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It was 3 AM and I was doing yoga in my underwear at the foot of my bed.
I would like to think that the whole thing looked just like that Briohny Smith video. While the circumstances might have been similar, I can assure you that there were some significant differences.
Thus, there is no photo for this post.
My bouts with insomnia are rare – I happen to be a world-class sleeper – but when sleeplessness hits, my mind takes over and things get really ugly.
Like many people, I struggle with the antics of my Monkey Mind; I spend too much time either reenacting the past or anticipating an unlikely future. It gets even worse when I’m still awake at 2 AM. My crazy little Monkey Mind turns into a 800-pound, pissed off, feces-throwing gorilla.
My body scan meditation wasn’t working. (Focus on my toes, breathe, all my attention on my….what was that weird sound….damn…the dog is snoring. Wait, go back, all my attention on my toes…I can’t forget to send that email tomorrow….)
I needed something all-encompassing, to stop the racing thoughts and flip-flopping body. I finally decided to get up and do some yoga.
It totally worked.
It was really simple stuff – I wasn’t going to attempt Standing Head to Knee or anything that required balancing. I did a few spine twists, downdog, cat/cow, Half Tortoise, some hamstring stretches and child’s pose. Then I crawled back into bed and fell immediately to sleep.
By giving my brain something else to focus on and by moving the energy around in my body, I was able to change up the situation and stop obsessing about the fact I wasn’t sleeping – and finally get to sleep. That gorilla calmed down and left me alone. It was glorious.
Has anyone else tried this? Did it work? Did you placate the gorilla? Did you at least feel a little like Briohny Smith??
Sleep tight, yogis!
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Just here. Just now. 
I use half-tortoise, sometimes even in bed if I’m alone 🙂
It’s such a great posture, isn’t it? I always feel like it does such good things to my spine….
I’ve done pranayama breathing when I get anxious and am unable to sleep and it has worked wonders! but I can’t wait to try your technique of postures next time I have a sleepless night!
I always forget about doing pranayama outside of the hot room – but it is so helpful and important. I’ll try it your way next time! Thanks for reading and namaste!
I haven’t done any yoga poses while having trouble sleeping, but because a lot of the time, I have restlesss legs, I do a lot of deep knee bends and shuffling around the house. When my mind won’t stop, I plug in my ipod and listen to guided sleep meditations. I can’t guide myself through it because I get distracted, so a verbal guided sleep meditation works wonders…
Christina: you could also try a magnesium supplement for restless legs–worked wonders for me!
Lisa: I’m a faithful reader but have never commented before. I really appreciate your insight and think you’re a great writer!
Christina: guided meditations are wonderful! Great idea to have the ipod handy.
Jill: Thank you so very much! I’m so happy to hear from you and I’m so grateful for your kind words.
Namaste, ladies!