Yoga is an exercise that is practiced since time immemorial, which focuses a lot on bodily stretches and rhythmic breathing, it is known to bring about various health benefits if practiced regularly. There are all kinds of asana which are beneficial for different medical conditions. Yoga practice, practically goes on throughout the day for e.g. When you wake up in the morning and stretch your body is also an asana (Yastikasana ), when you go to the washroom that is also an asana (malasana), when you relax after meals is also an asana (dradhasana) etc. Of course the best time to practice asana is early in the morning, but being a householder it is difficult to stick to a strict schedule every time. So one can practice asana at a convenient time keeping gap of two hour post meal time. There are also couple of Yoga Poses for sleep that can be performed post dinner.
There are several posture in the practise of yoga that tend to be fairly demanding in terms of Stretching endurance, and agility. If you do these workouts after dinnertime, they may interfere with how well you digest. As a result, caution is required.
Yoga poses that can be practiced after dinner are said to not only relaxes the mind, relieve the bodily aches and pains of a tiring day but also help one digest food in a better way. With relaxing stretches giving body good blood circulation and circulation of oxygen throughout the body, it empowers your body’s digestion and improves gut health. If you feel bloated or heavy post dinner, then these asanas helps making it less heavy for the stomach while sleeping. When we eat, the food goes down into the stomach, wherein digestive enzymes are secreted that help in the breakdown of the food.
Wrong Practices that are hampering our Sleep.
• Late dinner
Late meal at night can disrupt Digestion. Late dinner makes you feel less satiated and in turn make you over eat. At night metabolism of the body slows down due to exhaustion and lack of physical activities due to which digestion takes time so latest by 8pm your dinner should be completed, this will give your body ample time to digest the food.
• Eating Junk food/ Heavy food
It is strictly advised not to eat junk or heavy food at dinner time. These kind of food products are high in calories, complex carbohydrates and are processed food which make the digestion time lengthier and difficult tasks for the body. All make you feel bloated and heavy hampering the comfortable and restful sleep.
• Over consumption/over eating
Anything in excess or anything in inadequate can throw us off balance. This affects our state of mind, mood, energy levels, making us lethargic. Mindful eating is necessary so that our body gets sufficient nutrition and fuel for the body to function at its best.
• Lying down immediately after meals
As you when you finish you dinner, your body starts its digestion process by releasing enzymes to breakdown the food. If you immediately lie down after you meal the brain gets the wrong signal, disrupting the digestion process and your body starts the shut down process for sleeping. If this is done then not only your digestion is affected but your sleep is also not comfortable as you may feel bloated, heavy, reflux etc. The practice of below mentioned asanas aids in digestion and improves the quality of sleep.
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1. Vajraasana
• Sit in a kneeling position on the bed or mattress, toes touching each other and the heels apart.
• Bring your hip down and place it them in the space between your legs
• Keep the body erect and the abdomen held in normal contour.
• Place the hands upon knees with palms facing downwards.
• Keep your eyes closed observation should be on your breath.
Benefits:
Vajrasana is the s ole pose that can be practised after eating
• because it stimulates blood circulation to the abdomen region, which aids digestion.
• After supper, sit in Vajrasana for 5 to 10 minutes to aid alleviate digestion issues such as acidity and constipation, as well as ensure that you sleep comfortably.
• It will also aid in the relief of acute lumbar back pain after a long day of sitting at workplace.
• It’s the easiest yoga pose for good sleep.
2. Yashtikasana
• Lie on the back with legs fully extended, feet together, and hands at the sides, palms facing down.
• Raise both the hands together above the head on the ground, stretching them.
• In the same movement, point your toes in downward direction. This stretches the abdomen from the center as torso is pulled upwards and legs are pulled downwards.
• The stretched position should be held for six seconds. Relax hands and toes, not returning to the starting position but retaining the hands above the head on the floor.
• Repeat the stretching 4 to 5 times, pausing for three seconds in between each round.
Benefits:
• This technique helps relax mind and body.
• It alleviates back pain by giving adequate stretch to the spine.
• It relieves the stiffness of the muscles and aids in alleviating discomfort while sleeping.
• This is the best sleeping yoga asana which can be practiced before bed.
3. Viparitkarni
• Take supine position arms on the side. Breathing out lift your legs up. Support your back with your hands and hold your body up.
