Bedtime Yoga Poses

The harder I train for running or just to stay fit, the more I want to sleep. It's amazing what sleep can do for my body and how much better I feel when I am fully rested. I have never been one to fall asleep quickly and it often takes me 30 minutes to an hour to actually fall into dreamland. One thing that helps me relax and fall asleep faster is to do yoga poses before bed. When Casper Sleep contacted me about sharing a post about my favorite yoga poses to do before bed I couldn't resist. Having never heard of Casper before, I quickly looked them up online and found out they make some pretty sweet looking mattresses. Made of premium latex foam for cooling and bounce and Memory Foam for supportive comfort, these mattresses look so comfortable! Oh, and they also compress ship and fit through any door (kind of like my favorite chair in our living room - our Memory Foam beanbag from Luvsac). Check them out if you are in the market for a mattress - I know I will! Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite yoga poses to help me relax and get into zen mode.

 

Before getting in bed perform a few sun salutations. A full explanation of these moves can be found here. If I don't have time for the entire sequence I will often do a downward dog pose and pedal my feet to release my tight calf muscles from running.

Once I am done with the mat poses, I can either do the following poses on my yoga mat or while I am lying in bed. Since my bedroom isn't exactly photo studio ready, I'm going to show you the poses using my mat.

Hamstring Stretch:

Extend your leg straight up toward the ceiling. Grab behind your knee or close to your ankle. Keep the leg straight and slowly start to bring it closer to your head on each exhale. Repeat on the other side. Remember to stay gentle with these stretches. This will help you lose any tension left in your body before bed.

Knee Hug:

Hug both knees into your chest and rock slowly side to side on your back. Let your whole back relax into your bed or mat. Try to breathe steady, slow and relaxed. Release any tension you might be holding in your body.

Legs Extended Forward Bend:

Keep legs extended out in front of you and round your back over your legs. This is a great stretch along the spine. I have a tight back and hips from running and this stretch works wonders for relieving pressure.

Seated Twists:

Stay in your seated position and twist around to the back of your bed. If you have a backboard you can hold onto that to help your twist. Breathe steadily into the twist for a few breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Lying Down Twist:

Bend your knee back into your chest and twist your leg across your body. Turn your head in the opposite direction and bring your arms out to a T shape. Make sure to do this on both sides.

When you are finished with this relaxing routine either do a power pose, like the one below. Or if you are doing the poses in bed, simply drift off into dreamland.

Do you have any favorite bedtime yoga poses? Share them with me in comments below! Or snap a picture and tag me on Instagram or Twitter!

Disclaimer: I am not a certified yoga instructor. These are simply yoga poses that help me relax and I wanted to share that knowledge with you!