Yoga for Back Pain and Neck Pain

Yoga for Back and Neck Pain


By Anne Asher, About.com Guide


About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board


•Ashtanga Yoga


•Hatha Yoga


•Chronic Neck Pain


•Back Pain Exercise


Sponsored Links


Low Back Pain?


Yoga and the Problem Back:


If you have a back problem, it's best to get an okay from your doctor before trying yoga. Back pain is often the result of a biomechanical imbalance in spinal structures. Your doctor can advise you of:


•any movements to avoid


•the most productive level of challenge


•safety modifications.


•effects of interaction between your meds and exercise


What a Good Yoga Teacher Can Do:


Once you have had this conversation with your doctor, tell your yoga teacher about it. A good teacher will be able to respond to your medical limitations with the use of props and modifications, allowing your experience with yoga to be safe, as well as beneficial.


Unless you are a professional rehabilitation specialist yourself, it is imperative to find a qualified teacher. Do not try to teach yourself!


Balance is Key:


Doing yoga cultivates a balance between the flexibility and strength of the muscles of the body, often the real culprit in back pain. Most people are tight in key areas affecting the spine, for example in the hips and shoulders. A system such as yoga, which releases the tension in the muscles, should improve back pain. While the emphasis is on stretching and flexibility, yoga also develops muscle strength.


Types of Yoga Suitable for Back Pain Sufferers:


There are a variety of styles of yoga out there, ranging from gentle to vigorous. Also, some styles emphasize spirituality and emotions, while others, most notably hatha yoga, focus more on the physical postures. For persons with back pain, a hatha yoga style is a good place to start, particularly rest and restoration classes. Styles such as Kundalini, Ashtanga and Bikram are specialized and challenging -- not a good choice for back pain sufferers. A rule of thumb is gentle is better.


Alignment and Body Awareness --The Hallmarks of Hatha Yoga:


As a whole body system, yoga develops body awareness and places emphasis on alignment. This means that the whereabouts of each body part (feet, knees, hips, spine, shoulder, head) affect all the others. Like Pilates, yoga emphasizes core work although there is less abdominal strength development in yoga than in Pilates.


Don't Try -- Modify! An Introduction to Props:


You may be wondering -- will I be able to do yoga without creating more pain? Most yoga classes utilize props. Props help bring the pose to you, when tight or weak muscles cannot fully bring you into the pose.


Relax, Deeply:


Yoga incorporates breathing techniques which can lead to stress relief as well as help you get through the challenge of the stretch. Often yoga classes have a spiritual basis, and may offer techniques and the environment to work on deeper levels of healing and resolution of pain.


Interview the Prospective Yoga Teacher:


Interviewing your prospective yoga teacher can help you determine which class is right for you. Probe to find out how skilled the teacher is with back and neck pain as well as the level of challenge to which the class is geared.


Some yoga teachers are big on manual adjustments, including stretching. In most cases, adjustments are helpful, but you may need forgo them to avoid exacerbating your pain. Discuss this with the teacher before the class starts, to avoid an unwanted surprise.


Special Focus Yoga Classes:


Many yoga studios offer special focus classes, for example:


•prenatal yoga


•yoga for MS


•yoga for athletes


•other


Find out if there are any classes geared especially for students with back pain. You may be in luck!!


Conditions Helped by Yoga:


By its very nature, yoga is well suited to address back problems such as those arising from postural alignment conditions. A small study published in the December 2005 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that yoga is more effective than traditional exercise or an educational book for improving function in patients with low back pain.


Examples of conditions particularly suitable for yoga include (but are not limited to):


•kyphosis


•scoliosis


•lordosis


With modifications and a gentle, prudent approach, beginner yoga can benefit those with other conditions as well, for example (but not limited to):


•stenosis


•problems of the intervertebral disk.


•nerve root problems


Yoga for back pain can be quite a winner, but you must respect the limits placed on you by your pain. This necessarily involves listening to the body, a skill you will undoubtedly cultivate as a student of this ancient system.


Bibliography


K.J. Sherman, D.C. Cherkin, J. Erro, D.L. Miglioretti, and R.A. Deyo. Comparison of Yoga, Exercise, and Education for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain Annals of Internal Medicine Vol 143 Issue 12 pp1-18. Dec 20 2005.


