Does Yoga help you get better sleep?
You're not alone if you struggle to get to sleep at night.. busy minds, full days, lights from our devices, and just the pace of life in general can make it tricky for our bodies to recognise when it is time to slow the pace down to prepare ourselves for rest and sleep for the night.
And yes, the notion to 'prepare' ourselves for rest and sleep might encompass the idea of it, vs the concept of 'switching on' and 'switching off', because our system needs signals and time to the different modes of the day. 💫
Yoga can offer a support for better sleep - not by forcing relaxation or this switching of modes, but by gently guiding our nervous system into preparing for the restful part of the day.
Think of the majority of our days - we are in go-mode; focussed, thinking, problem-solving, which is what we humans are great at! But, equally as vital to our lives is learning how to ease our systems from this sympathetic nervous system that allows us to be wonderfully on the go, into the parasympathetic nervous system.
Being mindful, present, shifting the focus to have a softer, calmer, inward quality helps us shift into this parasympathetic nervous system - the state of rest and digest. There are practices that send a clear message to our bodies and minds that it is safe for us to soften, slow down, and start easing into a calmer, restful state. And when the nervous system feels safe and settled, sleep often follows more naturally..
So rather than thinking of how to 'switch ourselves off', perhaps a gentler, compassionate approach is to bring in practices that support the nervous system so we can give signs to our bodies and minds to prepare for our rest, and hopefully a better night's sleep. 💫
> If you're looking for specific classes that aim to help you ease the nervous system into rest mode for better sleep, you'll love these classes..
Flow & Yin for Better Sleep
• Mondays, 8.30pm
• Tuesdays, 8.30pm
• Fridays, 7.15pm
• Sunday, 7.15pm
