Yoga before bed? What's your nighttime routine?

Jo FitFan · 03-25-16, 07:54 PM

I've been wanting to do some light stretching before bed, though hesitant to try much because I don't want to over-invigorate my body before sleep. Can anyone recommend a good (short) yoga routine that they do right before bed? What else helps you settle down for a good night's sleep? Thanks for sharing.

(smiley moon face)

toaster · 03-25-16, 08:05 PM

Jo, you might want to check out this old thread:
http://forum.videofitness.com/showthread.php?t=100544

Forward beds are the best yoga poses to induce sleep; there are many nice practices with a forward bend focus.

bee · 03-25-16, 09:33 PM

Yoga Nidra! I do one on the Movement for Modern Life website, but I just checked youtube and there are a number of them available there. I fall asleep quickly and it's a very sound sleep. Love it!

bzar · 03-25-16, 09:41 PM

Barbara Benagh:
Yoga for Stress Release (many options of short or long duration)
AM PM Yoga (the PM has several options)

Rodney Yee:
Yoga for Energy and Stress Release
AM PM Meditation (Maritza does PM portion, and it is very good)

Sara Ivanhoe
Candlelight Yoga

i keep my strap & blocks by my bed, and my portable DVD player.

many times, i do my own routine, usually legs up the wall pose.

bee · 03-25-16, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bee

Yoga Nidra! I do one on the Movement for Modern Life website, but I just checked youtube and there are a number of them available there. I fall asleep quickly and it's a very sound sleep. Love it!

I should have mentioned..... this is not any stretches -- it's a guided relaxation. So, if you want stretching, this won't do it, but if you want a good night of sleep, it's heavenly.

beyond.omega · 03-26-16, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toaster

Jo, you might want to check out this old thread:
http://forum.videofitness.com/showthread.php?t=100544

Forward beds are the best yoga poses to induce sleep; there are many nice practices with a forward bend focus.

That thread had become my cure for insomnia (after some skepticism.

) See post #10 for the OP's routine.

laurajhawk · 03-26-16, 12:03 PM

When I do yoga before bed, a few DVDs I like are:
- Nirvair's AM/PM (PM segment, naturally), about 25 min
- Sara Ivanhoe's Taste (Chill or Sleep, 5 min each, or the premix that combines both)
- Ravi & Ana's Quick Fixes Sleep segment (6 minutes)
- Rodney Yee AM Yoga for Your Week (I know, but the Forward Bend practice is relaxing - about 20 min)
- I have "Yoga in Bed" and I know I liked one of the practices on the "extras" menu in particular, but I haven't thought about it in ages until you asked this question

More than that, though, I recommend 10-20 minutes of meditation before bed. I don't usually use media for that, just sit and watch my breath, and I find it really helps to calm my mind before going to bed. Since this is VF after all

I'll mention that the style of meditation I learned (shamatha, or mindfulness meditation) is taught in Cyndi Lee & David Nichtern's "Yoga Body, Buddha Mind" DVD set ... but I think that might be OOP and you don't really need a DVD to do mindfulness meditation.

bzar · 03-26-16, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toaster

Jo, you might want to check out this old thread:
http://forum.videofitness.com/showthread.php?t=100544

Forward beds are the best yoga poses to induce sleep; there are many nice practices with a forward bend focus.

beth - thanks. i read that thread and pulled out 2 of my vintage yoga workouts for specific chapters last night!

1) Rodney Yee, Yoga Journal's Yoga for Energy (1995), "Reflection" chapter #4. all seated varieties of forward bends. 11 min, plus the 4 min "Surrender." gosh, according to my notes inside of the case, the last time i did this was in 2005!!

2) *Yoga for Every Body (Body Wisdom) with JJ Gormley, the "Under 45 min selections, specifically the intermediate "Preparing for Meditation" (30 min total). seated forward bends as well, but different angles compared to Rodney's.

*i got this from Goodwill and never gave it a good shot until now!

laurajhawk · 03-26-16, 01:22 PM

Oh gosh, I forgot Yoga for Energy too! I used to use that one all the time and yes, Reflection is a great bedtime routine. (Surrender is guided savasana.) I need to get that out too.

toaster · 03-26-16, 02:30 PM

Great that you were able to find some segments on DVDs you already on, Jeannine!

Two of the segments on Yee's Yoga for Energy and Stress Relief (I think #2 & #3) are very forward bend-focused. Legs-up-the-wall is wonderful too. I'm also finding that I love, love, LOVE restorative forward bends--child's pose with a bolster and twist with a bolster are wonderful after a long day at work.

