Yoga For Insomnia

Yoga For Insomnia
Written by Andrea Manitsas 

It happens to all of us... well, except for the anomaly or two among us. We are utterly exhausted. We've got a ton on our minds. All we want to do is sleep so we'll be rearing for the day ahead... but it just won't happen. We lay in bed, the same thoughts rolling over and over again incessantly, preventing us from getting any shut eye. When taking a look at the root of your insomnia, you may find anxiety, stress and fatigue resulting from the demands that life seems to place upon us. Your body may be asking you to slow down, your nervous system rebelling. Slowing down can be difficult, but yoga positions and meditation can help.

The next time you wake up at 2:00 in the morning, frustrated with sleeplessness, give yourself this 15-minute practice, so your body gets what it needs to sink back into sleep.

1. Five-minute Meditation: We recently brought you Is Meditation A Transformation Fodder for Stress? It's time to put it to the test. Find a comfortable seated position on the edge of a blanket, pillow or cushion. Let the spine be long, resting your hands on your thighs. Close your eyes and begin to tune into your breath. As thoughts come up, try not to give them any power. Just simply let them float by, and bring your attention back to your breath. Focus on deepening, lengthening and smoothing out your breath. You may even put a count to each inhale and exhale.

2. High Lunge Variations: Begin in a high lunge with the right leg in front, knee stacked over ankle and the left thigh strong and lifted. Reach your arms up alongside your ears. Rock your weight into your right leg, and as slowly as you can you're going to drag your right knee all the way into your chest, so that you are balancing on your right leg on an inhale, and then just as slowly step back into your lunge. Do this 5-10 times, and then switch sides.

3. Forward Fold: Feet hip distance apart, fold over your legs, letting your head hang. Take hold of opposite elbows and sway from side to side, imagining all your thoughts dripping out of the crown of your head. Stay for 10-20 breaths.

4. Plow Pose: Lay on your back, arms alongside your body. Swing your legs up over head. Your toes may or may not touch the ground. You can stay her for 10-20 breaths. But if you have some excess energy you need to expend, you can roll from plow to stand, trying to use your core. Then bend your knees, coming all the way to the ground and roll back into plow. You can repeat 5-10 times.

5. Legs up the Wall: Bring a blanket or pillow under your hips right at the wall and swing your legs up. The key is to get your hips above your heart, your shoulders and head resting on the ground. Let your palms face up away from your body, close your eyes, and come back to focusing on your breath.

When you feel the stillness, the peace, the spaciousness - crawl back into bed and give sleep another go.

Looking for another way to cure insmonia? How about some Sexual Healing!

MY THOUGHTS

i doubt i'll ever try these sleep-inducing exercises.  they all seem so very hard.  to do or understand.  whatever!

Cure for Insomnia: Sleep Better - Naturally

Sleep Better - Naturally

By Cathy Wong, About.com Guide
Updated December 22, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Getting eight hours of sleep each night helps protect your heart health, keep your stress in check, preserve your memory, and enhance your mood. Yet, a 2009 report from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reveals that the number of Americans sleeping a full eight hours nightly has dropped to just 28%. What's more, previous NSF research shows that 67% of American women frequently experience trouble sleeping, while 43% say that daytime sleepiness gets in the way of their daily activities.

Adopt Healthy Habits

If you need to stop skimping on sleep, start by improving your sleep habits so that you sleep better. Stick to a regular bedtime and wake time; use your bedroom only for sleep and sex; and create a sleep environment that's dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool.

Maintaining healthy habits throughout the day can also promote sounder sleep. Cutting back on caffeine, getting regular exercise, and spending time outdoors each day can all guide you toward more restful slumber.

Nighttime Stress Relief

Since stress makes it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, creating a stress-reducing bedtime routine increases the likelihood of getting your eight hours each night. Here are five soothing activities to consider including in your routine.

1) Yoga

A daily yoga session may help increase total sleep time in people with chronic insomnia, according to a preliminary study published in 2004. When practiced at bedtime, gentle yoga poses should help ease muscle tension and calm your mind.

2) Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Another means of releasing muscle tension, this technique involves slowly tensing and then relaxing every muscle group in your body. Starting with your toes, tense your muscles for five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds. Move on to your legs, and gradually work your way all the way up to your face. For more intense relaxation, incorporate deep breathing into the exercise.

3) Meditation

Research suggests that meditation may benefit people with sleep disorders. Before you go to bed, try devoting five to 10 minutes to a simple meditation practice.

4) Guided Imagery

Visualizing yourself in a peaceful place (such as a beach, meadow, or mountain setting) can lure your mind away from stress-inducing thoughts and lull you to sleep. To heighten the relaxing effects of this technique, try to imagine the sights, sounds, smells, and textures you might experience in such a place. Listening to a guided imagery CD can also enhance your visualization exercises.

5) Aromatherapy

Certain essential oils such as lavender and chamomile possess sedative properties known to promote sleep. Before bedtime, try taking a bath infused with a few drops of relaxing oils. You can also add a few drops of essential oils to your favorite massage oil and knead away your muscle tension, or shake two or three drops of lavender oil onto your pillowcase and breathe in the calming aroma as you fall asleep.

Natural Sleep Aids

A number of natural remedies and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda, and herbal medicine can offer further help in achieving healthy sleep.

MY THOUGHTS

relax! relax! relax. or make yourself so tired you'll just drop dead on your bed.