3 Yoga Poses to Help You Fall Asleep
Do you ever find yourself lying awake in bed, staring at a dark ceiling, wishing you could just fall asleep? I used to have wicked insomnia, often not falling asleep until 4 or 5am only to have to wake up at 6 or 7, exhausted. It affected my attitude toward work, my partner, and life in general. And not in a good way. Lack of sleep has been shown to increase your chance of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure not to mention anxiety, irritation and poor ability to think or make decision. There are a plethora of other terrible side effects just adding to more reasons why good, quality sleep is so important. So, if you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, the following yoga poses might help you get that invaluable sleep you’ve been missing. They always help me if I find Im feeling restless before sleep now and Im happy to say, my insomnia is a rare visitor these days!
Before you begin, take a few minutes to sit comfortably and focus your thoughts on your breath only. Allow it to slow and deepen, without strain, and allow your mind to focus on just the motion and feeling of the breath. After you feel centered, begin the following poses.
1. Childs Pose: come to hands and knees and then lower yourself back and down onto your heels, allowing your forehead to rest on the floor. Begin with your arms extended overhead, palms touching the floor and then move your arms alongside the body with the palms 
facing up. Remain in this position for 2-3 minutes, focusing on slow, easy breathing. Allow the eyes to soften behind the eyelids and the tongue to relax in the mouth.
2. Easy seated twist: Come to sit in a gentle cross-legged position. Place your hands on your 
knees. Inhale and lift your spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head. Exhale and gently turn your torso to the right, keeping the lift in your spine, allowing the head to softly follow the direction of the spinal twist. Hold for 5 deep breaths. Repeat on the left side. Repeat each side one more time for 3 deep breaths.
3. Legs up the Wall: Come to lie on your right or left side next to a wall with your legs pulled up into the fetal position and your buttocks as close to the wall as you can get them. Using your forearm closest to the floor to help push, swing your 
legs up the wall and allow your body to roll onto its back. Extend the legs straight up the wall. If this is too intense on your hamstrings, move your butt away from the wall until you feel a comfortable, relaxing stretch. Stay for at least one full minute and preferably 4-5 or longer. To come out, bring your knees into your chest to release the low back and then roll to your right side.
These poses should be combined with slow, easy, deep breathing allowing the belly and chest to expand without strain. These moves elicit a sense of calm and increased relaxation after practicing, helping you to drop into a peaceful state of sleep much more easily. They can also be done anytime you need a little relaxation or calming effect in your everyday life! Enjoy!
With lots of Love, Light and good Juju too!
Lauri Glenn & Bodhi Therapeutics