Yoga Meditation to Help With Insomnia

H
ow often have you suffered from a restless night of insomnia? In our fast- paced world people often turn to sleeping pills and are then forced to deal with detrimental side effects such as continued fatigue and restlessness during their waking hours. Yoga meditation can help with insomnia and give you restful, restorative sleep without any side effects. There are several instructional options of yoga meditation that you can choose from, including neighborhood classes, videos, and books.  

[post-img]By practicing on a consistent basis, the breathing techniques of yoga will increase the normal flow of oxygen and increase an overall sense of peace and well being, as well as indirectly improve the quality of sleep.

Other more specific yoga techniques can be used to
directly treat insomnia.

 

Here are a few yoga meditation techniques that can help in curing insomnia.

Techniques from many types of yoga like siddha yoga, kundalini yoga, and sahaja yoga can be utilized to assist with treating insomnia. However, the most effective yogic strategies for insomnia are poses such as the corpse pose and the happy baby pose, and techniques such as yoga nidra and shavanasa. 

[tip-fact]There are many things to learn about how yoga meditation can be used to treat insomnia.  Like any other form of instruction, it is important to pay close attention to the teacher and be comfortable with their particular teaching mantra.  Many of these techniques can be practiced during a class, but the goal should be for the individual to learn them well enough so that they can use them on their own to help them fall asleep.   It is therefore important that your instructor knows how to teach yoga meditation with this principle in mind.  

[b-quote]It is also vital to be mindful of the possible effects your diet may be having on your sleep.  Things such as sugar, caffeine, and alcohol can cause your insomnia and can block the benefits of yoga on your sleep patterns.  In addition, there are people who experience insomnia due to imbalances in their brain chemistry.  Usually, proper adjustments to their diet, as well as regular exercise, will bring quick benefits.  However, for some individuals who are finding it more difficult to achieve results, they can consider nutritional supplements that will help cue the brain to produce melatonin, or rebuild neurotransmitters, which will promote the body switching into sleep mode.  

Sometimes, insomnia may also be caused by chronic depression.  If you are experiencing prolonged bouts of sleeplessness, you should consult a physician to check if there are any medical reasons for your sleeplessness.  In these cases, holistic remedies may also be available but it is important to have a thorough medical exam so that you may be more aware of all your options.