At the end of a long day, gentle yoga can be the perfect way to prepare your body and mind for a restful night of sleep.
Yoga can promote relaxation and calm the mind, said Dr. Vanika Chawla, a clinical assistant professor at Stanford School of Medicine and a certified yoga instructor. Recent studies have suggested that yoga can improve sleep quality and help people with insomnia fall asleep more quickly and remain asleep throughout the night.
Deep breathing, a key element of yoga, can help you relax by dialing down the fight-or-flight response that keeps your body on high alert, said Dr. Elizabeth Ko, the medical director of the UCLA Health Integrative Medicine Collaborative and a certified yoga instructor.
Yoga has many other health benefits, too: It can help counteract some of the aches and pains that can come with sitting all day, and some studies suggest that it can help reduce stress.
To reap the rewards of an evening yoga practice, you might need to begin your flow with some dynamic movement before settling into more restorative poses. “Every day is a series of small transitions from our home life to our work life and back,” said Steph Creaturo, a certified yoga instructor in Brooklyn. Yoga can create a bridge to help ease that transition.
This routine consists of two parts. The first four poses make up what Ms. Creaturo calls a “sun setting salute,” a sequence that flows from one pose to the next and helps ease the body into the more restful postures that follow. Complete this first sequence twice. Then perform the remaining five poses, holding each pose a little longer than the previous one. Take slow, deep breaths throughout.
If a pose feels uncomfortable, “find an edit,” Dr. Ko said, to make it work for your body. You can use props, like a pillow or a yoga block, or try modifications, like keeping your knees slightly bent. Release any pose that causes you pain or discomfort.
Overview
Time: 10 minutes
Intensity: Low
Rounds: Complete two rounds of the first four poses. Then perform the remaining five poses once.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Stack your head and torso over your pelvis. Reach your arms overhead and circle your right wrist with your left hand. Exhale and gently draw your right arm toward the left, bending at the waist. Inhale and come back to the center. Alternate between sides three to five times, moving with your breath.
Spinal Roll-Down
From a standing position, look straight ahead with your arms by your side. Drop your chin toward your chest. Slowly begin to arch your back and roll down your spine from your neck, mid-back and lower back. Once you reach the bottom, let your arms and head hang loose.
From the bottom of a spinal roll-down, bend your knees and place your hands on the mat, outside of your feet. Step your left foot to the back of the mat into a lunge, keeping your right knee stacked over your heel. You can keep your left knee lifted or place it on the mat. Hold the pose for two breaths. Repeat on the other side. After your last low lunge, step to the top of the mat and fold your upper body over your legs.
Spinal Roll-Up
Tuck your tailbone and gradually stack your spine, one segment at a time. When you reach the top, roll your shoulders and bring your head up. This is the final pose in the sun-setting salute. Repeat this sequence before moving on to Cat-Cow Pose.
Cat-Cow Pose
This is the first pose in the second sequence. Find a tabletop position on the mat, with your wrists stacked under your shoulders, your knees under your hips and your spine neutral. Inhale and release your belly toward the floor while drawing your chest forward, broadening across your collarbones. This is cow pose. Exhale and round your spine, tucking your tailbone and drawing your navel toward the ceiling. This is cat pose. Alternate between the two poses five times, moving slowly with your breath.
From a tabletop position, widen your knees to the outer edges of your mat and bring your big toes together. Bring your hips toward your heels and allow your torso to rest on your thighs. You can keep your knees together if that is more comfortable. Walk your hands forward and rest your forehead on the mat or on a rolled blanket or pillow. You can also slide the blanket or pillow between your torso and the mat for added support. Hold the pose for five to 10 breaths.
Supine Twist
Lie on your back and stack your knees over your hips in a reverse tabletop position. Allow your bent legs to fall over to the right. Place your right hand on top of your legs and extend your left arm out to the side. You can let your gaze fall wherever it’s comfortable — toward your right fingers, your left fingers or up to the ceiling. Hold for five to 10 breaths, then switch sides.
Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Lie on your back. Bend your left knee and place your left foot on the ground. Draw your right knee into your chest. Place your yoga strap or band around your right foot, holding one end of the strap in each hand. Press into the strap to slowly extend your leg toward the ceiling. You should feel a stretch in the back of your leg, without straining. You can keep your leg slightly bent, too. Hold for five to 10 breaths. Slowly lower your leg and switch sides.
Slide the rolled blanket or pillow under your knees and lie on your back. Separate your legs wide and let your feet flop to the side. Rest your arms alongside your body, with your palms facing the ceiling. Let your body sink into the mat. Close your eyes.
Christine Yu is a freelance journalist and the author of “Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes.”
On-set trainer: Anna Maltby
