Personal
My journey with Essential Steps to Set Up the Perfect Yoga Space for Your Studio
My journey with Essential Steps to Set Up the Perfect Yoga Space for Your Studio In my previous blog, I
27 January 2025
No Comments
Rest Easy: How Yoga Can Transform Your Sleep Habits
Sleep is one of the most essential components of good health, yet it’s often neglected. While the human body can survive up to 21 days without food, going without sleep has far more immediate effects. The record for sleeplessness is 11 days, but most people start hallucinating by day three! This demonstrates just how crucial sleep is for our mental well-being, cognition, and overall functioning. Despite its importance, sleep is often sacrificed for deadlines, exams, or late-night events.
The good news? Yoga can help you reclaim restful sleep. By easing physical tension, calming the mind, and creating the conditions for deep relaxation, yoga can improve both how quickly you fall asleep and the quality of your slumber. Let’s explore the science behind yoga’s benefits, types of yoga suited for sleep, calming poses, and breathing techniques that pave the way for restorative rest.
What to expect in this blog
The Science of Yoga and Sleep
Yoga’s blend of physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation can significantly improve sleep. A national study conducted in the U.S. found that over 85% of participants felt less stressed after yoga, and more than half reported improved sleep. Regular yoga practice can lead to:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced anxiety
- Fewer sleep disturbances
- Quicker sleep onset
- Better overall sleep quality
- Decreased reliance on sleep medications
Many people have even drifted off during savasana—the final relaxation pose in a yoga session. This phenomenon underscores yoga’s profound ability to prepare the body and mind for rest.
What Type of Yoga is Best for Sleep?
While active styles like power or vinyasa yoga can tire the body and promote better sleep later, these aren’t ideal close to bedtime due to their energizing nature. Instead, slower, restorative styles like yin yoga and restorative yoga are perfect for winding down.
Yin Yoga: This slow-paced practice involves holding poses for several minutes, encouraging introspection and stillness. By fostering deep relaxation, it prepares the body for sleep.
Restorative Yoga: With the use of props like bolsters and blankets, restorative yoga is deeply calming. It helps you release physical tension, creating a sense of profound ease.
If you’re looking for specific poses to practice in the evening, the following asanas (poses) and breathing techniques are highly effective for releasing tension and promoting relaxation.
Calming Yoga Poses for Better Sleep
1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
A grounding, comforting pose that stretches the back and shoulders while fostering mindful breathing.
How to Practice:
- Kneel on the floor, bring your big toes together, and rest your hips on your heels.
- Stretch your arms forward and lower your upper body over your thighs.
- Rest your forehead on the mat and take deep breaths.
Why It’s Beneficial:
Child’s Pose promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and gently stretches the spine and hips—especially beneficial if you’ve been sitting or standing for long periods.
2. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
A restorative pose that opens the hips, stretches the inner thighs, and invites deep relaxation.
How to Practice:
- Lie on your back, bend your knees, and bring the soles of your feet together.
- Let your knees fall open, using cushions under them for support if needed.
- Rest your arms by your sides and breathe deeply.
Why It’s Beneficial:
This pose releases tension in the hips and fosters rhythmic breathing, which calms the nervous system and prepares the body for sleep.
3. Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
This gentle inversion soothes tired legs, improves blood flow, and calms the body.
How to Practice:
- Sit sideways next to a wall, lie back, and swing your legs up to rest against the wall.
- Adjust for comfort, and let your arms rest by your sides.
- Stay in the pose for five to ten minutes, focusing on slow, deep breaths.
Why It’s Beneficial:
This pose reduces swelling in the legs, stretches the hamstrings, and relaxes the nervous system, helping ease you into sleep.
4. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
A gentle spinal twist that releases tension in the back and hips while aiding digestion.
How to Practice:
- Lie on your back, draw one knee to your chest, and guide it across your body.
- Extend your arms out in a “T” shape, turning your head in the opposite direction.
- Hold for five to ten breaths, then switch sides.
Why It’s Beneficial:
This twist relieves tension in the spine and lower back, promotes relaxation, and supports digestion for a more restful night.
5. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
The ultimate relaxation pose, perfect for signaling to your body that it’s time to rest.
How to Practice:
- Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides, palms up.
- Let your feet fall naturally outward and relax your body completely.
- Breathe deeply, focusing on releasing tension from head to toe.
Why It’s Beneficial:
Savasana encourages complete physical and mental relaxation, creating the ideal conditions for sleep.
Final Thoughts
Yoga offers a holistic approach to improving sleep, addressing both physical tension and mental stress. By incorporating calming yoga poses, breathing techniques, or even yoga nidra into your nightly routine, you can create the ideal conditions for deep, restorative rest. Just a few minutes each evening can transform your sleep—and your mornings. Try it tonight and wake up refreshed, ready to embrace the day!
Personal
How to start a yoga studio: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success
How I started my own yoga studio: the why If you had told me five years ago that I would
13 January 2025
No Comments
Yoga practice
Can yoga help you sleep better?
Yoga can help you reclaim restful sleep. By easing physical tension, calming the mind, and creating the conditions for deep relaxation, yoga can improve both how quickly you fall asleep and the quality of your slumber. Let’s explore the science behind yoga’s benefits, types of yoga suited for sleep, calming poses, and breathing techniques that pave the way for restorative rest.
14 December 2024
No Comments
Our Address
- Rua D. Maria Fernanda Da Mota Cardoso 902 2240-333 Ferreira do Zêzere
Opening Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Thursday
- Sunsay
Contact Info
© 2025 Benson’s. All Rights Reserved.