Sleep quality is often taken for granted in maintaining a healthy mind and body. Not getting enough good sleep can easily impact your mood, cognitive ability, and energy levels the next day. So how can you naturally get better sleep? A quick and easy yoga routine might hold the missing piece to your bedtime routine.
Why is Yoga good for you?
Many people might not be aware that Yoga is quite a diverse discipline that covers many aspects of our health. Its different forms range from intense strength-building exercises to more subtle stretching and breathing exercises. So there are certain routines that can be all-out workouts, while others may work more like self-massages.
That said, every age group and lifestyle can benefit from one style or another. Here are a few known health benefits of Yoga:
- Improved circulation and internal organ functions
- Improved posture and balance
- Stronger muscles and joints
- Pain relief
- General relaxation and stress relief
- Increased mental clarity
Experiencing these effects will also help you get better quality sleep. This is crucial because important processes like muscle recovery and memory retention all happen during specific stages of sleep. That’s why every health professional, from physiotherapists to psychiatrists, emphasizes the importance of sleep quality.
Wind down with this relaxing Yoga routine
This low-impact bedtime routine is both convenient and easy to follow. You can even perform these exercises in bed for maximum relaxation. Lengthening your back and taking deep breaths are key to these poses.
Waterfall
This simple but effective pose provides a great start to your wind-down routine. By positioning your legs higher than your head and chest, it helps stabilize your circulation. It also stretches your hamstrings, which may be tight or fatigued from sitting and walking.
How to do it:
- Lay flat on your back with both arms extended to the sides.
- With your legs together, lift them up until they’re perpendicular to the ground. You can keep your legs either straight or slightly relaxed at the knees.
- Hold for 1 to 3 minutes and release.
- As an alternative, you can also use a wall to prop your legs up.
Reclining twists
This exercise helps relieve tension around the spine and even symptoms of sciatica. The twisting motion also massages your stomach, improving digestive health.
How to do it:
- Lay flat on your back with both arms extended to the sides.
- Lift both legs straight up, bending your knees. You can keep your thighs perpendicular to the ground, or draw them slightly towards your chest for a deeper lower back stretch.
- Keeping your shoulders flat, twist your hips and slowly drop your knees over to one side. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Twist your hips back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- Do 5 reps for each side.
Butterfly pose
This pose is great for stretching your lower back and thighs while opening up your hips. It also promotes blood flow to the pelvic floor muscles. This can ease pelvic pains and help pregnant women prepare for childbirth.
How to do it:
- Sit up from a lying position and bring your soles together, splaying your knees outward.
- Find a comfortable distance between your heels and pelvis
- Bend forward slightly, lowering your head and gripping your toes.
- Hold for 1 to 3 minutes and release.
Child’s pose
This is an excellent way to relax your back and hips while directing blood flow to your head. The child’s pose is great for all sorts of neck and back pain. It also helps calm your nerves and gently massage your internal organs.
How to do it:
- Start from a kneeling position, splaying your knees slightly apart and sitting on your ankles.
- Walk your arms forward, slowly lowering your torso. Keep your arms stretched forward as you settle down into the pose.
- With your belly resting on your thighs, let your spine relax towards the ground. You can also slightly pull your tailbone back for a deeper stretch.
- Hold for 1 to 3 minutes and release.
Corpse pose
Achieving mindful relaxation is harder than it looks, and this pose can help you with that. The key here is to remain aware while being at ease. This allows you to consciously let go of any tension and preoccupations you may have.
How to do it:
- Lay flat on your back with your legs spread slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Slightly spread out your arms likewise, with your palms facing up.
- Close your eyes and take deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and gently exhaling through your mouth.
- You should experience a physical and mental release while remaining present in the moment.
Why healthy bedtime rituals are important
By setting yourself up for a restful sleep, you essentially start preparing for the next day. And what’s great about Yoga is that it combines well with other activities that help you wind down. Before or after your exercises, you can have a quick relaxing read or a self massage using a massage gun.
Reading helps you clear out any mental clutter that may have accumulated throughout the day. Massages, on the other hand, calms your nerves while eliminating any pain, tension, or discomfort in your muscles. Learn more about the benefits of soothing massages by checking out the best massage gun in the UK market today.