Yoga for Sleep
More than 71 % of people across the country do not get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night, which can have a severe impact on physical and mental wellbeing. As a wellness coach, I see many clients who report not being able to get to sleep or get back to sleep if awakened, alongside erratic patterns of sleepiness in the day and sleeplessness at night. Lack of sleep can often be linked to stress and anxiety but also the busyness of everyday modern life. I often see the vicious cycle of being too tired in the day to be active, and therefore not active enough in the day to promote restful sleep at night.
The right yoga practice can really help wind down from the day to promote better conditions to be able to get to sleep. The by-product of yoga is a reduction in stress, a factor that often hinders healthy sleep habits. A US based national survey found that over 55% of people who did yoga found that it helped them get better sleep and over 85% said yoga helped reduce stress.
By Rina Modi (Wellness Coach and Shala Teacher Training Consultant)
Recommendations for Sleep
Some people find that a strong physical yoga practice works for them to allow them to feel sufficiently tired to fall asleep, but generally for an end of the day practice, it is best to try a gentle yoga classes which focus on the breath and down-regulating the nervous system. Experimentation is key with yoga, learning to understand what works for you. Almost everything we offer at the Shala can potentially aid sleep – our top recommendations for sleep from our offerings are:
- Yoga Nidra – which translates as “yogic sleep”
- Breathing practices, as explored in our BREATHE course
- Gentle Yoga
To see our full list of types of classes please visit our schedule or you can try a practice designed for sleep by our Yoga Nidra Teacher Trainer Melanie Cooper for free from the button below.
If you would like to explore how our classes and courses might help aid sleep, please email our team (admin@theshala.co.uk) and we are happy to give you a call to offer personalised advice.
