Sattvic Sleep

A couple of nights ago, at 4am, I was woken up by my typically quiet dog, barking and growling into the night. Normally this wouldn’t bother me at all, but as I tried to fall back asleep, my mind began to move at lightening speed as I mentally went through every task I had planned for the day ahead of me. Ironically, the following day I was dragging in everything that I did, and my eyes closed at any chance they got.

Determined to prevent this from happening again, I did a little of detective work. I changed my sheets, fluffed my pillows, stayed away from caffeine & sugar all day long, and ate an early dinner. Suspecting it was exercise that my body & mind needed, I took a long uphill walk with my dog and then enjoyed a hot shower.

And then I got serious. I reopened a book I read a few years ago – Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar. The premise of this book is that health is earned specifically through sweat. Light on Life frequently elaborates upon the fact that yoga improves anatomical health equally as it helps psychological health. This is because the mind and body are essentially one, which simply must be aligned through yoga and mediation. Iyengar writes a long passage about sleep, and how it is time of renewal in sattvic sleep. This certainly was not the type of sleep I had the night before, and I was reminded that I could not pinpoint whether my restless sleep was a problem with my body or mind, because it was both.

Unfortunately, we all have experienced a night of restless sleep. Next time you experience one, I strongly recommend the Halasana Asana (Plough Pose) preceded by Salamba Sarvangasana. It really has given me a good night’s sleep. This pose calms the nerves, relieves tension in the neck and upper back, improves mental poise and mood, benefits the thyroid, and, of course, is a natural sleep aid. I only wish I had thought of it sooner!

1. Spread a folded blanket on the floor. Lie flat on your back with both legs and feet touching each other. Keep your palms facing the floor.

2. Exhale and bend knees over the chest. Press hands down on the floor and, with a swing, raise waist and hips.

3. Support hips with the hands and lift the trunk.

4. Raise hips and thighs further, supporting them with the back of your hands. From the shoulders to the knees, the body should be perpendicular to the floor.

5. Straighten legs towards the ceiling.

6. Stay in this position for two-three minutes. Gradually increase the duration to about seven-eight minutes.

7. Exhale. Bend the knees and gradually slide down buttocks and back. Release hands from the back and extend legs on the floor.

8. While exhaling, lower your legs over the head, one by one.

9. Inhale, then exhale, extending your legs over the head without bending them at the knees. Place toes on the floor.

10. Stretch arms on the floor in the direction opposite to the legs.

11. Interlock fingers and turn the wrists, so that thumbs rest on the floor. Tighten arms at the elbows. Extend them away from the shoulders. Also extend palms along with the fingers.

12. Stay in this position for about five minutes, breathing normally. Increase the duration gradually to about 15 minutes.

13. To come out of the posture, bend the legs, take the buttocks back, and slowly slide down, keeping palms alongside hips.

Wishing you sattvic sleep,

- Keryn