A good night's sleep is priceless, just ask all the pharmaceutical companies making millions on their over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids. If you are having trouble settling in for a restful evening's sleep, or if you awaken in the wee hours with a mind that continues to race, here are some strategies that can help you relax a bit. You might just fall back to sleep for a few more hours; at the very least, you can calm your mind and stop fretting about being awake. All these poses can be done while you are still in bed, so you don't disturb your partner or wake up the rest of the house. There's nothing difficult or esoteric about these three poses, in fact they have been in your anatomical repertoire since you were tiny. Let's try returning to those basics, when you didn't have so much stress, or worries, and you slept like . . . a baby.
This is the simplest of poses, one that I use when I teach kids' yoga; it's called the "Rubber Ducky." For yoga purists, the Sanskrit name of this pose is
Dirga Pranayama, or three-part breath. Lie comfortably on your back, as if you were in Savasana, or final relaxation pose. Imagine that you have a small little rubber duck resting on your bellybutton. With your mouth closed, inhale deeply so that your belly (and the duck) rises. Hold the full breath for a few seconds. Then with your mouth still closed, exhale deeply, causing your belly to sink (and that duck) to float down. For little yogis and yoginis, I help them visualize their ducks floating up and down on gentle waves. Sometimes, if there are more children that rubber duckies, we do this pranayama using each others' bellies. If this breathing exercise can get a room of active four-year-olds sleeping, it just might work for you as well.
The second strategy is to lie in reclining bound angle pose, or
Supta Baddha Konasana. Lie on your back, bringing the soles of your feet close together and letting your knees flop to each side of your body. Support your head, neck, and/or thighs on pillows if needed. Now, you might not be as flexible in the hips as this little tyke, but you can still get real relaxation in this pose.
Press your outer thighs away from the sides of your torso. Then slide your hands along your outer thighs from the hips toward the knees and widen your outer knees away from your hips. Then slide your hands up along your inner thighs, from the knees to your groins. Lay your arms on the floor, angled at or about 45 degrees from your sides, your palms facing up. Don't force your inner thighs or push your knees toward the mattress; just imagine that your knees are floating up toward the ceiling. Stay in this pose as long as you are comfortable. To come out of the pose, use your hands to press your thighs together, then roll onto one side.
The final recommended pose is one that you already know well:
Savasana, or corpse pose. Once you get settled, carefully scan every muscle in your body and consciously relax. Focus on your breathing. If thoughts intrude, don't let them derail you in your pursuit of relaxation. Acknowledge that your mind is active, refocus, and begin again. Some of us--who are visually inclined--find it helpful to visualize a favorite place; others replay a soothing melody within our heads. Experiment with what works well for you; I've often thought of recipes that I enjoy cooking, or repeated poems that I memorized years ago (I
knew all that Shakespeare would come in handy someday!). As active as your mind is when you can't turn if off and sleep--pleasant memories will calm your nervous system so that you can return to a restful state.
Cultivate the habit of using one or more of these strategies when sleep eludes you. With practice, you will get to sleep faster and return to sleep without as much frustration. The ability to claim restful sleep is invaluable--at home, on an airplane, in a waiting room. Use yoga as one of your many tools to make your life calmer, simpler, and peaceful.
Sweet dreams!
Namaste,
Nancy
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