4 Yoga Asanas To Help You Good Sleep At Night – Yoga For Insomnia

Yoga For Insomnia

Insomnia… like a headache and body pain this is the latest problem affecting mankind. While we rush to the doctor for other health problems, we fail to understand that insomnia is a problem requiring immediate attention. Doctors say that insomnia is an alarm that says internal organs are not healthy. The reason for insomnia has to be analyzed and treated accordingly. The following 4 yoga asanas when done before going to sleep can give relaxed good sleep at night and keep the mind peaceful.

Viparita Karani Asana

Viparita means upside down. Karani means to do. By holding our body upside down towards gravity makes the internal organs strong. Since mudra exercise is itself an asana, the effects of this asana are more.

Viparita Karani Asana – Procedure

•  Lie down on your back on a mat. Inhale.
• Hold your breath and lift both your legs up together.
• While lifting your legs use your hands to support the back.
• With both the hands supporting your back lift your legs vertically upwards.
• The whole body weight must be balanced on the nape of the neck and upper back.
• Now exhale.
• Now repeat inhaling and exhaling.

Initially, it may be difficult to hold the hips. You can do this exercise by keeping two-three pillows at the back for support. Then your hands would be free so it can lie flat down on the side of the body.

Viparita Karani Asana – Benefits

• This asana is good for the chest. It cures breathing problems.
• Nervous weakness, blood pressure, and kidney problems would not trouble you if you practice this regularly.
• Since blood circulation is enhanced in the neck thyroid problems will not afflict you.

Viparita Karani Asana – Caution

• Do not do this asana more than 200 times as it would induce sleep during daytime only.
• This asana must be done at the night in an empty stomach 15 minutes before dinner. After doing this asana have dinner and have a tumbler of warm water. This would give you deep sleep.
• It is safe and effective to use pillows while doing this asana.
• If you have back pain, neck pain, diabetics, asthma, and high blood pressure do only these asana at night to keep your disease and pain under control.

Supta Vajrasana (Reclined Thunderbolt Pose)

Supta is a Sanskrit word which means balance. Vajrasana helps you to maintain balance while seated.

Supta Vajrasana -Procedure

• Extend your legs and sit down.
• Fold your right leg in such a way that the foot faces backward.
• Fold your left leg and join both the feet together and come to vajrasana seating position.
• While inhaling, using your elbows come to the supine position.
• Fold your arms one over the other and place your head on it while breathing normally. Stay in this position for five minutes.
• Come back to the initial position.

Supta Vajrasana – Benefits

• Back and legs get strengthened.
• Relaxes the muscles of Hamstring and knee.
• Increase the blood flow to the thyroid gland.
• Relaxes body and mind. Relieves depression. The improvements can be seen immediately.

Jathara Parivartanasana: (Revolved Abdomen Pose)

Jathara is a Sanskrit word which means abdomen, parivarta means turning and helps you to maintain abdomen revolved while doing this asana.

• Lie on the floor and plant your feet firmly on the ground either folded or slightly elevated.
• Let there be some gap between both the legs.
• Close your eyes and relax your mind.
• Let your spine touch the mat.
• After some rest inhale slowly.
• Exhale slowly and inhale.
• Repeat this 6 times.
• If your legs are elevated keep them down with a gap between them.

Jathara Parivartanasana – Benefits

• The upper part of the body and shoulder relaxes. The mind becomes calm.
• Since the backbones are stretched and strengthened, the body loses its stiffness.

Savasana

In this asana, the position is like a dead body. Through these asanas, we can very well realize that the body relaxes and the mind calms down and get good sleep at night

Savasana – Procedure

• Lie down flat on your back on the mat.
• Spread your legs and spread your hands on the side of your body away from the thighs.
• Make sure palm to be facing up.
• Try to get into a relaxing sleep.
• Breathe through your nose normally.
• Unaware of the body and mind you should be sleeping.

Savasana – Benefits

• This asana relaxes both body and mind. It relieves you of all kinds of stress immediately. It helps you create a balance between work and rest.
• Savasana helps middle-age people who are physically and mentally stressed because of their workload.
• Savasana can be practiced during the daytime. It reduces sleep duration in the daytime.
• Muscles that are stiffened due to other asanas are relaxed by savasana.