Yoga is beneficial for many different illnesses and ailments that trouble us. Insomnia is a disorder where yoga can help reduce the effects through exercise and mind calming poses. A yoga retreat can be a wonderful place to go and relax and try to learn how to work through your insomnia.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a disorder that causes people to have extreme difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or both. When you suffer from insomnia you tend to wake up still feeling fatigued which causes problems with your daily routine. It can take all your energy and leave you in a poor mood. Your physical and emotional balance can be off and your quality of life can suffer.
Some signs of insomnia are:
- Trouble sleeping
- Waking up during the night
- Waking up too early
- No sense of rest after sleeping all night
- Depressed, anxious, or irritable
- No focus on tasks
- Headaches
If your insomnia is not a medical problem that should be addressed by a physician then yoga can bring you relief. Whether you go to a yoga retreat for a week as a beginner looking for a new treatment or you just look for a yoga teacher that can instruct you on some techniques, yoga can definitely help you. Yoga focuses on creating balance within your mind and body. Practicing yoga will improve the time you are sleeping, help you fall asleep much faster and wake up feeling refreshed.
Get started!
The first thing that you need to do is create a routine for yourself with the key word SAME. Your routine should consist of the same bedtime, the same time to get up, the same time to eat, and the same time to do yoga. The reason behind this is that you are helping your inner clock set. This is the first step in getting that wonderful night’s rest. If you decide to go on a yoga vacation make sure that you inform the location that you wish to follow a very strict routine while there. This will start you on the right path. The yoga retreat will be familiar with this approach and will support you.
Your instructor should have a yoga certification and guide you into poses that will help eliminate the causes of your insomnia. During the afternoon or early evening hours it will be beneficial to do some yoga exercises that will get you sweating. This type of routine will get your inner temperature to increase and by the time you go to bed your core will still be warm but your body will have cooled. This is the best form of balance for your body to rest.
If you do not have time during the day and you find yourself close to bedtime there are different poses that you can incorporate into the end of your day to give you the same calming benefit before bedtime. Yoga teaching instructs us that a gentle routine of yoga can also help you sleep well. Completing the right poses will prepare your body for a sound sleep. The poses will also help calm your mind and your breathing will relax your body and thoughts.
Calming Poses
Happy Baby Pose is done while lying on your back. You bend the knees into your chest and bring them towards the armpits while holding onto the outer edge of your feet. This is a good pose for beginners and is done with little effort. This will loosen your body and release your low back and hips.
Goddess Pose has your legs in a Buddha position but your back is on the floor. Your entire body should be resting on the floor lowering the elbows to have them also on the floor with hands open and palms facing up.
Corpse Pose has your entire body lying down on your back. Allow for your feet and arms to fall open and stretched out to your sides palms facing up while keeping your eyes closed and deepening your breathing. Focus on your breathing to relax. After a few minutes, start to wiggle your toes and fingers while slowly bringing your knees to your chest. Roll over to one side and slowly sit up.
Yoga is part of the puzzle
Everyone has a night or two where their minds are so full of thoughts that we suffer from insomnia. Bringing yoga into our lives is an easy and non-medicated way to take away whatever it is that is keeping us from rest. A yoga retreat is a wonderful way to go away and find the rest and techniques that you can bring home. Try bringing yoga into your routine to help fight insomnia. What do you have to lose other than more sleep.
