Find Restful Sleep with Yoga
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Vata is the "Air" element characterized by wind, movement, coolness, and dryness. In autumn and early winter Vata is the dominant energy both around and within us.
If our own Vata energy is over-abundant, it can cause us to have a harder time feeling grounded and calm; we often experience less rejuvenating sleep, or deplete faster than normal.
On top of the challenge of this seasonal energy, our technology driven busy and often sedentary lifestyles, promote difficulties with our natural sleep patterns. And we all know that sleeplessness is also a vicious cycle: the less sleep we get, the more worried we are about not sleeping, and the less we are apt to sleep well. We wind up tired in the daytime, and create habits that perpetuate our inability to sleep well, such as coffee and other stimulants.
In Yoga and Ayurveda, we see lack of sleep and sleep issue as the root of many illnesses and energy imbalances. Yoga offers many tools to students to help regain some rejuvenating sleep, create more optimal conditions for sleep, or to at least get some of the healing properties of sleep during the day.
And early evening practice is a good idea to get the body prepared to unwind and relax. Make sure you don’t activate the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) with back bends or a vigorous practice. Move slowly, calmly, with a focus on grounding, deep breath, and relaxation.
Try This Sequence and finish it off with my Pre-Bed Restorative Pose on Video at Prevention.com
Standing Mountain
Downward Facing Dog (actual dog optional)
Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend Variation One and Two
Cat / Cow Flow
Childs Pose Extended, and Head on Block
“Jillian’s soothing voice coupled her language choices greatly enhance the healthful experience of relaxation. RELAXMORE is one of our patients’ favorite choices!”
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TRY MY RELAXMORE CD.
I get email from listeners every day, thanking me so much because they never heard the end of my program... because they fell asleep! It is the best sleep piece I made. Even Dr. Oz recommends it!
