Yoga is a natural stress fighter. It calms your breathing, lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, reduces tension in the body, and clears the mind. Certain yoga poses can ready your body for bed by calming and relaxing the mind and releasing tension.
Yeah, maybe in Never Never Land. In reality, bedtime can be tough, deteriorating into an hours-long ordeal of ‘more’… more books, more cups of water, and more back rubs.
If that’s the case in your house, you’ll love this fuss-free yoga poses from Lauren Chaitoff, founder and co-owner of Yogi Beans in New York City. The routine incorporates stretching, loosening, and deep breathing, which naturally stimulates the relaxation response and primes your child for sleep. “If you do nothing else, try the deep breathing and thinking positive thoughts,” says Chaitoff, who uses a variation of the sequence with her five-month-old daughter. “We say ‘Om’ and I stretch her and give her a massage.”
Before you start, Chaitoff recommends dimming the lights in the bedroom and using a gentle, soft tone with your child and encouraging him to do the same. Before you know it, you’ll both be asleep!
1- Mountain to the Moon
Start by standing tall in Mountain pose (feet firmly on the ground, head forward, shoulders back). Raise your arms overhead and pretend you’re reaching for the moon. Spread your fingers wide apart and twinkle them like shining stars. Stretch both arms over to one side and then over to the other.
2- Loose Like a Noodle
Bring your arms back to the center and slowly roll down towards your feet until your hands are touching your toes. Sway for a little bit from side to side and let your arms swing loose like noodles.
3- Free as a Butterfly
Slowly lower down to the floor and sit and bring the soles of your feet together in a butterfly pose. Fold forward so your nose touches your toes. Now you are a sleeping butterfly! Breathe slowly five times and think about what your butterfly looks like and where you want to fly tonight in your dreams.
4- Belly Ride
Now it’s time to lie down. Take your favorite stuffed animal and place it on your belly. Take a few deep breaths and see if you can make the stuffed animal move up and down.
5- Wish Upon a Star
If you like, close your eyes (if your child prefers to keep his eyes open that’s fine, too) and make 3 wishes: One for yourself, one for someone you love, and one for the whole wide world. Sweet dreams!
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