The yogic way to defeat insomnia

It will certainly have happened to many: being in bed in the middle of the night and yet not being able to sleep. Despite the tremendous sound of the alarm clock approaching every second more, our brain does not want to learn to be lulled by the arms of Morpheus.

Insomnia can become a chronic inconvenience that significantly affects the quality of life. At that point it is essential to contact a specialist.

If, on the other hand, it happens occasionally (and perhaps in conjunction with specific situations) it is an annoying but very common disorder: it is estimated that 65% of individuals suffer from it.

Let's see how yoga can help us in these situations and how it can affect our pillow appointment.

A ritual that can help reconcile sleep

There are many natural remedies that we can try in case of insomnia: from phytotherapy to Bach flowers, there are many ways to go and yoga can easily be added to them.

When the time to go to bed approaches, without the pretense of embarking on a real session, some small steps will be enough to immediately savor the benefits of the practice. In a comfortable position, we try to observe our breath, doing nothing, simply watching.

For some cycles we pay attention to the fluid passage of the air that crosses us and cradles us thanks to the rhythmic rising and lowering of the abdomen during the two respiratory phases.

Keeping this simple exercise a few minutes, we will soon experience a feeling of pleasant relaxation . At this point we can give ourselves a brief meditation with the aim of pacifying our inner world: after a long and maybe intense day during which we found ourselves acting on multiple fronts, we can now let go of the tensions and anxieties we have accumulated .

We let them go without judging them, commenting on them, considering them: they can simply abandon the space they occupy in our mind so that it can return placidly quiet.

This "departure" of mental swirls is anything but easy or automatic: it is the fruit, above all at the beginning, of a volitional, although not imperative, act. We gently (and even agreeing not to succeed) try to clear our inner space, to relax and to let go.

At this point, the hope is that as soon as our head rests on the pillow and we are wrapped in blankets, sleep comes over us. If it were not so, let us not be alarmed: we have the opportunity to dedicate ourselves a relaxation session in savasana, the position of the corpse. Progressively, we relax all parts of the body, from the feet to the end of the head .

With care, we bring relaxation to the muscles and internal organs by constantly being aware of our breathing. This practice is generally very effective, especially with a guiding voice (there are now many guided relaxation CDs); if, however, it does not have it, it does nothing, it can very well be performed independently.

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Yoga against insomnia: a daily recipe

The indications we have given concern, roughly speaking, the hour before going to bed, yet our work to defeat insomnia should begin much earlier.

In the course of the day it is indeed advisable to do some physical activity, walking, swimming, running, or an energizing yoga session that includes invigorating postures, twists, greetings to the sun and, if desired, a sequence in vinyasa.

Towards evening it is indicated to dedicate some more time to yoga, preferring the positions of bending forward (Uttanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana, Paschimottanasana, for example) and the upside down positions (Viparita Karani, Salamba Sirsasana, for example) to which to add some pranayama exercises and meditation, even short.

After a light meal and a reasonable post dinner time, we then came to the moment described extensively in the previous paragraph. Some people, as the time to go to sleep approaches, feel a slight and latent state of anxiety. If you are one of these, pay particular attention to the exercises proposed above and, if it can help you, perform them with a relaxing background music.

Discover the root causes of insomnia

Good morning! Did the night get better after following these tips? If yes, continue as long as you think this healthy routine is necessary, but don't forget to work on yourself too: look deeply into the roots of insomnia, accept them and, if possible, eradicate them will ensure lasting nights.

" Blessed be those who invented sleep, a cloak that covers all human thoughts, food that takes away hunger, water that quenches thirst, fire for which the cold runs away, cold that quenches ardor, the general currency with which everything is bought, balance and weight that makes the king equal to the shepherd and the essay to the zotic "- M.De Cervantes-