5 Relaxing Yoga Exercises for Just Before Bedtime
You're already in bed and there's nothing
you want more than a deep sleep, but you know that today you haven’t
gotten in any exercise to help you maintain your body and mood, and you
probably aren’t going to. It’s likely that you’ve often had such
thoughts and were sure that there is no solution to the problem, but it
turns out that this isn’t true.
Just before you turn off the lights and try
to sleep, we have great news for you! Nutritionist and yoga teacher Liel
Cheri has a series of great yoga exercises that can be done in bed
before bedtime, and they’ll help you relax, do some fitness and improve
your health and appearance! We have prepared a detailed guide for 5 of
these exercises that’ll make you sleep well and feel great.
1. The child's pose
The child's pose is a wonderful way to start with stretching your whole
back and releasing the waist. Use deep breaths to relax and connect to
the regular posture in the exercise to get yourself into the right mood.
How to:
Start with sitting on your knees - bring your feet together and your
knees apart.
Move your hands away and continue to stretch your buttocks toward
your heels, as shown above.
Place your head down on the mattress and close your eyes.
Relax the muscles of the jaw and face, and draw deep breaths through
the nose.
Stay in this position for a few minutes.
2. Cow and cat pose
The next exercise consists of two positions that we move between while
we imagine the concave stance of a cow and the convex stance of a cat.
The exercise is great for those who have back pain and it can also help
reduce stress.
How to:
Start in the tabletop pose, shoulders above palms, waist above
knees, and back straight.
Take a breath, let your stomach fall, and curve your back.
Turn your
head and eyes upward to the cow position, as illustrated in the image
above.
After about a minute, suck your stomach in,
arch your back outwards and bring your gaze toward your navel to the
position of a cat, as illustrated in the image above.
Alternate between the poses 5 times each while deeply inhaling and
exhaling.
3. Downward facing dog
Downward facing dog lengthens and relaxes the spine, helps breathing and
opens the chest. The posture strengthens the muscles of the lower back
and provides the necessary release to enter sleep.
How to:
From the last step of the previous exercise (cow and cat pose), fold
your toes inward and lift your buttocks upwards, placing your palms and
feet on the mattress.
Put your head between your arms and look at your stomach, as shown
in the image above.
Bend one leg while deepening the tread of
the heel on the other leg as in a stepping motion)
Switch between the legs, and bend the other leg as well.
Repeat the exercise several times.
To increase the traction, lift one leg toward the ceiling while
maintaining a stable, upright second leg, head down, and palms supported
by the mattress.
Repeat the lift with the other leg and try to stay in position for a few
minutes.
4. Pigeon Pose
The pigeon pose is called this because during the exercise we fill our
chest, just as the pigeon does. The pose is good for stability, back
strengthening, and hip joints.
How to:
Sit on the mattress with one straight leg stretched back, and your
other leg bent with a heel close to the groin, or a little more forward –
whatever is comfortable for you. (You can enter this position from the
downward facing dog pose.)
Place your foot in a flex position and balance the weight at the
waist evenly with the palms placed on the mattress.
Inhale, fill the chest with the air and lift it, using your palms,
as Liel demonstrates in the picture above.
Exhale and send your arm back toward
the heel, placing your hand on your right calf and turning your head
toward the shoulder of the outstretched arm as seen above.
Return to the starting position, refill your chest and lift it.
Bend your arms forward, lean them on the mattress, and lower your
back to them, as can be seen in the picture above.
You may feel that the pose is difficult for you – don’t push
yourself past your endurance limit, and make sure that you’re mostly
feeling tension rather than pain.
If you can challenge your body more,
reach your hands straight forward making your chin come into contact
with the mat - for a deeper stretch.
After a few minutes, lift your back to the starting position.
Perform the exercise on the other side as well – switching the bent
leg.
If you continue to the next position, do the two poses (4 + 5) one
by one, on one side of the body and then do them both on the other side
of the body.
5. Mermaid Pose
The Mermaid pose should continue from the point at which you stopped the
previous exercise. Because the position may be challenging for
beginners, it is recommended to use a rubber exercise band with a loop,
which will allow you to get a good stretch, when you first start
practicing this pose.
How to:
From the final position of the previous exercise, lift the straight
leg from the mattress and bring it to your bottom.
You can use your hand, or a band, around the arch of the foot, so
that you can pull it with your hand, as Liel demonstrates in the picture
above.
Observe the stretch in the quadriceps, and try to bring the foot
into the inside of your elbow (this stage is suitable for someone who
can perform the stretch without the help of a band).
Send the other hand up, bend it and join both hands behind the neck, as shown above.
Close your eyes, concentrate on your breath, and stay in position for a minute to several minutes.
Repeat the exercise with the other leg.