Pranayam Before Bed: A Good Night's Sleep?

Sleep is essential for our health and well-being. However, falling and staying asleep can be challenging, especially during busy or stressful periods. If you're looking for ways to improve your sleep quality and duration, consider incorporating pranayama into your bedtime routine. Pranayama is a yogic breathing practice that harnesses the connection between our breath and our autonomic nervous system to induce a state of relaxation and prepare the body and mind for sleep. By taking a few minutes to perform specific breathing exercises, you can calm your mind, soothe anxiety, and relax your body, making it easier to fall asleep.

Left Nostril Breath

The left nostril breath is a simple yet powerful technique to calm your mind, soothe anxiety, and relax your body. It is one of the easiest breathing techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation.

How to do it

Sit in a comfortable position, with your legs crossed. Place your left hand on your left knee and lift your right hand up towards your nose. Exhale completely through your left nostril by closing your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the same left nostril, and then close it with your fingers. Now, open your right nostril and exhale through this side. Repeat this cycle for up to 5 minutes, always ending with an exhale on the left side.

Benefits

The left nostril breath is an effective way to relax your body and mind, and promote overall well-being. It helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a calming and soothing effect. This technique can be particularly useful if you are feeling anxious or tense. It can also help to lower your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular health.

Practising this breathing technique can also improve your lung function and respiratory endurance. It slows down your breathing and increases the amount of oxygen you take in, which is beneficial for conditions such as early bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Additionally, the left nostril breath can help to lower fear and anxiety by engaging different parts of your brain, making you more aware and able to manage your feelings. It also lowers blood lactate levels, which may be linked to panic attacks.

When to do it

The left nostril breath can be practised at any time and place that suits you. It is best done on an empty stomach and avoided if you are sick or congested. It is recommended to practise this technique for at least 10 minutes to gain the most benefits.

Brahmari (Humming Bee Breath)

This pranayama technique is simple and can be done anywhere. It involves sitting in a comfortable position, relaxing the body, and closing the eyes. The breath is drawn in through the nose, and on the exhale, a humming sound is created from the throat. The inhalation and exhalation should be slow and steady. The humming sound helps to downregulate the nervous system, creating a sense of calm. This practice is believed to connect the practitioner with the cosmic universe, as the humming sound mimics the sacred syllable "om", which is deeply meaningful to yogis.

Brahmari is particularly beneficial for those suffering from anxiety, sleeplessness, or agitation, as it helps to soothe the mind and calm the nervous system. It is also a recommended practice for women in labour in India.

To enhance the experience, hand positions known as Shanmukhi mudra can be used. The thumbs are placed on the ear cartilage, index fingers on the eyes, middle fingers on the nostrils, ring fingers above the upper lip, and pinky fingers below the lower lip.

It is important to note that Brahmari pranayama should not be practiced by menstruating or pregnant women, or those with extremely high blood pressure, epilepsy, chest pain, or an active ear infection. It is also not recommended to practice this technique in a supine position (lying down).

Diaphragmatic breathing

To practice diaphragmatic breathing, find a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting in a chair. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other hand on your stomach, just below your rib cage. Breathe in slowly through your nose, focusing on drawing the breath down into your stomach. The hand on your stomach will rise, while the hand on your chest should remain as still as possible. Then, keeping your chest still, tighten your stomach muscles and exhale. Repeat this process.

This exercise may take some practice to get used to engaging your diaphragm, so start with just a few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing when you get into bed, then gradually increase the time. This technique will help to slow your breathing, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and increase lung capacity and efficiency. It can also strengthen your diaphragm and improve the efficiency of your breathing.

7-2-11 Relaxing Breath

The 7-2-11 Relaxing Breath is a powerful breathing technique that can help you relax and improve your sleep. It is a type of pranayama, or breath regulation, which is commonly practised in yoga.

• Start by emptying your lungs of air.
• Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 7.
• Hold your breath for a count of 2.
• Exhale through your mouth with a "whooooosh" sound for a count of 11.

The total count of 7-2-11 gives this technique its name. However, if you find it challenging to breathe for this long, you can adjust the count to suit your comfort level. The key is to ensure that your out-breath is longer than your in-breath. For example, you could inhale for 3 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds.

The 7-2-11 Relaxing Breath is an effective way to calm your mind, soothe anxiety, and relax your body. It helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a calming and soothing effect. This technique is particularly beneficial before sleep, as it can help prepare your body and mind for a restful night's sleep.

Practising this technique is simple and can be done anywhere. You can do it while lying in bed, driving, or even at your workplace. It only takes a few moments of your time and can be a powerful tool to improve your overall well-being.

It is recommended to practise the 7-2-11 Relaxing Breath for 4-8 rounds every day. With regular practice, you will become more proficient at it, and it will become your go-to technique to induce relaxation whenever you need it.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Step 1: Get into a Comfortable Position

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight and your hips relaxed. You can sit on the floor, on a yoga mat, or on your bed. Release any tension from your jaw and close your eyes.

Step 2: Place Your Hands in the Correct Position

Place your left hand on your left knee with the palm facing upward or in the Chin Mudra by gently touching the tips of your index finger and thumb together.

With your right hand, place the tip of your index finger and middle finger between your eyebrows (the ajna chakra point). Place your ring and little fingers on your left nostril, and your thumb on your right nostril. Your fingers should be light and gentle on your face, with no need to apply pressure.

Step 3: Begin the Breathing Technique

Exhale and close your right nostril with your thumb, breathing out through your left nostril. Then, inhale through both nostrils.

Step 4: Alternate the Nostril

Close your right nostril and breathe out through the left. Inhale through the left nostril, then close it with your ring finger.

Step 5: Repeat the Cycle

Release your thumb from your right nostril and exhale through it. Inhale through the right nostril, then close it with your thumb. Now, release your ring finger from the left nostril and exhale through it.

These four steps constitute one round of Alternate Nostril Breathing. Aim for 5 to 9 rounds, keeping your breath even, slow, and gentle throughout. Remember to always inhale through the same nostril you just exhaled through.

Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing:

• Calms and centres the mind, bringing it to the present moment.
• Therapeutic for the circulatory and respiratory systems.
• Stress-relieving and relaxing for the body and mind.
• Helps harmonise the left and right hemispheres of the brain, correlating to the logical and emotional sides of our personality.
• Purifies and balances the nadis (subtle energy channels), ensuring a smooth flow of prana (life force) through the body.
• Maintains body temperature.

Frequently asked questions