Yoga Breathing for Sleep ✨ ancient wisdom for a modern problem

Sleep can be an issue for many, especially wāhine during the perimenopause and menopause years as shifting hormones disrupt one of our most precious routines.

If you are having struggles with sleep, there may be some yoga practices than can offer some relief or at least combine with other sleep rituals to help.

One of these is breathing or prānayāma - the deep abdominal breath and long exhale are often the simplest and also the most profound.

You can do this practice when you get into bed, or you can do it before bed to prepare the body and mind for sleep.

It helps to shift down from the day and takes you into rest and digest mode.

First relax you shoulders, jaw, face and any part of the body that feels a little tense. Do this by softening down, allow your face to 'slide off', releasing any expression. Allow you shoulders to drop away from your ears.

Allow the belly to soften, notice if your jaw is help up, and release it.

Then notice your natural breath. Where is it? Where is it in the body when you notice it. Just notice. No judgement. Is it warm or cool, shallow or deep? Then begin to breathe slightly deeper, taking the breath to the lower ribs if possible, so that upper chest remains still when you breathe.

Then take it a little lower so the belly rises and falls with the breath.

If you can't feel it there don't worry- just go to where you can. It may help if you notice your ribs flare softly outwards, instead of making them go up and down.

Don't try too hard. There's no rush and nothing to get 'right'.

Begin to make the exhales a little longer. Eventually, they can be up to twice as long, but no rush.

If you like you can count, 3-4 on the inhale, a little pause - not really holding the breath, just noticing the pause - then 6-8 for the exhale.

If practicing before bed you can do for 3-5 minutes, if in bed you can practice until you drift off to sleep if preferred.

If the mind wanders off- just gently remind yourself what you are doing- and come back to the breath, it is completely normal for the mind to wander off sometimes.

Pō marie

Linsey 🤍

P.S for a deeper dive into yoga and sleep please see my previous blog post. For practice with me please see my offerings here