By Sharon Brock
If tossing and turning in the wee hours sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone. One in three Americans has insomnia at some point, and millions have trouble sleeping every night.
When your body is experiencing some kind of stress that’s keeping you from slipping into dreamland, it’s because the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is dominant over the parasympathetic (rest and digest). To understand how these two systems work together, imagine a linear continuum with full-blown panic on one end (sympathetic) and deep sleep on the other (parasympathetic). When you feel balanced—at ease, yet alert—you are somewhere in the middle.
So after a busy day, how do you move toward the parasympathetic? Some have found relief in supplements, such as melatonin, valerian, lemon balm or passion flower, but LA yoga instructor Sara Ivanhoe suggests a nightly ritual of restorative yoga. Restorative yoga uses props—blankets, foam blocks and bolsters—to cradle your body and elicit a feeling of “safety” that enables you to deeply relax. The slight pressure of an eye pillow while in savasana or a foam block on the forehead while in forward bend also helps make this shift.
Ivanhoe, whose lifelong chronic insomnia brought her to yoga, says that pranayama (breathing technique) has been most helpful for her. “The best thing you can do to quickly soothe the system is to learn proper ujjayi breathing. Controlled ujjayi breaths can help almost anyone fall sleep.”
Ujjayi, or “ocean breath,” is done through the nose with the mouth closed. The inhalations and exhalations are full and controlled, and create a “rushing” sound as air passes the glottis at the back of the throat. During exhalation, specifically, the heart slows down and you are moved into your parasympathetic nervous system.
Akin to counting sheep, Ivanhoe suggests that you mentally say “in” during the inhale and “out” during the exhale, and hold your breath for two seconds at each end. This is a form of meditation as it focuses and calms the mind. She also suggests checking with a yoga instructor to be sure your ujjayi breath is correct, as many people forcibly “sniff” on the inhale rather than calmly allowing the inhalation to pass the glottis and create the soothing “rushing” sound.
The last thing you want to do when trying to fall asleep is analyze your sleep issues, since it is thoughts that keep you awake. “You cannot think yourself to sleep. Only through these practices do you create the space for sweet sleep to take over,” says Ivanhoe. “Even if these practices don’t put you to sleep every time, know they are still helping the body and mind feel rested and rejuvenated.”
[Lindy: Not sure how you want to lay this out, sidebar or what…. these will be accompanied by images of Sarah in the asanas… not sure we will have room for all images.]
Ivanhoe suggests this three-asana sequence at bedtime:
Restorative salamba sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand) Lie on a bolster lengthwise with your shoulders off the end of the bolster and the back of your head on the floor or bed. Arms fall gently to the sides. Place an eye pillow over your eyes and focus on your breath for five to ten minutes. “Here we are changing the head-heart position, the heart is above the head, so we are breaking recurring thought patterns in the brain.”
Viparita karani (legs-up-the-wall) Lie on the floor facing the wall, with your sit-bones against the wall and legs straight up the wall. Place an eye pillow on your eyes and your hands on your belly and heart and hold for five to ten minutes. “Don’t have TV or music on. Just listen to your ujjayi breath and mentally say ‘in’ and ‘out.’”
Downward-facing savasana Lie face down with head turned to one side. Allow the feet and hands to fall any way that is most comfortable. Focus on the breath for five to ten minutes and with each exhale, release more deeply into the floor or bed. “Upward facing savasana can feel too exposed. If all of the vital organs are facing the earth it’s a gesture of surrender and you can really let go and allow gravity to pull you into a relaxed state.”
❋❋If you liked this story you might also like . . . ❋❋
❁ Finding Stillness within Trauma: Yoga for PTSD
❁ Mark Whitwell’s Yoga in the Context of the Feminine
❁ Asanas for Asthma