Suggested Reading


•Free Yoga for Back Pain E-Course


•Styles of Yoga


•How to Start Doing Yoga


Yoga and Back Pain - More


•Is Your Back Ready for Yoga?


•Before You Do Yoga For Your Back


•Yoga for Spinal Flexibility


Yoga and Back Pain - Related Terms


•Kyphosis


•Yoga for Back Pain


•Lordosis


Related Articles


•Yoga for Back Pain - Heal Back and Neck Pain with Yoga Exercise


•Back & Neck Pain - Before You Buy


•Back & Neck Pain - Profiles


•Yoga for Back Flexibility


•Back & Neck Pain - Before You Buy

Balasana (Child Pose)

Part of the philosophy of yoga
is that we can't always change
the world around us, no matter what we do
Child's PoseBalasana (bah-LAHS-anna)
bala = child

Step by Step

Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.


Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis and narrow your hip points toward the navel, so that they nestle down onto the inner thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.


Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.


Balasana is a resting pose. Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes. Beginners can also use Balasana to get a taste of a deep forward bend, where the torso rests on the thighs. Stay in the pose from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lengthen the front torso, and then with an inhalation lift from the tailbone as it presses down and into the pelvis.


Anatomical Focus


Thighs


► ▼


Therapeutic Applications


Stress


► ▼


Benefits


Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigueRelieves back and neck pain when done with head and torso supported


► ▼


Contraindications and Cautions


DiarrheaPregnancyKnee injury: Avoid Balasana unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.


► ▼


Beginner's Tip


We usually don't breathe consciously and fully into the back of the torso. Balasana provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that. Imagine that each inhalation is "doming" the back torso toward the ceiling, lengthening and widening the spine. Then with each exhalation release the torso a little more deeply into the fold.






► ▼


Variations


To increase the length of the torso, stretch your arms forward. Lift your buttocks just slightly away from your heels. Reach the arms longer while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Then without moving the hands, sit the buttocks down on the heels again.






► ▼


Modifications and Props


If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.






► ▼


Partnering


A partner can help you lengthen the "dome" shape of your back in this pose. Have your partner stand to one of your sides. He/she should place one hand on your sacrum (fingers pointing toward the tailbone) and the other hand on your mid-back (fingers pointing toward your head). As you exhale, your partner can press gently down (toward the floor) and, without physically moving the hands, scrub them in opposite directions. Help your partner regulate the pressure on your back—ask for more or less—but have him/her apply more pressure only on an exhalation.






► ▼


Preparatory Poses


Virasana


► ▼


Follow-Up Poses


Balasana is a resting pose that can precede or follow any asana.

Yoga by Andrea

yoga by andrea



classes, workshops, privates and YogaTone


Skip to contentaboutscheduleWorkshopse-news@work/@homeyoga4sleepPark Your Yoga yoga for sleep


Sleep is a powerful thing and exceptionally important. Not only does it affect every person’s daily life and physical and mental health but it has also played a very prominent role in the history of yoga.






As the story goes, legendary yogi, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya’s son T.K.V. Desikachar, was not interested at all in his father’s practice or taking on the tradition of yoga. When visiting home on his way to start a corporate engineering career, he was standing on the front porch with his father when a woman drove up and ran out of the car. She gave Krishnamacharya a hug and thanked him. The prior night was the first time she had slept in years without medication because of practicing yoga with Krishnamacharya. This was all it took to convince T.K.V. Desikachar to immediately take up yoga and he changed the practice forever.






In a 2002 poll, the National Sleep Foundation found that an astounding 74 percent of Americans experience regular, on-going sleeping problems at least a few nights a week. The world of sleep disorders is vast and there are seemly endless variations of sleeping problems so the research and suggestions in this paper will apply to a more broad population with the focus on those with minor insomnia that only have trouble falling asleep. Just like the number of sleeping problems, the reasons why people have issues with falling asleep can also appear be an endless list but there seems to be a consensus is that trouble falling asleep usually stems from stress or anxiety.






According to Sally Eauclaire Osborne in an article on YogaJournal.com, “If falling asleep is the problem, stress is the likely culprit. An active yoga routine during the day might be the answer.”






Unquestionably, the specific source of the stress or anxiety for each person can vary to a wide degree.






