Regardless of the time zone, American yoga therapist and trainer Leslie Kazadi maintains the same evening ritual. She eats a light dinner several hours before bedtime, eschews wine and writes a gratitude journal.

“Keeping the journal stops the mental chatter of complaining, worrying or planning. There is a sense of contentment that comes with gratitude. Shifting into appreciation helps us to relax,” she said.

If she can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, Kazadi then listens to Tibetan singing bowls or chants a mantra so that she doesn’t overthink—an activity that keeps her awake at night.

“If I’m wide awake, I would do restorative yoga poses like putting the back of hips against the wall and opening the legs. The wall adds support and a sense of grounding,” she said.

Kazadi also recommended other restorative yoga poses such as gentle body twists with leg extension to relax the muscles, or lying on a recline position to open the chest while doing the butterfly stretch.

In the latter pose, the soles of the feet are pressed together and the knees are dropped to the sides to open the hips and release abdominal tensions.

Self-care

“Self-care for Sweet Dreams” was one of the workshops which Kazadi conducted at the Urban Ashram Yoga studio in Bonifacio Global City. It focused on the importance of sleep hygiene—practices and habits that are vital to maintain restful sleep and daytime vitality.

According to the New York Times, sleep deprivation is a health crisis in America. Over 80 percent of the population have difficulty sleeping at least once a week. Chronic sleep deprivation leads to weight gain, weaker immune system, hormonal imbalance, extreme fatigue, poor performance and lack of concentration.

Kazadi pointed out that sleep is not recuperative if it is interrupted by the constant need to pee, waking up due to anxiety, hot flushes or the bedmate’s snoring.

Foremost in her list of sleep hygiene is observing the quality of one’s thoughts and diet throughout the day. These will have an impact at bedtime.

“Everything that you take in—physically, mentally or spiritually—will affect you. If sleep difficulty is chronic, I have to examine what I’ve been doing in my life. What can I let go of?” she said.

Kazadi’s lecture cited proper sleep hygiene begins with slowing down and avoiding any kind of stimulation, be it arguments, drinking caffeine and liquor, watching television and, the most challenging, engagement with gadgets.

Her tips:

Wind down slowly. Drawing the day to a gradual close enables the nervous system to calm down. “Take a soft look at what you are taking in during the evening hours, and ask yourself if they are invitations to relax,” she said.

Digest properly. Some diets require one to sleep four hours after the last meal. Kazadi added that low quality, complex carbohydrates may result in post-dinner food coma which makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Avoid alcohol. Some people believe that alcohol before bedtime is a sedative. It actually disrupts the sleep cycle because of the high sugar content.

Turn off the screen a few hours before bedtime. Many have made it a habit to go over news feeds in social media or watch Youtube before going to sleep. The blue light of the electronic screen excites the nervous system.

Bedfellows matter. Invest in the right mattress and pillows to help the body to settle down. “If buying a mattress is not in your budget, get a mattress support or a pillow topper at a fraction of the cost,” Kazadi said.

Breathing. “Breathing depends on different people. Lengthening the exhale and shortening the inhale should be done gently and progressively to invoke a relaxation response. Coax the breath by shifting the focus on the belly. Feel it rise and fall,” Kazadi said.

She warned that forcing the breathing will create its own anxiety. “Don’t be aggressive in breathing.”

In an environment that sustains nonstop doing and overthinking, slowing down has been taken for granted. Yoga was meant to provide the calmness, but it has turned into another fitness activity.

Yin yoga

Yin yoga or restorative yoga provides the antidote to stress and promotes better sleep.

“We live in a world where we are inundated with things that exhaust us. We are then unable to appreciate the moment. Restorative yoga is like meditation with sugar. It gets you into positions where you are comfortably supported by blankets, pillows or bolsters. You learn to be in the moment, and pay attention to your breath. When we feel nurtured, we are able to relax. The poses are long and still, but with a lot of support. Relaxing is a skill. Restorative yoga shifts us out of the anxiety and the mental chatter at night. It helps us connect with things that we have lost touch with,” Kazadi said.

Yin yoga can be practiced any time of the day, especially when the person feels tired and needs a gentle perker-upper.

“During the day, we hold a lot of tension, and we sit so much. The restorative poses such as opening the hips and gentle inversions help you to release the tension. Putting the legs up the wall or against the chair is good for the heart and the head. Being supported and being upside down allow the mind to be present. You don’t think about the past or worry about the future. You’re in a shape which gives a sensation to the nervous system to pay attention. You then relax into the moment,” she said.

Still, Kazadi underscored that yin yoga and sleep hygiene are not cures for sleep disorders such as apnea, which is disrupted breathing at night, or insomnia. In these cases, you should seek medical advice.

Ultimately, restful sleep begins with letting go of events that happened in the day, and the practice of slowing down the thoughts and deep breathing.

“Once you string sleep together, it becomes a habit. You are creating that Pavlovian response or learning how an external stimulus or practice elicits relaxation,” Kazadi said. –CONTRIBUTED

Urban Ashram Yoga is at 3/F, Brixton Bldg., Brixton St., Kapitolyo, Pasig; or 9/F, The Menarco Tower, 32nd cor. 9th Avenues, Bonifacio Global City. Call 661-YOGA or 0917-1729642.