Restful sleep with Swissflex – bedtime yoga

Sukhasana – easy pose

The first exercise for your bedtime yoga is Sukhasana – also called easy pose. It allows you to breathe freely and easily. The cross-legged position opens the heart chakra and surrounds you with a joyful energy. This yoga exercise can help you experience calm moments even in stressful times and manages to reduce your anxiety. Thus, this kind of yoga exercise is not just suitable for a relaxed morning but also a good preparation for your bedtime.

Breathe calmly and evenly and hold the position for a few minutes. Make sure to keep your back straight. The exercise for your bedtime yoga belongs to the basic yoga asanas, which mainly consist of resting postures. Therefore, it is perfectly suited for some calming bedtime yoga! After the seated exercise follow a few more asana exercises that are performed lying down.

Supta Baddha Konasana

Bedtime yoga should help you to experience the best possible relaxation as well as let your body and mind wind down. The following exercise helps you achieve this kind of relaxation at the end of the day. After sitting cross-legged, bring the soles of your feet together and lie down on your back. Now bend your knees to the side, you can feel them being pulled down by the mat or the floor – just allow your knees to drop down to the mat. Your heels should lie next to each other, slightly touching. Hold this position and stretch your muscles. You can either stretch your arms above your head or place them loosely next to you.

The aim of the exercise is to relax even more deeply and relieve any pain you may feel in your back, for example. It is also a good preparation for the following pranayama, which focuses on your breathing.

Nadi Shodana Pranayama – channel cleansing breath

Yoga exercise number three for your bedtime yoga aims to cleanse your energy channels, called nadis, and should be performed and repeated for five minutes. A calm breathing is the goal of this yoga practice.

During the exercise, your left hand rests on your knee with the palm facing up. At the same time your thumb and index finger are touching. Use your right thumb to close the right nostril and your ring finger to close the left nostril.

Before you start, take one deep breath in and out. Now close the right nostril with your thumb and slowly inhale only through the left. Then close both nostrils and hold your breath for 1-2 seconds. Now repeat the same process, but this time keep the left nostril closed. Then repeat the full cycle multiple times on each side.

Paschimottanasana – seated forward bend

Try to fully extend your legs on the mat during this nightly bedtime yoga exercise. Slowly stretch your upper body down to your thighs while maintaining a long spine. You can use your hands to help you by holding onto the base of your heels. No matter how well this exercise works for you at first, you are doing great! You will notice that your thoughts will be quieted, and your immune system will be strengthened. You will probably feel a gentle tugging in your legs. Listen to your body and do your best. Soon you will experience a strengthened balance, patience and serenity.

Shavasana – corpse pose

The last exercise for your bedtime yoga is called corpse pose and is often used to end a yoga sequence. Lie down in bed, pull up the covers and stretch out completely. Relax every single part of your body, from head to toe. You can use this exercise at night to focus on and become aware of each part of your body individually. Focus especially on your breath and let it flow freely. Before you are actively aware of each part of your body, you are probably already peacefully asleep on your mattress, snuggling with your pillow.

A good mattress is the basis for relaxation, but unfortunately many people cannot enjoy a full night’s sleep because stress keeps them from falling asleep quickly. Exercising bedtime yoga regularly will not only help you fall asleep faster but can also increase your overall well-being. You will notice that after just a few days, you will be in the flow and feel less stressed out. How much time you want to dedicate to the individual sequences is up to you.

In addition to our tips, you can also look for yoga videos on video platforms to guide you through your bedtime yoga routine. With a video, even the beginner yogis among us can get an easy start into the world of relaxation and recreation. Take the time for some yoga in the evening, listen inside you, and start to relax! We wish you a good night!