“The common thread I notice in patients who have sleep problems is that it is symptomatic of other, deeper problems. It tends to be a symptom rather than the problem. Usually it indicates depression,” said Joy Oliver, a family Therapist in Seattle, WA. Oliver said her first recommendation for patients with trouble falling asleep is exercise because “is the single most effective way to begin to treat depression.”






Aubra Taylor, a stress counselor at Affinity Mental Health in Seattle, WA also said that her patients with sleep problems are dealing with other disorders or mood ailments. “Most of my clients with sleep problems have anxiety. They usually report racing thoughts and difficulty ‘turning off,’ she said, “First, I usually ask each client if he or she gets upset with themselves for their insomnia. They usually do, and it is usually essential to develop a healthier, less self-critical outlook on insomnia before going any further.”






Paige Langlee, a Seattle resident who has had trouble falling asleep, off and on, for the past 15 years said, “When I can’t fall asleep, I feel frustrated with myself but if I have a to-do list and I can’t check everything off, I feel like I can’t measure up.” She said it is a vicious cycle because she is mad at herself when she cannot fall asleep because she has too much to do but that she is also angry with herself when she wakes up and hasn’t slept enough.






On the other hand, “On the nights when I do get enough sleep, I’m almost jubilant, I wake up with a big smile on my face because it’s not often that I get to start my day that great. It almost feels like winning the lottery, getting a good night’s sleep, cause you just never know when it’s going to happen.”






Paige has had luck with meditation practices at bedtime to help relax her into a state in which she can fall asleep but she does not have a regular meditation practice because she has trouble finding the time.






Yoga guru, Aadil Palkhivala, recommends that students “Make it a priority to set aside five minutes each evening to focus on centering [themselves] before [they] go to bed.” He urges a holistic practice of not only meditation but also nutrition, asana work and pranayama breathing techniques and believes that if students regularly work on all four areas, they will experience sound sleep. His recommendations include eating grounding food in the evening such as “root vegetables, grains, and beans” and avoiding anything spicy before bed.






According to an article by Nora Isaacs on YogaJournal.com, other effective methods of curing minor insomnia can include shifting your largest meal of the day to lunchtime and






The key to success in any of the above practices is commitment. Many students with sleep problems will want a quick cure and may turn or have turned to sleep medication, which can end up making sleeping patterns worse in the end.






Nancy Saggio, an anxiety counselor at Seattle Counseling Services said that it is very difficult to solve the issues that surround sleep problems when her patients take sleep medication because, “They will then often experience a rebound effect over time, which then disturbs their sleep patterns again, and they feel they have to increase the dose, or change to another prescription medication and the cycle continues.”






She also recommends a multifaceted plan for achieving quality sleep including, “Relaxation techniques, rest, deep breathing, meditation/deep muscle relaxation and mild to moderate exercise are effective for long term improvement,” she added that, “Many of our clients participate in a regular Yoga class and find it a very good supplement to the therapy we provide.”






Working with a student who has a sleep disorder can be a complex mission. Aside from encouraging ongoing commitment and discouraging the use of sleep medications, other obstacles can include conveying the importance of sleep and the effects of not getting enough sleep. Most students will relate the physical feeling of being tired to their lack of sleep but most do not realize the deeper, long-term effects.






“Usually clients under-estimate the importance of sleep, and how much it could be contributing to their symptoms in the first place,” said Taylor, “The immune system becomes suppressed with sleep deprivation, the number and activity of white blood cells decrease, and the amount of growth hormone is slowed. The body is less able to metabolize sugar, which increases the amount of sugar that turns into fat. There is also research that sleep deprivation can seriously shorten the lifespan.”






Interestingly enough, lack of awareness and problems sleeping can be linked to the Anja or sixth Chakra, which is located at the “third eye.” According to MyYogaOnline.com, some of the things that the Anja Chakra deals with are self-knowledge, detachment and intuitive reasoning and when this Chakra is not optimally functioning, a person can experience many physical and psychological dysfunctions including headaches, nightmares, depression and a warped perception of reality.






One common suggestion for balancing the sixth Chakra is to practice Nadi Shodhana Pranayama or Alternate Nostril Breathing. In an article on WellSphere.com, Carole Fogarty explains, “Simply by practicing a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing (pranayama) for a few minutes each day, you can help restore any imbalances in your brain. You can improve sleep, encourage a calmer emotional state, boost your thinking power and soothe your nervous system.”