• Stay in this pose from a few seconds to a maximum of 2 minutes depending on comfort level with breathe normal.
• Breath in and bring you hip down keeping a steady support with your hands.
Benefits:
• Gravitation pull in Viparitkarni provides the most beneficial effects.
• Favourable effect on the endocrine glands and various organs above your waistline.
• There are favourable changes due to the increased interchange of blood in the upper part of the body.
• It provides excellent relaxing effect in the head, neck region, abdomen and legs.
4. Supt Vakrasana – Reclining Spinal Twist
• Take supine position keep your knees bend, knees and feet remain together with arms spread on the side at shoulder level in T position.
• With gentle movement and while breathing out twist from your waist to the left side lowering the knees to the floor. Make sure to keep your knees together and turn the neck in the opposite direction.
• Gently press down on your knees with you left hand.
• Continue deep breaths in the pose.
• Stay in the posture for minimum of 5-10 seconds.
• Repeat on the opposite side.
Benefits:
• Relaxes and lengthens the spine.
• Stretches the gluteal muscles.
• Encourages mobility of Spine.
• Lie down in supine position at keeping your feet together and hands on the side of your body. Inhale.
• Exhaling, lift both your legs up, immediately bend your knees and hold with both hands at your shins. Try to interlock your hands from the arms at the shin.
• Bring your knees close by pulling them to your chest and keeping them pressed at the same time suspend your breath and hold the posture for 6 seconds.
• Breathing in release your hands and bring you legs down.
Benefits:
• The stretch can be felt at the lumbar region of you spine, hip joints and thighs. There is a favourable intra-abdominal compression aiding to proper circulation. Also stretches the arms shoulders and neck region.
• Flatulence are relieved
• Toxins are released from the body alleviating sluggishness of the mind and body to bring about clarity.
Read More: Pranayama Benefits for Physical and Emotional Health
6. Dradhasana
• Turn to left side and lie down.
• Keep your left arm under your head making it a pillow.
• Keep leg straight
• You can rest your left arm on the top side of your body.
• Dradhasana on the left side should be done after meal, as it aids digestion.
Benefits:
• Sleeping by turning on the left side aids in digestion as suggested by Ayurveda. The movement of the food through the digestive system is easy which in turn prevents feeling of hurt burning and digestion related issue.
• Ideal position to relax as it enables healthy blood liver, kidney and heart.
• Turning to the left side to sleeping balances the temperature of the body if you are in the air conditioned room.
7. Shavasana
• Keeping eyes closed take supine position.
• Take a few deep breaths in-and-out. Breaths should be slow and rhythmic.
• Keep a witness like attitude towards the outer sounds. Don’t start a chain of thoughts linked to the sounds.
• Mindfully keep your focus on all the body parts.
• Relaxation with awareness of different body parts is directed in a systematic manner.
• Sequence of relaxation starts by bringing attention to each and every body part from toes slowly moving up to ankles, calves, thighs, pelvis, abdomen, chest, back, then arms, shoulders, neck and facial muscles and last but no the least to the crown.
• Entire body is relaxed. Remain in this relaxed state taking deep breath in and breath out.
• Now bring you awareness back to the outer sounds and sensations.
• In same manner as we went into shavasana, come out of the pose and direct your body to give slow movements to your limbs and other body parts. With eyes closed you turn to your right side and taking support of your hand, sit in Sukhasana or any other meditative pose. Reorientation to the outer surroundings should be done slowly by opening your eyes.
Benefits:
• Relaxes the body and Refreshes the mind.
• Play a major role relieve anxiety and stress.
• nerve stimuli is turned off from the muscular system, and reduces the pressure of the differential bio-energy in the body.
After an exhausting day, practicing a few yoga poses for good sleep after dinner is the correct way to get comfortable and get a blissful sleep. The yoga for better sleep mentioned above will surely help improve your bowel movements, enhance gastrointestinal health, reduce bloating, ease constipation, promote digestion, resolve stomach issues, improve flexibility, also relax and revitalize your body. Moreover, these poses are very easy to Practice and extremely effective. So, if you are having difficulty with digestion and are unable to get a good night’s sleep, be sure to practice these poses post-dinner and see the outcome for yourself.
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