Body & beauty

Yoga to help you sleep

Wind down your body and mind for a good night’s rest with this flow from yogi Hannah Barrett

“This short flow will nourish and calm your body and mind,” says Hannah Barrett, author of Yoga Happy (@hannahbarrettyoga). “If you bring your attention to the breath and the sensation of each movement it will help ground you in the present moment. Take as much time as you need and make any adjustments to each pose so that it feels restorative and right for your body. You could
even do this flow in your bed…”

1 Seated

Start by taking a moment to pause and breathe. Inhale through the nose to a slow count of four, feeling the abdomen, the ribs and all the way up to the chest slowly expand like a balloon. Exhale through the nose to a slow count of eight, feeling the body melting back and a sensation of calm take over.

2 Child’s Pose

From kneeling, bring the big toes to touch and the knees around hip distance apart. Exhale as you slowly melt your torso between the knee, stretching the arms in front or alongside the body, whichever you prefer. There’s also the option to bring the knees together or to take a pillow under the torso to make it extra restorative. Hold for 10 slow breaths or more.

3 Revolved head-to-knee

From a seated position, extend your right leg out wide with the foot flexed and bring the sole of the left foot into the thigh, letting the knee relax towards the floor. Place the right arm alongside the right leg and inhale as you reach the left fingers to the sky extending through the side waist. As you exhale, slightly twist the left shoulder open as you take a side bend over to the right. Keep the feeling of length through the side waist as you hold for five to 10 slow breaths. Inhale to centre and repeat on the left.

4 Reclined pigeon

Lying on your back, bend your right knee, placing the sole of the foot on the mat. Make a figure four shape by placing the left foot just under the right knee, letting the knee relax out towards the left and flexing the left foot. Take hold of the right shin or back of thigh and gently draw the leg towards you. Hold for five to 10 slow breaths before releasing and repeating on the other side.

5 Reclined butterfly

Lying on your back, bring the soles of the feet together and let both knees relax out to opposite sides. There’s also the option to place pillows or blocks under each thigh if there’s any discomfort. It can feel nice to place one hand on the heart and one hand on the belly, helping ground you in the moment with the sensations of the body and breath. Hold for 10-20 breaths or more.

6 Savasana

Lying on your back, place the feet slightly wider than hip distance and let the feet relax to each side. Place the arms alongside the torso and slightly away from the body with the palms facing up and fingers curling in naturally. Lengthen the back of the neck as you take a big breath in and a long sigh out. Now release the breath and melt into the pose. When thoughts come in gently let them go. Stay here for five to 10 minutes perhaps drifting off here into a restful night’s sleep.

Sign up for Hannah’s life-changing yoga app at hannahbarrettyoga.com/app to fall in love with yoga and create a lasting yoga habit. All new subscribers get a two-week free trial of the endless variety of yoga and meditation classes with options for all levels.