Sleeplessness is the manifestation of an active or agitated mind working itself up against our will to sleep. That means we are not in control of our mind, and hence, our bodies. Yoga puts back the control in our hands and lets us 'sleep like a baby'.
Today's fast-paced and stressful lifestyle - late night dinners and global work environment, for example - muck up the body's circadian rhythm, as we put sleep on hold when work and social demands take a hold on us. Insomnia is caused by the over stimulation of the senses. Consuming stimulants late in the evening or watching violent TV shows too close to bedtime can rev us up so much that it is difficult to withdraw our mind from the swirl of thoughts it gets sucked up into at the end of the day.
Our minds, always jumping from the past to the future, never really savors the present. The correct practice of yoga involves "mindfulness" - that is, the focusing on the sensations of breathing and stretching while performing the movements of the yogasanas and holding various postures. We can induce the body and mind to let go and experience physical, mental and emotional relaxation by conscious mindful relaxation techniques of yoga. To understand this, the next time you fly off the handle and your blood pressure shoots up, just observe with detachment your fast breathing and the tight facial muscles. Within minutes your breathing will slow down and the pressure dip.
So one can control thought processes by gaining control over one's breathing through the yogic practice of Pranayama, done with a full awareness of the body sensations - of the cool air entering the lungs through the nostrils as you breathe in, with the diaphragm going down pushing the abdomen out, and the warm air leaving the nostrils as you breathe out, with the diaphragm going up bringing the abdomen in toward the spine. As you complete more cycles of the breathing, it becomes more rhythmic, and a harmony sets in between the mind and the body. Slow and rhythmic breathing, coupled with a mental chanting of some mantra like 'Om' done with complete self awareness, is the shield against the ripples of thought continuously emanating from the still waters of the mind. This can be done almost anywhere, even amidst a crowd, though ideally you should select a quiet place and sit cross-legged in the Sukhasana posture with your eyes closed gently.
Another asana that heightens your self awareness and also give instant release from stress is Shavasana, the Corpse pose. In this exercise, you direct each part of the body to relax itself, by directing the consciousness to each of these parts. When the body is totally relaxed, the brain, though totally awake, is fully relaxed too. Avoid strenuous exercise in the late evenings as it can be stimulating. But if you exercise at any other time, you'll sleep better. It's OK to do long, slow stretches near bedtime, however, for they will release muscular tension and prepare you for sleep.
Doing all the asanas with total body awareness and listening to our own thoughts would ultimately lead us to detach the 'I' in each of us from the body and mind and the clutch of emotions and feelings engulfing it. Such a detached awareness will ultimately lead to equanimity, and by extension, a peaceful sleep.
Uma Shankari is a Bangalore-based freelance journalist. She is passionate about writing. She writes regularly on development issues, health and fitness, yoga/meditation, life and relationships. Read some her articles on
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