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This 20-minute Yin Yoga practice in bed is meant to be tried right before bed. It’s an ideal way to stretch and relax your whole body. You can even practice in bed, so at the end of the class, you’ll crawl into your futon for savasana and fall asleep.
Simple, gentle and short sequences calm your nervous system and prepare you for a great night’s rest. Another benefit of doing yin yoga in bed is that the mattress is softer, making all poses more comfortable. All you need is a bed and a pillow. The following her 20-minute yin yoga practice is suitable for all experience levels.
20 minutes of yin yoga in bed
The only prop you need is a pillow on the bed.
dragon
Kneel on the bed and step one foot in front of you, aligning your knee over your ankle. Immerse yourself here. Low lunges usually cause some people to experience discomfort in their knees, but doing them in bed makes the pose much easier to perform. You can press your palms against the mattress or rest on your forearms. If you’re lowering your forearms, bring them inside your front legs and fold them as low as comfortable here. If you have a pillow nearby, you can pad it to give your forehead a little more support.
So take slow, steady breaths. Try to relax your hips and let them sink. If you are sitting a lot, it is very important to open your hip flexors and stretch your upper thighs. This is because there is a lot of tension and tension built up in the upper thighs. Hopefully the mattress will alleviate some of that intensity and allow you to relax a little more.
Relax your upper back and arms, surrender to gravity, and let go of the day and all your concerns. Stay here for about 3 minutes. Try to exhale a little bit each time you exhale. If you need to come out of a pose, do so. Really make this practice your own.
If you’re folded, return to your palms and hands and knees, or sit on your heels and take a few breaths. Repeat the same stretch on the other side.
child’s pose
Bring your big toes together and spread your knees as far apart as is comfortable. Slowly move your hands forward as you lower your forehead onto the bed or pillow. Alternatively, you can turn one ear toward the bed. Sink your entire body weight into the bed and you’ll see how much more comfortable it is to perform Child’s Pose on a mattress than on a mat. Relax your chest and upper back and just breathe here. Stay here for about 3 minutes. If one ear is pointing toward the bed, turn your head to the other side about halfway. Slowly bring your hands back and lift your chest.
straddle
Come to a sitting position and spread your legs as far apart as is comfortable. Just bend forward. You can use your hands to support yourself, stack pillows on your bed, or let gravity lower you toward the mattress. It’s perfectly fine to have a naturally rounded spine. Feel the soles of your feet stretching. Soften your shoulders and pull them away from your ears, inhale as you stretch. Make sure you are not tensing or straining your muscles. Remember to relax your jaw and facial muscles. Stay here for about 3 minutes.
When you’re ready, use your arms to push into the bed and little by little lift yourself back up. You may want to use your hands to bring your feet back up.
reclining twist
Lower your body onto your back. Draw your right knee towards your abdomen and cross it over your body in a twisting motion to the left. If necessary, try extending your right arm straight out to your side and releasing your right shoulder toward the mattress. Feel a gentle stretch in your lower back. If you want to intensify the stretch a little more, straighten your right leg and extend your left hand toward your right leg, like a variation of the cat’s tail pull. You’ll feel it a little more in the IT band. The right knee can be bent. I like to close my eyes facing the ceiling. Alternatively, you can turn your head and look over your right shoulder. Stay here for 2-3 minutes.
If you keep your right leg straight, bend your knee before returning to center. Look for the same pose on the other side.
savasana
Give it a moment to settle into place and crawl under the covers if necessary. Find a comfortable position with your arms and legs spaced out and your palms facing up. Stay here as you integrate the work you’ve done to relax from head to toe. You can linger here, falling in and out of sleep, knowing there’s nothing more to do today.