Usually, a person tends to breath more strongly from his or her left nostril when calm so a contraindication of practicing Alternate Nostril Breathing when trying to fall asleep would be if a practitioner were already breathing from the left. In this case, bringing too much of the breathing over to the right side may awaken the student and make it even more difficult to fall asleep. A recommendation would be for this person to practice Alternate Nostril Breathing at a different time of day, such as early morning. That way, he or she could still receive the balance and benefits of this practice without hindering or interrupting sleep.






If a student is having trouble falling asleep and Alternate Nostril Breathing is not quite strong enough to even breathing, try this suggestion from Fogarty, “Lay on your right hand side, gently close your right nostril and breath through your left nostril. This will allow you to access the right hemisphere of your brain which is calming.”






Getting a student to relax his or her body and calm the mind will usually help him or her fall asleep more easily which will, in-turn, improve the other areas of their life to start to create or enhance overall wellness.






“In order for me to fall asleep, I need to be relaxed, calm, and more than anything, I need my mind to be quiet,” said Langlee






In addition to this technique, any other pranayama breathing exercise that promotes tranquility may be used to help with sleep. Many asana poses are also beneficial to a practitioner who needs help falling asleep including most forward bends, supine poses, and inversions, especially Halasana (plow) and Viparita Karani (legs up the wall pose).






Overall, the common theme among people experiencing trouble sleeping, opinions among medical practitioners and sleep research is that the ability to fall asleep requires balance and calmness in the mind and in the body. Usually, a student who cannot sleep will need a restorative asana practice to help them calm down but if a student is not active enough, he or she may need to do more invigorating work earlier in the day. The remedy for each student who cannot sleep will truly vary but the sequence below can be used as a restorative evening practice for a physically active practitioner to help him or her find the sense of mind and body balance they need to fall asleep.






PRACTICE:






1.Grounding/Meditation


A.Start seated in Easy Pose (Sukhasana)


B.Short Meditation, focus on clearing away thoughts as they appear


2.Warm Up:


A.Side stretch


B.Light side twist (right arm behind you, left arm on right knee and reverse)


C.Seated with Airplane arms and twist


D.Seated with Eagle arms


E.Childs pose (walk both hands over to one side then the other)


F.Table Top (make circles with hips and wrists to loosen up)


G.A few rounds of Cat/Cow


H.A few rounds of Table Top/Extended Puppy Pose


3.Sun Salutation Variation (stay in each pose longer, especially downward dog, repeat 4x):


A.Start in Table Top


B.Downward Facing Dog (hold first two rounds, third round lift one leg slightly up wall and hold, repeat other side, last round replace with Dolphin using clasped hands)


C.Plank


D.Chaturanga on knees


E.Cobra (not Upward Dog)


F.Child’s Pose


G.Table Top


4.Inversions/Supine/Seated/Cool Down:


A.Child’s Pose (wide knees)


B.Virasana


C.Bridge


D.Salamba Sarvangasana


E.Halasana (Plow)


F.Gomukhasana (with strap)


G.Janu Sirsasana


H.Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana


I.Paschimottanasana


J.Knees to chest (on back)


K.Knees to the side twist (on back)


L.Supta Virasana (with as many props as needed to stay for 2-4 min)


M.Happy Baby


N.Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall pose, with bolster if more comfortable)


5.Pranayama:


A.Sit in Easy Pose (Sukhasana)


B.Return to a natural rhythm of breath and start to inhale normally and exhale deeply, continue for 10 full breaths


C.Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing), continue for at least 20 full breaths


6.Savasana


A.Complete Savasana in Supta Baddha Konasana if it feels more relaxing and comfortable


B.Continue to try to remove all thoughts from mind


C.If there is any tension left in the body, release body part by body part, consciously relaxing the entire body


SOURCES:


Online Sources:


- Yoga For a Good Night’s Sleep by Sally Eauclaire Osborne


http://www.yogajournal.com/health/122


- Ask the Expert by Aadil Palkhivala


http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2672


- Sweet Slumber by Nora Isaacs


http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2541






- 12 Great Reasons to Start Alternate Nostril Breathing by Carole Fogarty


http://www.wellsphere.com/mind-body-article/12-great-reasons-to-start-alternate-nostril-breathing/719192






