Hi Wuf…I have a hard time getting to sleep at night, and sometimes I wake up a lot. I have so much on my mind from my busy days and sometimes I feel anxious when I lay down to sleep. Can Yoga help me with this? Thanks! Cara
Dear Cara,
Thank you for reaching out because your question is awesome and something that many kids and adults can relate to! These days we are constantly on the move…doing…going…go… go… go! And it can be really hard to shut all of that down when its time to go to bed at night. It is very common to lay down at night and even if you feel really sleepy your mind stars doing jumping jacks! However, sleep is so very important for us mentally, physically, and emotionally. When we are asleep our body has time to renew and recharge itself and bring us back into balance. Guess what?? Yoga can do the same thing for us! And when I say Yoga, I mean more than just the poses which are only one aspect of the practice. Poses are very beneficial and help relax the physical body as well. Meditation and breathing are powerful tools in helping our nervous system relax as well.
There is a great article that I would like to offer you as a resource on Yoga and sleep.Here is an example of what you will find at https://www.tuck.com/sleep-
“Principal investigator Dr. Ramadevi Gourineni director of the insomnia program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, who taught the study participants kriyayoga, in which meditation helps to focus inner attention, concluded that the study shows that “teaching deep relaxation techniques during the daytime can help improve sleep at night.”
I hope that this information and all the great stuff on our website help you on your journey to better sleep.
Instead of counting sheep, count your breaths!
Thanks again for reaching out Cara! Wishing you easy nights of sleep and sweet dreams!
Namaste!
Wuf Shanti