Before Bed... Try these yoga poses for better sleep (+ FREE Yoga Nidra practise)

Restorative Yoga is AMAZING for sleep, stress relief and generally supporting your nervous system.


Benefits of Restorative Yoga

Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System: Using props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks eliminates muscular effort, sending physical cues to the body that it is safe.

Regulates Sympathetic Overdrive: Chronic stress keeps the sympathetic nervous system locked in high alert. Restorative poses interrupt this cycle of hyper-stimulation.

Stimulates the Vagus Nerve: Sustained, calm breathing and passive physical release stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs from the brainstem to major internal organs.

Lowers Stress: Regular down-regulation helps reduce cortisol levels, slow the heart rate, and lower blood pressure.

Improves Sleep : By easing physical agitation and internal mental noise, the practice helps transition an overstimulated mind into deeper rest and recovery

Improves digestion: Our nervous system has a massive impact on digestion and so regulating your nervous system has the added knock on effect of supporting digestion

Weekly Restorative Yoga Class


How is Restorative Yoga different

On a very practical level restorative yoga uses more props, such as bolsters. This allows you take the pressure of all of your muscles and fully supports your body which allows you deeply relax.

We move much slower through poses again to support your nervous system and


Before we move on to some Restorative Yoga poses that are AMAZING for sleep, here is a FREE yoga nidra practise

 
 

Restorative Yoga poses for Sleep

Legs up the Wall

Get comfortable - try

  • moving your bum further from the wall, is that better, worse or the same?

  • a folded blanket under your head - better, worse or the same?

  • adding an eye mask (I love the sand ones as they are weighted!)

I love to listen to a Yoga Nidra practise in this position

Legs up the wall allows us to relax all of our muscles, let the floor take the weight and just melt into the mat.

Elevating your legs encourages circulation.

This also works great with a chair/couch instead of a wall!

Supported Forward Fold

If you have a bolster great but if not don’t worry! You can use a rolled up pillow or cushion or even a rolled up big blanket - anything that can support you

Get comfortable - try

  • adding something under your bum to support (block, blanket, cushion — whatever you have at home)

  • add a blanket or second mat under you to give your knees some confort

  • add a blanket, pillow or second bolster to raise your head as needed - you don’t want any strain or weight in your kneck

  • add a blanket over you

Supported backbend

This is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE!

You’ll need something relatively firm to go under your back - a bolster is ideal but a rolled up cushion works well

I have found a couch cushion better then a bed pillow as they tend to be sturdier

Get comfortable - try

  • gertie ball under your legs (in picture), a block or pillow would work either

  • a blanket over you

  • a weighted eye mask

  • a weighted sand bag on your belly (I LOVE THIS!)

Laura Wynne