Lesson 1: Gentle Bedtime Stretches

DAY 1: GENTLE BEDTIME STRETCHES So you have come to that part of your day where it is time to unwind and get ready for bed. You have had a long day, and you need to let it go. To stop thinking about your stresses, your struggles, your to-do list. This first lesson is 20 minutes of stretching, that will help prepare you for a great nights sleep. This practice is all about letting go. Learning to relax, to let go of muscular effort, and to let gravity do the work for you. I will be using two blocks here, but if you dont have these at home there are many common household items you can use as substitutes. Grab a couple of really big books from the shelf, a couple of firm cushions from the couch, or some thick blankets that you can fold up. Find a nice calm and quiet spot, roll out your mat and press play. Poses that we will work through include: Diamond Pose Cat/Cow Forward Fold Downward Dog Low Lunge Easy Childs Pose Reclined Pigeon Pose Happy Baby Savasana Focus and Benefits Forward folds These are one of the best possible poses to prepare your body for sleep. Small inversions Practicing some small inversions, like downward dog, where the head is lower than the heart, is a great way to let go of your day. Reclined poses – Poses close to the floor, as we are in much of this practice, are a great way to ground and start to relax. Belly breath Replacing shallow breaths, with deep belly breaths, is a great trick if youre having trouble falling asleep at night, feeling stressed, or feeling anxious. Deepening the breath – This is one of the best techniques for tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system. As this is the part of the nervous system in charge of rest and digestion, tapping into it will help you to de-stress and wind down. For best results, work on lengthening both inhales and exhales. Savasana Corpse pose, as it may also be referred to, is how we close every yoga practice. Think of it as digesting after a big meal. Time spent here at the end of practice is your chance to integrate all of the work that we have done. Bonus, its great preparation for sleep as you relax the whole body.