Yoga to Treat Insomnia
by lisalongton
Many people suffer from insomnia at different times, for different reasons. Perhaps you are worried about something. Other times you may just not seem to be able to “shut the mind off”. Either way, there is a solution.
The purpose of yoga is for stilling the mind so that the true Self within can become apparent without anything blocking it. “Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah”, says Yoga Sutra 1.2, translated as “Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness”. These “movements in the consciousness” are the swirling thoughts in your mind, keeping you awake. “Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam”, says Yoga Sutra 1.3, translated as “Then, the Seer dwells in his own true splendor”. This is the blissful contentment of being present in the most extraordinary way.
Step one: get out of bed. Don’t just lie there, thinking to yourself that you’ll be able to force yourself to sleep. If you’ve been lying awake for more than 15 minutes, get up and do something about it.
Step two: Come into a supported version of Adho Mukha Svanasana, (Downward Facing Dog pose). The support is the wall. Place your hands on the floor at the base of the wall, thumb and index finger touching the wall, and keep your fingers together. Press back into Adho Mukha Svanasana, and stay as long as you can. All the while you are in the pose, feel your body in the pose.
Step three: Move out of Adho Mukha Svanasana and into Child’s pose. Rest completely. Feel the weight of your head release into the floor. Feel your spine lengthen with every moment you stay in the pose. Stay in the pose as long as you can.
Step four: Move into Viparita Dandasana, (Inverted Staff pose, also known as “Legs up the Wall”). Simply rest the torso on the floor, with your straight legs resting vertically up the wall. This pose is key. Pay attention. Feel what is happening as you lie in the pose. Notice the effects of gravity not only in the legs, but also in the chest, throat, and head. Stay in the pose as long as you can.
Step five: Roll out of the pose, and go back to bed, lie comfortably, and feel your body. These simple poses remove obstacles of all kinds, allowing you to feel free again, and slip off into a contented slumber.
“Then, the Seer dwells in his own true splendor”.