Can't sleep?

Legs-Up-The-Wall is a yoga pose, which I decided to try at about 4 this morning when I couldn’t sleep.

I have a lot of trouble sleeping. I usually have no problem falling asleep. But staying asleep, well, that’s different.
One of my yoga teachers Vickie has told class many times that Legs-Up-The-Wall is a great pose to try when you are having trouble sleeping.
But you gotta either drag yourself out of bed or just flip yourself around while in bed and do it right there. Yup, it takes a little effort.
Because Curt and I were staying in a hotel last night and had two beds I decided to try it while in bed.
I stayed in the pose maybe 10 minutes. I didn’t fall asleep immediately. But I felt much more sleepy and fell asleep at a point before getting frustrated while tossing and turning.
The benefits of the pose are that it can relieve tired or cramped legs and feet, it stretches the back legs, front torso and back of the neck (the pose forces you to have a long neck).
It can also relieve mild back pain and calms the mind, which is where the having trouble sleeping comes into play.
According to this site, Legs-Up-The-Wall pose is an inversion, the blood circulation is stimulated and your upper body and head receives a stronger blood flow which supplies the whole area with oxygen. … Through the additional blood flow in your head, you get more oxygen which is beneficial for problems like insomnia, but can also lift your spirits and help against depression and anxiety.
Legs-Up-The-Wall is great for many things. According to the Yoga Journal website, here are some of the many benefits and whatever ails you, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Arthritis
  • Digestive problems
  • Headache
  • High and low blood pressure
  • Insomnia
  • Migraine
  • Mild depression
  • Respiratory ailments
  • Urinary disorders
  • Varicose veins
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Menopause

So the next time you can’t sleep and are tossing and turning try this pose. And then let me know about it. Tell me if it worked or not or if you modified or not. And here’s to many hours of good sleep.