- Let Sleep Work For You courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation


http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/let-sleep-work-you






Interviews:


- Paige Langlee, a Seattle Resident with sleep problems


- Aubra Taylor, a stress counselor at Affinity Mental Health in Seattle, WA (affinitymentalhealth.com/About.html)


- Nancy Saggio, an anxiety counselor at Anxiety Centre in Seattle, WA (anxietycentre.com/Nancy-Saggio.shtml)


- Joy Oliver, a family Therapist in Seattle, WA (joyoliver.net)






Sources for attached Asana/Pranayama practice:


- Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar


- Yoga, the Iyengar Way by Silva, Mira & Shyam Mehta


- YogaJournal.com


- Recommendations from Seattle area yoga instructors






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Yoga for Insomnia

Bedtime Blues:
What to do when you can't sleep
By Carrie Angus, M.D.

It's 3 a.m. You're scheduled to give a big presentation at eleven, only eight hours away. You desperately need to sleep so you will be rested and alert when your big moment comes, but here you are staring wide eyed at the bedroom ceiling. Your mind is agitated and your body won't relax. The harder you work at getting to sleep, the wider awake you are. You've already tried counting sheep, watching the late show, and making yourself a snack-all to no avail. In desperation you reach for a sleeping pill.

This is a common scenario in the United States, where approximately one third of all adults suffer from some type of sleep disorder. Insomnia, the most common type by far, is clinically defined as the inability to fall asleep after lying in bed for thirty minutes or the inability to sustain sleep for more than a few hours without waking. Practically speaking, however, insomnia can be defined as unrestful sleep.


We've all experienced some form of insomnia at particularly stressful times in our lives. It's normal to have trouble sleeping at these times, and it usually passes after a night or two. Insomnia is a problem only when it becomes chronic. Although it is associated with certain physical illnesses-arthritis, heart failure, and chronic lung disease, for example-most experts agree that insomnia is a symptom, not an illness in itself. So what is it a symptom of? There are two answers-the ancient and the modern. At first glance they seem completely different, but a closer look reveals some remarkable similarities.


An Ancient Angle on a Modern Malady


Ayurveda, the healing science associated with yoga, tells us that all disease is caused by indigestion. That is, at some level-either physical, mental, or emotional-we haven't completed extracting what is helpful and eliminating what is indigestible. This is one of the keys to understanding insomnia.

On the physical level, indigestion is caused either by bad food or by weak digestion and leads to conditions like heartburn (a contributor to insomnia), flatulence, and diarrhea. Mental indigestion is the inability to let go of a certain incident or thought-usually an unpleasant experience. This can be a distant tragedy like the earthquake in Kobe, Japan, criticism from someone whose opinion we value, or a work-related problem we're trying to solve. Emotional indigestion is the recurrence of a feeling, often sadness or anger, long after the precipitating event. The emotion has not been sufficiently digested and remains just under the surface, springing up for no apparent reason. Mental and emotional indigestion are the most common causes of insomnia. Some of us even grind our teeth while we sleep in an attempt to chew and digest recurring thoughts and emotions.


The Contemporary Angle


Modern explanations for insomnia range from overstimulation and stress to mucking up our waking-sleeping cycle. Stimulants include caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, and some sodas), and sugar, as well as activities such as aerobic exercise, arguing, and watching violent TV shows (or the evening news, for that matter). All these taken (or experienced) too close to bedtime can rev us up so much that it is difficult to fall asleep. This is only another way of saying we are still attempting to digest these substances or events at the same time we are courting sleep.


Stress is another form of indigestion. Most of my patients who suffer from insomnia tell me, "My worries keep me awake," or "My mind won't stop. I don't know how to turn it off." Anxiety, worry, depression, unpleasant memories, and fears are the most common cause of sleeplessness. They seem to take on a life of their own and are determined to stay awake, even though it's way past bedtime.


The third common cause of insomnia, one which has become prevalent only in modern times, is tampering with the normal cycle of sleeping and waking. This is a mechanical problem of sorts. Human beings have a normal sleep rhythm; in general, we are designed to be awake in daylight and asleep at night. People who work the night shift, or travelers who have recently crossed several time zones, may experience insomnia simply because they are trying to sleep when their internal clock is telling their body to be awake.


