Prenatal Yoga Poses for Your Bedtime Routine
Pregnancy can be rough when trying to fall or stay asleep. Here are some yoga postures to practice before bed to help you get to sleep.
When to practice: Do one or all poses as part of your bedtime routine. Hold each pose for 3-5 minutes or longer if comfortable/desired. Ideal for all trimesters.
Supported Childs Pose
Bring the knees wide and rest the front of the body on a bolster, firm pillow and/or blankets. Depending on the size of your belly, make space for baby. Turn the head right and left, if comfortable or forward resting on support.
Props used: Two blankets and one bolster.
2. Supported Side Lying
Rest supported on your side. Extend the bottom leg long and bend the top leg rest it on a bolster, pillow or folded blankets. Use a pillow or blanket to support the head. Optional: use a blanket under the belly and/or rolled blanket or towel to support the low back.
Props used: Three blankets and one bolster.
3. Reclined Butterfly
Create a ramp using yoga blocks and a bolster. If you don’t have a blocks and bolster, use a couple of rolled towels and firm pillow. Sit with your feet together and knees wide. Recline back on your ramp. Fold a two blankets or towels to rest the arms. Two blocks or blankets to support the knees. Optional, folded blanket under the head.
Props used: Four blankets, four blocks and one bolster.
4. Legs Up a Chair
Using the same ramp created in the previous pose, recline back and rest legs on a chair. A couch also works really well for this pose. Depending on your height, length of legs and how far along you are will determine how close the chair is to you.
Props used: Two blankets, two blocks, one bolster, one chair.
5. Side Lying Inversion
Resting on your side, bring one leg up to rest on a chair. Use a folded blanket or pillow for under your head. Optional: blanket under the belly for additional support.
Props used: Two blanket and chair.
6. Legs Up the Wall
Create a ramp as in previous poses. From your side, roll onto your back and onto the ramp and rest legs up a wall. Depending on your height, length of legs, and how far along you are in your pregnancy will determine how close your bottom is to the wall. Typically, in pregnancy this shape looks more like a “V” and less like an “L”, in the traditional legs up the wall.
Props used: Two blankets, two blocks, one bolster and a wall.
