If you talk to anyone who has a baby, sleep is likely to come up.
As many of you know, my lovely little man isn’t much of a sleeper. And, in my overtired state, I’ve been thinking a lot about yoga and how it relates to sleep (I also think a lot about chocolate, exercise, TV and how they relate to sleep – many of my thoughts revolve around sleep!) Until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn’t slept for more than 3 hours in a row for at least 9 months. You really only appreciate sleep once you don’t get it. Over the past few months, I’ve been so tired that I’ve been almost delirious. I can no longer form coherent sentences. I can’t plan what I need to do today because my mind just can’t focus. (And somehow, in amongst that delirium, I opened a yoga studio!)
This evening, I ran my first every restorative yoga class. It’s called Relax and Restore and will be on every second Saturday at 5pm. Other weeks, I’ll be running with the usual Yin/Yang format. Relax and Restore is a style of yoga I’m really enjoying at the moment. You know that luscious feeling that you have during Savasana? Well, you get to experience that for about 40 minutes of the class (in a variety of different poses)! We spent the first 5 minutes doing calming breathing exercises, followed by a 10 minute warm-up, 35 minutes of restorative poses on the mat and 10 minutes of savasana. Bliss! The next Relax and Restore Class will be on Saturday 21 December and will be the last class before Christmas.
Over the last few weeks, my little boy has finally started sleeping through from 7:30pm to about 4:30 or 5am. The problem is that I’m still finding myself awake at 3am and now I don’t have the good hormones that come with a middle of the night breastfeed to help me get back to sleep. So I’ve turned to yoga.
Yoga Asanas for sleep and relaxation
Some poses help you to switch off in preparation for sleeping. Here are 3 of my favourites:
1. Salamba Supta Baddha Konasana – Supported Reclining Bound Angle Pose
We’ve been practicing this one at the end of most of my classes. Start by sitting cross-legged. Bring the soles of your feet together and place a bolster behind you (You could use 2 pillow stacked together if you don’t have a bolster). Lean back onto the bolster or pillows until you are lying on your back. Take your arms a little out from your body with the palms facing up. Close your eyes and breath. Hold for 3-5 minutes (or more if you like!)
2. Viparita Karani – Legs up the Wall pose
Lie on your back with your legs resting against a wall and your feet pointing straight up to the ceiling. Close your eyes and breath. Hold for 3-5 minutes.
3. Savasana – Corpse pose
Lie on your back with your head in line with your spine, your legs apart and your arms a little out from your body, with your palms facing up. Scan your awareness around your body, letting your breath help you to relax each part of your body.
Yoga Nidra
A discussion of yoga and sleep, wouldn’t be complete without looking at Yoga Nidra (Sanskrit for Yogic Sleep).
You’ve probably practiced some elements of Yoga Nidra during Savasana. Yoga Nidra is a hypnotic-like state between wakefulness and sleeping. The practice of yoga nidra includes focusing the senses on the world around you then withdrawing that focus. It includes setting a Sankalpa (a resolve or intention), awareness of your breath and relaxation of the whole body.
Yoga Nidra is a practice that is very close to my heart. I often practice it in the evening when I’m having trouble switching off. Many years ago, when I was a stressed out medical student, my mum gave me a yoga nidra CD to help me unwind and switch off. It was only many years later, that I realised that this form of guided relaxation is actually part of yoga and that I had been practicing yoga for all those years without knowing it.
Some of you might have come along to my yoga nidra session on Open Day. One of my friends who attended that session suggested that I record my Yoga Nidra. So I have! It’s now available on CD in the studio or as an mp3 for $5. The CD includes a 25 minute Yoga Nidra and a 15 minute guided relaxation. The guided relaxation is the “I relax my feet, I am relaxing my feet, my feet are relaxed” one that many of you have experienced in my classes. The MP3 is available free with all memberships (one, three, six or 12 months) or with the purchase of a 10 visit pass.
I hope you sleep well!
Bernie