Fall Asleep 10 Times Faster With This 5-Minute Stretch

Want better sleep? You might want to try yoga. A Harvard study on insomnia found that people who consistently practiced yoga for just eight weeks slept better and longer than those who didn’t practice.If you’re too busy to fit in some yoga, the good news is that you can improve your sleep with just one pose: Legs-Up-The-Wall (Viparita Karani).

This asana is considered a restorative, gentle inversion and though it’s usually practiced at the end of a yoga class, it can be helpful on its own to relax the body.And when you’re able to relax the body, it becomes easier to relax the mind, setting the stage for more restful sleep. Practice Legs-Up-The-Wall at night before getting into bed, or in the middle of the night when sleep is elusive.

Add in some gentle breathing and the effects are even better! This pose can be practiced by beginners and beyond.

Getting Into Legs-Up-The-Wall

Sit sideways with your right side against the wall. Exhale and gently swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. Coming into this pose may take some practice. Your sitting bones don’t need to be right against the wall, depending on the tightness of your hamstrings. Experiment with the position until you find the placement that works for you.

This pose is not intended to stretch the backs of the legs, so if you feel pulling in the hamstrings move farther away from the wall. Keep the lower back grounded to the floor. Make a small roll with a hand towel to place under your neck if the cervical spine at the base of your neck feels too flat. Open your shoulder blades away from your spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.