yoga by andrea
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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
2 Responses to yoga for sleep
Pingback: Top 10 reasons to practice Yoga « yoga by andrea
Pingback: Top 10 reasons to practice Yoga – Yoga by Andrea
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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
2 Responses to yoga for sleep
Pingback: Top 10 reasons to practice Yoga « yoga by andrea
Pingback: Top 10 reasons to practice Yoga – Yoga by Andrea
Bala Yoga
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Search for:
Blogroll
■A2Zyoga
■Acro Core
■B)
■Fit To Indulge
■Global Dashboard
■Hungry for Balance
■Imagine Balance
■Learn Yoga Excercises
■Melina Meza
■My Yoga Online
■Set Higher Standards
■Sweat & the City
■WordPress.com
■WordPress.org
■Yoga by Andrea Twitter
■Yoga Journal
■YogaXogaGirl\’s Weblog
Archives
■April 2011
■February 2011
■January 2011
■December 2010
■November 2010
■October 2010
■September 2010
■August 2010
■June 2010
■May 2010
■April 2010
■March 2010
■February 2010
■November 2009
Theme: Coraline by Automattic. Blog at WordPress.com.
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