Sleepy Time

My muscles have that nice achy soreness today, the kind where it hurts to walk down stairs or use your arms. Okay so maybe I wouldn't call it nice, but it's what happens after a good workout when you are out of shape.  As sore as I was I still managed to eke through the rest of my day wincing here and there.   

As I trudge up the stairs on my way to bed I think about what I tell my clients, "working out is great, but make sure you take care of your body afterwards to avoid injury. Get plenty of massage an do your stretching."  Yada yada yeah right, it's been a long day and I just want to go to bed. So I lay in bed my aching body keeping me awake and realize I still haven't done my pin for the day either. 

I pound my fists on the bed. "Argh, fine, I'll do it."  So I looked up my pins on stretching and found a good one that is supposed to help you sleep. As I begin to do the stretches, my body gradually relaxes and by the third stretch I'm falling asleep on the pillows. I can't tell you how hard it was to bring myself to write this blog afterwards. I think this set of stretches will be my new daily routine for the evening. 

Yoga Poses That Put You to Sleep

I've again used myself as the model in the demo pics as unflattering as they may be. If you want to see the original post in all its glory with a beautiful model you can find the link here. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/the-yoga-poses-that-put-you-to-sleep

Pose #1: Reclined Spinal Twist

Start off laying on your back with your right knee pulled up towards your chest. 

Then rotate your leg across your body to the left and allow it fall to the side. You will notice your spine gently twists at the hips. Keep your shoulders flat. If you need to you can place pillows under your leg for support until you are flexible enough for your leg to rest on the floor. 

Rest like this for as long as you want, a minute or two is good.  Then switch sides and repeat with the other leg. 

Pose #2:  Reclined Big Toe Pose A&B

Laying on your back raise your right leg towards your head, leg straight, gently stretching out your hamstrings. Use a strap or towel if necessary to help you raise your leg without straining. The goal her is relaxation so don't go overboard. A light stretch will do. Breath into it and feel your body relaxing. 

Next you pull your rigt leg out to the side of your body, again using a strap if need be. Let your leg hang, feeling the stretch in your adductors. 

Once complete be sure to repeat on the other side. 

Pose #3:  Supported Bridge Pose

This one was a bit complicated as I didn't have a yoga block as the pin required. Instead I used two pillows and tucked them under my lower back bridging my hips up as you would in a standard yoga bridge pose. It was slightly painful at first, but as I relaxed into it and shifted the pillows until they were in a better spot I was able to let go and relax into the pose better. 

Pose #4:  Double Pigeon

Sit criss cross applesauce with one foot over the opposite thigh in a sort of half lotus pose. Use pillows to prop your torso up as you lean forward over your legs. If you are super flexy bendy like I used to be you won't need the pillows, just bend forward over your legs and rest. 

Repeat on the other leg. 

Pose #5:  Reclined Bound Angle

After the last pose which I may have snored my way through I was pretty far gone and ready for bed but I trudged on to this next pose. 

Place some pillows behind your back and lean back onto them with your legs crossed. I wasn't sure on how to strap my legs so I just let them rest criss crossed and it worked great. 

Now I think a great finale to this would be the corpse pose, but had I done that I most definitely would not have been awake as I write this now. 

That's all I have for now, yawn, wish...me...lu...zzzzz