up.
Relax your body and your mind, and breathe. Don’t try to control your thoughts. Simply let them flow, and observe them quietly.
2-to-1 breathing
As you lie in savasana, try the 2-to-1 breathing technique. This breathing relaxes the body by subtly stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing a state of relaxation.
As you lie in bed, gently slow down the rate of exhalation until you exhale for twice as long as you inhale.
Don’t try to fill or empty the lungs completely — you are simply changing the rhythm of your breathing.
In the beginning it may help to count to three on the inhalation and six on the exhalation, or four on the inhalation and eight on the exhalation, or any other 2-to-1 ratio that you are comfortable with. Focus on the smoothness and evenness of you breath, gradually eliminating all jerks and pauses.
Once you’ve become accustomed to this breathing, start to keep a count of the breaths to bring your mind to a soft, effortless focus. Take eight breaths lying on your back, 16 breaths lying on your right side, and 32 breaths lying on your left side. You may not even be able to complete the whole round before you fall asleep.
Sweet dreams and Namaste.
Devi Asmarani, The Jakarta Post
