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HW: Bed yoga module
Bed yoga is exactly what you think: Yoga in bed.
So don’t you need a hard mat to do yoga? No! Yoga has all kinds of forms and focuses. Asanas (yoga postures) are just one part of it. Breathing, meditation, mantras, postures and movements that are not immediately asanas, massage,… are other parts of this. In this sense one could briefly describe yoga as everything that has to do with self-care for body and mind. And which preferably integrates both.
What is better to start or end your day with then selfcare? In the end you are / should be the most important person in your own life!
Bed yoga has the advantage that you don’t need to prepare things like a yoga mat or a block, and that you don’t need to create space in your home. Everyone has a bed with pillows. The bed also has the advantage that it is a bit softer and you can sink in a little. This often makes it easier to stay longer in certain poses such as pigeon pose, splits / hanuman asana, butterfly forward bend, easy pose forward bend, child pose, happy baby,… And it seems that you are already a little further into the pose than you can on your mat.I find it ‘more comfortable to practice hamstring stretches such as (half) splits on the bed. My hamstrings and iliopsoas + quadriceps are not long enough yet to go ‘all the way’ into the pose. As a result of that I easily get pain in my heels or knees after some time stretching on the mat. I avoid this pain and risk of pressure spots by performing these stretches on the bed. I often put 1-2 pillows under my pelvis, as a blok. I keep my balance with one hand on the wall and massage the stretching muscles with the other hand.
The other nice thing about bed yoga is: you don’t have to get out of bed before you can start your morning routine, or you can just fall asleep after your savasana after a relaxing evening bed yoga session. Total relaxation. For the evening bed yoga to sleep better I refer you to ‘HW 30DYC day 26’. I will briefly describe the other forms and benefits here.
Morning bed yoga:
Actually everyone subconsciously does some kind of morning yoga. Just observe yourself tomorrow morning between waking up and getting out of bed. Chances are you are at least stretching and probably doing a short cobra / sfinx pose and probably a trunk rotation. If you have a high bed you’re probably going to stretch your left and your right flank after you sit on the edge. If you have a low bed you at least stretch a hip flexor for a little while. And when you’re completely out of bed you’ll probably stretch your arms both up again with a deep yawn
With intentional bed yoga you are going to make this process a little longer and more consciously. Morning yoga is something you do primarily to get going physically and mentally. It is recommended to stretch everything generally to each side (if you need inspiration, just look at a cat stretching after sleeping). To rase up your energy it’s helpful to breathe in deeper (an open window is recommended to give you a little more oxygen), and do movements where you stretch the front of your body; so movements like sphinx pose, cobra, puppy pose, bow pose, Cat – cow, bridge,… Just make sure you don’t overdo it. After all, you’ve only just woken up so give your muscles and joints time to wake up too. Start soft and gentle with your body, go to child pose now and then and gradually go a little further into your poses.
Once you get out of bed it is ideal to do a sun salutation before putting on your clothes.I also like to do morning yoga in front of an open window or even better outside and ground myself with my feet at hip width or wider. From there I open my arms, bend my knees and bring my arms down until my hands touch the ground (exhale while doing this). From there, I scoop ‘energised water from the virtual river of life’ with my hands, bring them in a bowl up above my head (breath in the meantime) and let ‘the energised water’ drip over my head. I do this 7 times, visualizing each chakra being supplied with energy.
In the morning after getting up, drink a large glass of water as well! (Scrape your tongue first) During the night you breathe all the time, therefore you also exhale moisture. This must be replenished in the morning so that your body and brain remain hydrated. The moment you start to feel thirsty you are actually already too late. Some people confuse the feeling of thirst with the feeling of being hungry. So if you get hungry, drink a glass of water first
Preferably drink lukewarm water, especially at the beginning of the day. Facial massage in bed. You can do this while stretched out on your back with a gua sha stone or with your hands. Always stroke from bottom to top and from inside to outside, and don’t forget to ’empty’ the lymph vessels at the level of the side of your neck, under your cheek and above your clavicle afterwards. You can also lie on your belly in sphinx pose, support your head with your wrists and massage your face and net with your fingers. Meanwhile, you can also stretch your neck and throat muscles.
Of course you can also massage your whole body or places where you feel that there is tension or could use just a little more attention and energy. Be kind to yourself! Sometimes you can push a muscle a little harder to help it relax, but sometimes a gentle touch is nicer. Above all, listen to your own body. Partner massage is of course always an option. Your partner can also help you stretch muscles. But Be aware, a soft bed can bring a lot of compensation in other joints, which means that the stretching does not only take place in one joint or muscle. So watch out for overloading in other places
Massage of your stomach and intestines. (Always before eating, never immediately after eating!!!!!)
This is especially recommended if you have problems with your intestines or stomach. E.g. digestive problems or constipation. Your digestive system is located mainly from under your floating ribs to your pelvis. The stomach is right under the floating ribs, the large intestine (last part for excretion) runs down the front of your abdomen, its peristalsis direction is from right inner pelvic wing, up, horizontal to the top of your abdomen (just under the ribs) to the left side and then from there straight down to the left pelvic wing, then it disappears inward under towards the anus. It is important to visualize this while giving bowel massages to yourself or others. You want to drive the waste products to the outside and not further inside. This is also the reason why it is smart to do rotations with the head and right shoulder turning to the left first (and give compression to the right side) and only then turn to the right. Also, always start with intestinal and stomach massages gently and slowly, let your abdominal region get used to the touch and pressure, otherwise your abdominal muscles will tighten out of defence reaction and eventually you can’t reach the digestive organs as well.
Another way to massage your stomach and intestines is through fire breath (also a powerful exercise in the morning to get more energy! See HW 30DYC day 9 fire flow) or stomach pumping with your abs. This involves sitting on your knees (pelvis rests on heels or stays up) breathing in deeply first, then out completely. You hold your breath in (you remain in expiration position creating more space in your abdomen because the diaphragm is not down) and you start to pulse tighten your abdominal muscles. You can try to play with this and let your abdominal muscles make circles. This takes a lot of practice though
If your constipated easily do this massage regularly, go for a walk or running, do some crunches and drink lots of water!
Finally, the bed is of course also a very nice place to meditate in lying or sitting position. To apply EFT in a safe environment, to sing the mantras. For meditation, sitting is actually preferred because it opens the chakras in a nice straight line towards the source. However, an awake but relaxed posture is also important for meditation and therefore sometimes it is better to choose a lying posture. Try to make sure that your spine follows its natural curves as much as possible and that you do not lie completely in a ball
So use no pillow or a low pillow below your head. Have fun exploring this topic in your own bed! I have already enjoyed it!
Sukhi
replied 3 years, 4 months ago
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