Does your mind race at night? Would you love it if you could fall asleep faster? Or at least have a calmer mind before you turn in after a long day?
In this post, we’ll go over some restorative yoga poses aimed to relax both your mind and body to get you ready for sleep. Restorative yoga takes you through a series of poses that aren’t what you’re used to when you think of “yoga”. In restorative yoga, there isn’t a whole lot of movement, but there are gentle stretches that will keep you just active enough so that you don’t fall asleep right then and there.
We would recommend doing these poses in a dim room to get your eyes relaxed after a day of staring at screens. Adding some calming music in the background is an added bonus, but not required. However, do not keep the TV on and do not check your phone – or even better – turn it off. You can even pretend like you’re in a yoga studio – even if you’re doing this at home.
There are some blankets, blocks, and bolsters involved in restorative yoga, but you can just use the blankets and pillows you have around your house to get comfy in these poses. So let’s get into it.
Hold each of these for a few minutes each (restorative yoga holds poses for much longer than “normal” yoga). If you feel you need more support and need another blanket, pillow, or block to feel comfortable, go ahead and use it. We’re not competing on flexibility or strength here. Oh, and remember to breathe!
- Core Twist
- Modified Happy Baby Pose
- Legs-up-the-Wall
- Reclining Hand-to-Toe
- Seated Forward Bend with Block(s)
- Child’s Pose
- Reclining Bound Angle Pose
- Supported Bound Angle
- Supported Savasana
That’s it! Hopefully now you’re nice and relaxed. Sleep well! If you enjoyed this article, we’d be super appreciative if you share it or sign up for our newsletter over in the right sidebar –>
Thanks and have a great sleepy time.
