Five ways to improve your sleep

Yoga can help you. Roger Cole, a PhD in psychology at the University of California, San Diego, is also a yoga teacher. He has conducted preliminary research on sleep and yoga handstand poses. He found that yoga movements can change hormone concentrations, thereby reducing brain arousal and blood pressure.

Sleep is the net result of mutual rejection of sleep mechanisms and waking mechanisms. Insomniacs often think that they cannot sleep because of problems caused by the sleep mechanism. In fact, it is caused by hyperarousal, which means that the autonomic nervous system is dysfunctional, that is, the sympathetic nerve is overexcited.

"Too many people think they will relax, but in fact they won't," discovered Chen Changwei, a clinical psychologist at the Sleep Center of Changgeng Hospital in Linkou.

In theory, every yoga asana can bring relaxation, but some movements can allow us to rest and nourish more, explained by Judith Lasater, author of "Relaxation and Recovery: Rest Yoga in High-Pressure Moments".

When doing these movements, the body is usually deeply supported by a blanket, yoga brick or yoga pillow, which can give people the feeling of being cared for and naturally relax physically and mentally in a situation full of security.

"Relaxation is not achieved by hard work, but by giving up hard work and doing yoga," said Ni Shuping, a Baoti yoga teacher who meets the American Yoga Alliance's 500-hour training standard.

These movements may seem easy, but they are still challenging for beginners. One of the reasons is that the body still cannot relax and cannot sensitively adjust the yoga blanket or yoga pillow to the most comfortable position; the second reason is that the body resting quietly does not mean that the mind is at peace. Some people are still worried about tomorrow's meeting.

Be patient with yourself. Improving sleep is a change in living habits, just like losing weight.

Ni Shuping suggested that beginners can start for a short time, use the blankets, pillows or pillows available at home to practice, and then slowly lengthen the time. Whether or not to use essential oils depends on your preferences.

Chen Changwei suggested that this feeling of relaxation can be brought into daily life by practicing one or two yoga asanas every day, or practicing full asanas once a week.

One day, you can easily fall into a satisfying sleep after practice.

1. Assisted kneeling baby pose (1 - 5 minutes)

Equipment: 1 or 2 yoga blankets, 1 rectangular yoga pillow (or 3 or more yoga blankets)

Practice:

1. Kneel down with your knees apart and sit on your heels. If you feel that your calves are tight or your ankles and soles are uncomfortable, you can fold a yoga blanket single or double under your calves to reduce the pressure on your ankles and soles.

2. Clamp the pillow between your legs and adjust the height with the yoga mat folded into a rectangle until you feel like you can relax.

3. Slowly bend your body forward on the pillow, turn your head to the side and rest for a while, then turn to the other side, relaxing the shoulders and neck areas on both sides equally.

4. Place your arms comfortably on either side of the pillow, close your eyes, breathe easily, and stay aside for 1 to 5 minutes.

Exercise benefits:

Similar to the posture of the fetus in the mother's body, it has a soothing effect.

Relax and soothe the lower back, relieve stiff shoulders and neck, and settle distracting thoughts.

2. Mountain Forest Stream Style/Floating Still Style (3 - 8 minutes)

Equipment: 3 or 4 yoga mats

Practice:

1. Place one yoga blanket under the neck in a standard fold method, leave a little part of the blanket to pad the head, another piece on the back and waist in a standard fold method or double fold method, and the other piece is rolled into a barrel shape (an oblong pillow or pillow can be used) Put it under the knees.

2. Lay down your entire body. This position makes you feel like your body weight has disappeared, like lying on a raft, floating with the waves, slowly relaxing and reaching peace of mind. Because the neck is fully supported, and the heart is completely opened while lying flat, the mind can slowly adapt to the feeling of being unprotected, and then gradually enter an open, free and calm state.

3. At the end, lie down to the right side and away from the appliance, lie flat or hold one knee and press your abdomen to relax your back.