As Laura mentioned, I'm also finding that a meditation practice is helping with improved sleep. I don't usually do it before bed, however--I meditate at different times, but most often at lunchtime. Also, I'm only meditating for about 6-8 minutes most days. However, I think I'm gradually training myself to be able to remain focused on my breath, something that is particularly important for when you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling asleep.

Support VF
VF Membership Subscription
Shop These Vendors
Activa	Collage Video
Amazon.com	eBay.com
Amazon.ca (Canada)	Half.com
Amazon.co.uk (UK)	Junonia
Amazon.fr (France)	Onehanesplace.com
BN.com	Overstock.com
Buy.com	Road Runner Sports
CenturyFitness.com	Sierra Trading Post

03-25-16, 07:54 PM
Jo FitFan VF Supporter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: New York State	Yoga before bed? What's your nighttime routine? I've been wanting to do some light stretching before bed, though hesitant to try much because I don't want to over-invigorate my body before sleep. Can anyone recommend a good (short) yoga routine that they do right before bed? What else helps you settle down for a good night's sleep? Thanks for sharing. (smiley moon face)

03-25-16, 08:05 PM
toaster Exchange Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Western NY	Jo, you might want to check out this old thread: http://forum.videofitness.com/showthread.php?t=100544 Forward beds are the best yoga poses to induce sleep; there are many nice practices with a forward bend focus. __________________ Beth aka Toaster (she/her) *Follow me @YogiBethC* YouTube\|Instagram\|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.

03-25-16, 09:33 PM
bee VF Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008	Yoga Nidra! I do one on the Movement for Modern Life website, but I just checked youtube and there are a number of them available there. I fall asleep quickly and it's a very sound sleep. Love it!

03-25-16, 09:41 PM
bzar Exchange Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: PalmTreeVille	Barbara Benagh: Yoga for Stress Release (many options of short or long duration) AM PM Yoga (the PM has several options) Rodney Yee: Yoga for Energy and Stress Release AM PM Meditation (Maritza does PM portion, and it is very good) Sara Ivanhoe Candlelight Yoga i keep my strap & blocks by my bed, and my portable DVD player. many times, i do my own routine, usually legs up the wall pose. __________________ ~jeannine Miyagi: Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. [walks away, still making circular motions with hands] ~ Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, 1984 disclosure: in the years 2002-2004 i had a professional relationship with a distributor of fitness videos; see profile.

03-26-16, 12:03 PM
laurajhawk Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Colorado	When I do yoga before bed, a few DVDs I like are: - Nirvair's AM/PM (PM segment, naturally), about 25 min - Sara Ivanhoe's Taste (Chill or Sleep, 5 min each, or the premix that combines both) - Ravi & Ana's Quick Fixes Sleep segment (6 minutes) - Rodney Yee AM Yoga for Your Week (I know, but the Forward Bend practice is relaxing - about 20 min) - I have "Yoga in Bed" and I know I liked one of the practices on the "extras" menu in particular, but I haven't thought about it in ages until you asked this question More than that, though, I recommend 10-20 minutes of meditation before bed. I don't usually use media for that, just sit and watch my breath, and I find it really helps to calm my mind before going to bed. Since this is VF after all I'll mention that the style of meditation I learned (shamatha, or mindfulness meditation) is taught in Cyndi Lee & David Nichtern's "Yoga Body, Buddha Mind" DVD set ... but I think that might be OOP and you don't really need a DVD to do mindfulness meditation. __________________ - Laura "Don't say 'I can't' ... say 'I presently suck at this thing.'" - Matt Meese, BYU Divine Comedy

03-26-16, 01:22 PM
laurajhawk Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Colorado	Oh gosh, I forgot Yoga for Energy too! I used to use that one all the time and yes, Reflection is a great bedtime routine. (Surrender is guided savasana.) I need to get that out too. __________________ - Laura "Don't say 'I can't' ... say 'I presently suck at this thing.'" - Matt Meese, BYU Divine Comedy

03-26-16, 02:30 PM
toaster Exchange Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Western NY	Great that you were able to find some segments on DVDs you already on, Jeannine! Two of the segments on Yee's Yoga for Energy and Stress Relief (I think #2 & #3) are very forward bend-focused. Legs-up-the-wall is wonderful too. I'm also finding that I love, love, LOVE restorative forward bends--child's pose with a bolster and twist with a bolster are wonderful after a long day at work. As Laura mentioned, I'm also finding that a meditation practice is helping with improved sleep. I don't usually do it before bed, however--I meditate at different times, but most often at lunchtime. Also, I'm only meditating for about 6-8 minutes most days. However, I think I'm gradually training myself to be able to remain focused on my breath, something that is particularly important for when you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling asleep. __________________ Beth aka Toaster (she/her) *Follow me @YogiBethC* YouTube\|Instagram\|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.