Our bodies are designed for sleep to come effortlessly. When it doesn't, when we're holding on to the day's stresses and reaching out for tomorrow's too, there are a number of ways of inducing the body and mind to let go and slip gently into a restful sleep.


Create an Environment that Will Help You Sleep


Your bedroom should be tranquil and inviting. Make it comfortable and conducive to sleep. Eliminate ambient light and any noise that could disturb your sleep. If possible, reserve the bedroom for sleep and sex. Conduct other activities-reading work-related material, watching TV, paying bills, and disciplining your children-in another room. In time, this will create the expectation in your body that the bedroom is where it goes to relax and rest.


End the Day with a Calming Routine


Go to bed about the same time every night. Create a routine that prepares you for sleep. You may already have some kind of program you follow before you go to bed-locking the house, brushing your teeth, maybe reading a little. A pre-bed routine is a way of telling your unconscious that it's time to sleep.


Make sure that this routine is relaxing, not stimulating-winding down before bedtime increases the likelihood that your mind will let you rest. If you find the news disturbing, skip the late broadcast. If you live in a safe neighborhood, take a leisurely stroll. Read something pleasant and soothing-save the suspense novel for earlier in the day. Take a hot bath. Sit for a period of meditation. The trick is to calm your mind and quiet your nerves before you get into bed.


And speaking of routines, getting up at the same time every morning will make it easier to fall asleep at night. Attempting to compensate for a night of disturbed sleep by staying in bed longer in the morning will simply further disrupt your sleep cycle. Get up on time, even if you don't feel like you've had enough rest-you'll have a much better chance of falling asleep easily when bedtime rolls around again.


Do a Relaxation Exercise


Taking a few minutes to do a short relaxation exercise just before getting into bed is an excellent way of letting go. This doesn't have to be elaborate. Great benefits can be gained by simply lying on your back in the corpse pose (hands at your sides, palms upward, feet slightly apart). Close your eyes, and systematically address every part of your body. Start at your scalp and move toward your toes. Begin by softening your forehead, eyes, face, and jaw. Tensing and then releasing each muscle group help tight muscles loosen, especially those in the neck and shoulders. Continue giving attention to each area of your body-the arms, the trunk, and the legs-until you reach your toes. Surrender to gravity.


Stay in this relaxed state for a few minutes, letting the floor support you. Focus on your breathing, releasing all other concerns. Let your breath come from deep in your abdomen, and let it flow smoothly, slowly, and evenly. This simple exercise is a way of telling your mind and body that it is OK to stop thinking, working, and struggling.


Pay Attention to What You Ingest


It's best to eat a light meal in the evening, especially if you are dining late. You will sleep more deeply if you have finished digesting your food before you go to bed. A rich, heavy meal close to bedtime will interfere with your rest and leave you feeling sluggish in the morning.


Avoid caffeine, especially after midday. This includes coffee, tea, chocolate, and many sodas. Coffee has a half-life of four to six hours. That means it takes that long for half of the coffee to be digested, and another four to six hours for the next quarter of it to be eliminated from your body. In other words, it takes twelve to fourteen hours for 7/8 of the coffee you have ingested to be eliminated. No wonder you still feel wide awake at eleven when you had your last cup after dinner.


Sugar can also cause problems. Consider avoiding refined sugar in the evening because it is absorbed immediately into the bloodstream. That's why it gives you a burst of energy and sometimes makes you feel a little high. Eating sugar near bedtime can make you restless and jittery and can keep you from falling asleep. If you need a treat at bedtime, a glass of warm milk is your best bet.


Alcohol and tobacco taken near bedtime can also interfere with deep sleep. It's true that a nightcap will make you sleepy, but the sleep it induces is light, restless, and shot through with periods of wakefulness. Likewise, you may associate tobacco with relaxation, but it actually increases tension. Tobacco is a stimulant that makes the heart race and blood pressure rise. It's best avoided altogether, but if you choose to smoke, avoiding it in the hour or two before bedtime will make your sleep more restful.


Get Some Exercise


If we polled farmers or anyone else who does manual labor eight to ten hours a day, very few would report a problem with insomnia. But for most of us, hard work is reserved for the mental sphere, so we need to exercise our bodies if we're going to sleep well. Studies of athletes have shown that they do not require more (or less) sleep than sedentary folks, but their ratio of deep to light sleep is higher. Doing some form of aerobic exercise at least three times a week also increases this ratio. Just be sure to avoid strenuous exercise within several hours of bedtime-it can be stimulating. But if you exercise at any other time, you'll sleep better.


