Yoga Before Bed: Staying Present for ZZZ’s

Getting to and staying asleep can be difficult.  You might be constantly thinking of what you need to do tomorrow – worries, burdens, plans. Or, you could be re-hashing what happened today…what you should have (or shouldn’t have) said, if only this would’ve happened instead of that.

Whether you find yourself in the first or second category,  [I've been in both - but tend to frequent the "thinking about tomorrow" box] yoga breathing and awareness can help you stay present which is one of your best chances of getting to and staying asleep.

Breathing Awareness Exercise:

Lying on your back, place one hand on your belly. Breathe in and out through your nose and feel your belly rise and fall.  Notice other areas of your body as you inhale and exhale.  The lower ribs expand, the chest lifts…Allow each breath to be a little longer, a little more full before you begin a new one. Try this for a few minutes – just observing how you breathe.

As you’re breathing, notice your thoughts.  Try to examine them as if they belong to someone else.  Place an imaginary post-it on each thought and as  you exhale, imagine setting it aside or releasing it as you exhale:  “Tomorrow’s big meeting”, “Sally’s doctor’s appt”, “what are we going to do about X”, “I can’t believe I said that to John” — label all the thoughts and let them go….

If just imagining each thought and releasing it doesn’t work for you, take 10 minutes and get up and go write down every thought or preoccupation in your head.  For me, my whiteboard in my office is great for this…I can unload everything there and go to sleep, knowing that I have everything captured for tomorrow.

Now back to the breathing….as you are categorizing and releasing thoughts, your mind will wander and think of new thoughts. That’s what the mind does. No worries – just acknowledge each one (even the most random) and let it go.  Allow the mind only to go to the present – allow your shoulders to draw down, your facial muscles to soften, your jaw to release….allow your eyes to get heavy and your breath to slow down….ah – sleep…..

For more on yoga before bed, check out our new DVD with a 20-minute yoga class, Yoga Before Bed.