3. Relieving prone twist (3 to 5 minutes each)

Equipment: 1 yoga blanket, 1 or 2 rectangular yoga pillows (or 3 single-fold yoga blankets) depends on length

Practice:

1. After sitting sideways, close the sides of your body to the pillow to prevent the waist from hanging. For people with tight lower backs, a double-folded blanket can be placed under their knees, and the thickness can be adjusted according to individual needs.

2. Slowly lie forward on the yoga pillow, and place a standard fold or single fold yoga blanket under your cheeks as appropriate to allow the shoulders and neck areas to fully relax.

Exercise benefits:

Relax your back and sides of your body.

Expand the lungs and diaphragm.

4. Auxiliary shoulder standing (5 to 10 minutes)

Equipment: 1 yoga pillow, 3 yoga blankets

Practice:

1. Place a rectangular pillow and a single-fold yoga blanket horizontally under the buttocks, and place a single-fold blanket under the back and shoulders. Adjust according to each person's height. There is a natural gap under the neck to maintain the cervical spine line.

2. Lean your legs against the wall, with your legs slightly spread out as wide as your hips. Lift your legs sideways against the wall, and end the exercise with your legs sideways down.

Exercise benefits:

Improve lower body circulation.

Activate the function of thyroid and parathyroid bodies and help stabilize emotions.

In yoga, shoulder-standing stands are handstands and cool movements, which can alleviate the phenomenon that the brain and nervous system become overheated and impatient due to stressful life.

It is not suitable for women to practice handstands during their physiological period, so they can change their legs against the wall.

5. Basic rest (5 - 10 minutes)

Equipment: Two yoga blankets, small towels to cover eye bags or fold into strips, oblong pillows or pillows.

Preliminary action:

1. Place a yoga blanket under your head in a single or double fold manner, with the edge of the blanket next to the upper edge of your shoulders, or roll one end of the standard fold blanket up to support your neck; roll another blanket into a long roll (an oblong pillow or pillow can be used) and place it under your knees, with your legs slightly open and your knees and toes slightly facing out.

2. Check for any discomfort in the neck, lower back, and lumbar spine. If so, the height of the auxiliary tools should be adjusted first. The body lines should be higher than the chest, the chest should be higher than the abdomen, and the chin should be slightly lower than the forehead. Spread your hands naturally on both sides of your shoulders, palms facing up or towards the floor.

3. Easily close your eyes and cover your eyes (or a small towel folded into a long strip) over your eyes and forehead. Put your mind on your breathing and maintain relaxing breathing.

End action: Slowly bend your knees one at a time, lie back with your knees together, and open your eyes again. Continue to rest in this side position for a few minutes. Use your elbows and lower arms to support your body up when you get up. Adjust your breathing, and then get up for other activities.

Exercise benefits:

Eliminate fatigue, especially for people who sit or stand for too long.

Relax your body, especially your abdomen and lower back.

Soothes the nervous system.

Balancing gland endocrine, thereby regulating emotions and releasing stress.

Note: People with abnormal cervical, lumbar or other spinal conditions are usually unable to relax in the traditional supine position. Using assistive tools can not only solve this problem, but also have the effect of resting and relaxing after yoga.

People with stressful and busy lives can do this exercise every day, especially before returning home to do other activities.

Instructions for assistive devices:

Replace it with a yoga blanket of 157×203 cm and a length of 3:4 or a blanket of similar proportions, a large bath towel, a cool quilt, a sofa cushion or a solid pillow. Auxiliary props do not need to be raised high enough to feel stretched, but lower enough to relax. The folding method and length of the props are only for reference.

Standard folding method: Fold the long end of the blanket in half three times.

Single folding method: Fold the blanket in standard fashion, then fold the shorter side in half.

Double folding method: After folding the blanket in the standard way, fold the shorter side into three equal parts.

Long roll method: Place the blanket into a cylindrical shape. (Editor in charge: Tian Tian)