It's OK to do long, slow stretches near bedtime, however, for they will release muscular tension and prepare you for sleep. Focus on asanas that you find relaxing. Avoid intense backward bends, such as the wheel, as they may prove to be too invigorating at the end of the day.


Don't Drug Yourself to Sleep


According to a recent article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, approximately 20 million prescriptions are written each year for sleeping aids, a number dwarfed by the quantity of over-the-counter sleep medications sold annually. Although most of these drugs do induce sleep within ten to twenty minutes, they interfere with the deeper stages of sleep. And all of them impair functioning the next day in one way or another. They can be helpful for short-term insomnia resulting from a sudden stressful event, but even the mainstream medi-cal community agrees that sleep medications/sedatives are not helpful in resolving chronic sleep problems.


Experiment with Natural Remedies


Homeopathic remedies and herbs can help with insomnia. Homeopathic medicines are extremely dilute extracts from natural substances, so they don't have the rebound effects drugs do. They are considered to be non-toxic by the FDA, and many lowpotency remedies are sold over the counter. One of the best treatments for insomnia is homeopathic coffee, coffea cruda. Although coffee causes irritability and sleeplessness in physiologic doses, in homeopathic doses it can cure these states.


Valerian root, passionflower, and hops, taken before bedtime in either tablet or tea form, are other alternatives. These gentle, relaxing substances help your body rest, but they don't affect your central nervous system the way prescription sleep medicines do. Both homeopathic remedies and herbal preparations can be purchased at most healthfood stores or through a holistic physician.


Don't Panic!


Insomnia is a huge problem in this fast-paced, sugar and caffeine addicted country. But if we can first identify the habits we have that contribute to our sleeplessness and slowly change them, and at the same time add more relaxation and deep breathing to our pre-sleep routine, we will sleep better.


Above all, don't panic. Insomnia is not life-threatening, although many people respond to it with agitation or fear. The more anxious you make yourself about not sleeping, the more sleep will elude you. So turn the clock to the wall and drop the internal dialogue about what a horrible day you will have tomorrow if you don't get to sleep immediately. The key to sound sleep lies in surrendering, not in trying harder. Once you're in bed, focus on your breath and empty your mind. If you have a mantra, let your mind rest in it. Be kind to yourself. Remember, sleep cannot be forced, but it can be coaxed. It is waiting for you. Allow yourself to come to it, enter it, and let the world spin without you for a while.


Resources


Lilias Folan has designed a six-week program on audiotape for people who have trouble getting a good night's sleep. If you can't find it in your local bookstore, Rest, Relax and Sleep is available directly from Rudra Press. Call 1-800-876-7798 for more information, or order directly by sending $29.95 + $5.00 shipping to Rudra Press, P.O. Box 13390, Portland, Oregon 97213.


Carrie Angus, M.D., is a yoga student practicing holistic medicine at the Himalayan Institute's Center for Health and Healing in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.


This article was provided by the Yoga International Article Archive.


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Upside-Down Relaxation Yoga for sleep

8-Minute Workout: Yoga for Better Sleep
Upside-Down Relaxation
Winding Down Twist
Nighttime Goddess Stretch
Child's Pose
Rock-a-Bye Roll

Try this 5-move yoga routine to relax your body and mind before sleep. The best part? Each pose can be done in bed!


By Jennifer Matarazzo; Photos by Nick Cardillicchio


Upside-Down Relaxation


Forget counting sheep. Ease your way into dreamland with this five-move yoga routine from Edward Vilga, creator of the DVD Yoga in Bed: 20 Asanas to Do in Pajamas (yogainbeddvd.com, $19.95). The moves will relax your body and mind, but the best part is that you can do them all in bed!
Minutes:0:00-2:00
•Sit facing a wall (or your headboard) with your butt about 6 inches away from it.
•Lie back and extend your legs up the wall.
•If this is too intense a stretch for your hamstrings, slide your butt farther away from the wall.
•If it's not enough, scoot closer.
•Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing up, and breathe gently, feeling the stretch in the backs of your legs.
Next: Winding Down Twist