evening yoga: rest, relaxation and sleep

Morning, afternoon or evening, yoga can be practiced at any time of the day. But for those who have difficulty falling asleep, an evening yoga session will help you fall asleep. So what are the benefits of night yoga? What type of yoga to practice in the evening? And what stance? I tell you more!

The benefits of yoga on body and mind

Under the spotlight for a few years, yoga is definitely a trendy practice. But more than just a fad, yoga brings multiple benefits for body and mind.

Through this practice, we are clearly not in an intense cardio session (even less at bedtime). And yet, yoga has many benefits for your body.

And since it works your whole body, can we also use yoga to lose weight? Beyond the benefits of yoga on the body, it is above all on the mind that this practice is beneficial.

And yes, it is not just about focusing on the positions, but on aligning them with the breath.

And this is precisely what has multiple benefits:

And all of this promotes a good night’s sleep. So, we say yes to yoga to sleep well.

Yoga, cure for insomnia?

If you are prone to insomniathe practice of yoga in the evening can help you improve the quality of your nights. Sleep disturbances are usually linked to too many thoughts. Despite fatigue, your brain can’t shut down.

Without forgetting that the practice of a physical activity (even gentle) helps to eliminate the tensions accumulated during the day.

What are the types of yoga to practice in the evening?

There are dozens of yogas for feeling good. But before sleeping, the goal is to relax with gentle practice. That’s good, I selected for you the best types of relaxation yoga for the evening and sweet dreams at the same time.

yin-yoga

Yin yoga is stay in the same position for several breaths. On average, you will hold the pose between 90 seconds to 2 minutes. So obviously, it will be necessary to choose pleasant positions (I will come back to this later) to avoid any discomfort.

Once you have found them, the advantage of this practice is twofold:

hatha-yoga

It is one of the oldest yoga practices. It is then a question of coordinate postures, deep breathing and the circulation of energies. You follow the movements in a soft and fluid way to relax your body.

In addition to helping you relax, it is a yoga for beginners that will help you progress and enter the yogi state of mind.

Pranayama-yoga

This evening yoga practice is not necessarily focused on the postures, but especially on the breath. The idea is then to relax through breathing exercises. For example, alternate breathing or square breathing. By making you enjoy meditation and its benefits, Pranayama is the ideal relaxing yoga for quality sleep.

nidra yoga

Nidra yoga is not a movement practice, but rather a meditation, since you are in a lying position. But here, you focus on the different sensations of your body.

My advice: to do in your bed and in a comfortable position just before sinking into the arms of morphée. Personally, I practice yoga nidra a lot, I find a real answer to my insomnia when falling asleep.

You would have understood it, all these evening yoga practices will help you fall asleep easily.

What are the yoga postures to do before bed?

Beyond the different types of evening yoga, it is above all the postures that will allow you to relax. I have selected 3 to help you sleep well. You can accompany your movements with soft, calm music at a low volume. But avoid staring at a screen for too long to avoid disrupting your secretion of melatonin (sleep hormone).

happy baby pose

Among yoga positions before sleepthe happy baby posture is undoubtedly one of the best.

If you haven’t started yoga yet, here are the steps to follow:

1. lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest;
2. grab your toes with your hands and spread your knees;
3. let yourself go from left to right and vice versa.

Like a happy baby, you are ready to drift off to sleep through your zen and restful state.

child’s posture

Child’s pose (or balasana) is one of the most relaxing postures for your evening yoga session.

Here are the moves:

1. get on your knees with your big toes together;
2. place your forehead on the ground;
3. let your arms fall by your sides.

In addition to relaxing you, this posture will also stretch your lower back. It’s perfect if you spend your day glued to your chair behind a computer.

twists

These movements allow you to relax the muscles of the back and spine.

To practice this evening yoga posture, here are the steps to follow:

1. remain lying on the back;
2. bend the knees so as to make a right angle;
3. let them fall on the right side;
4. relax the arms on each side while keeping the shoulders on the ground and looking in the opposite direction;
5. hold the position for a few breaths;
6. repeat on the other side.

And if you want more postures, feel free to follow my yoga program.

Benefits of nocturnal yoga upon waking

You would have understood it, evening yoga is ideal for relaxing before sleeping. And in addition to positively influencing your night’s sleep, this practice is also beneficial in the early morning.

And yes, if you slept well, it will be easier to wake up well. On the one hand, because you will be well rested. On the other hand, because the stretching done the day before will prevent you from back pain when you wake up.

Concretely, the benefits are:

And if the evening practice has convinced you, you can also practice some asanas when you wake up, such as sun salutations.

Some questions you may also ask yourself: