Many people, when they think of yoga, may often picture a gym or studio full of athletic, sweaty twenty-somethings moving rhythmically with their breath and the blasting music.
However, the yoga practice is broad and diverse in its different techniques and can be adapted and modified to fit any and all people.
One of the most accessible ways to practice yoga asana, the physical practice, is by practicing yoga poses in bed.
Starting your mornings with bed yoga can be a transformative experience, promoting physical wellness and mental clarity.
There are many benefits of practicing yoga right from the comfort of your own bed.
In this article, we will explore 18 yoga poses that can be easily performed in bed, allowing you to kick-start your day with more awareness and positivity.
Read on to learn:
- Benefits of practicing yoga in bed
- Supine yoga poses in bed
- Seated yoga poses in bed
- Prone yoga poses in bed
- A morning bed yoga routine
- A nighttime bed yoga routine
Benefits of practicing yoga in bed
These poses aim to stretch and awaken your body, loosen stiff muscles, improve circulation, and instill a sense of calm and focus.
Practicing yoga in bed is a more restorative way of approaching the practice, making it more accessible to a wider range of people.
Here are a few reasons to practice yoga poses in bed:- You can do it first thing in the morning, no need to get dressed or prepare yourself much.
- It can be great for when you’re feeling under the weather and are low on energy.
- The softness of the mattress and pillows, bed yoga can make the practice more gentle for the body.
- Practicing yoga poses in bed is great for those who must spend long periods of time reclined due to illness, disability, etc.
- Practicing yoga poses in bed before sleep can help to relax the body and mind, easing any tension or restlessness that may interfere with sleep. It promotes a deeper, more restful sleep, helping to improve sleep quality and allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed.
Supine yoga poses in bed
When choosing to practice yoga in bed, whether that’s in the morning or perhaps at night, we invite you to try starting your practice laying down on your back.
Here are some yoga poses in bed in the supine position for you to try:
1# Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Although traditionally practiced at the end of a yoga sequence, Savasana can be a great way to start your yoga in bed practice, especially in the morning.
If you have a difficult time hitting the snooze button and often fall asleep again, though, perhaps skip savasana in the mornings and leave it for those times when you need to release and relax.
2# Wind Relieving pose (Apanasana)
A great posture for digestive issues, the wind relieving pose is wonderful to practice in bed since it can be softer on the spine than when practiced on the ground.
3# Supine twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
One benefit of practicing supine twists in bed is that it helps to improve the mobility and flexibility of the spine.
The twisting motion helps to stretch and release tension in the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues surrounding the spine.
For a more gentle twist, consider using your pillow under the knees so that the torsion of the spine is more mellow.
4# Reclined bound angle pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
This asana helps release tension in the hips and groin area, promoting deep relaxation.
Practicing this pose in bed is particularly soothing and calming, making it an excellent way to unwind before sleep.
Its gentle nature can help relax the mind and body, leading to improved sleep quality and a more restful night.
5# Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana)
When practicing this yoga pose in bed, you can use your pillow and lay on top of it, bringing your back into a supported backbend that canfeel quite relaxing and heart-opening.
6# Happy baby pose (Ananda Balasana)
A yoga posture that helps stretch your hips and groins, try practicing happy baby laying down on your bed.
If your hips feel too tight for this asana, consider practicing half happy baby, doing one leg at a time.
7# Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani)
Using the wall behind or next to your bed, or even your headboard, bring your legs up and make yourself comfortable in this relaxing and sleep-inducing yoga in bed posture.
If you’d like, bring your pillow under your hips to accentuate the inversion, perhaps bringing you even more release.
8# Supine Tree Pose (Supta Vkrsasana)
A more accessible way to practice this balancing posture, is by doing tree pose laying down on your bed, because it requires less stability and can offer access to more variations of the pose for the practitioner.
9# Supine Eagle Pose (Supta Garudasana)
Same as practicing Vrksasana laying down on your bed, Supta Garudasana is a way to practice Eagle pose and reap its benefits without the need to stand or balance on one leg.
Seated yoga poses in bed
To foster energy flow, consider practicing some of these yoga poses for bed while seated:
10# Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
Practice easy pose in bed especially if you have tight hips, since the softness of the mattress will give you more space to relax into the pose.
Put some pillows under your knees if you feel too much sensation in your hips or groins.
11# Seated twist (Bharadvajasana Twist)
Same as the supine twist, this is a great posture to realign the spine and release tension stored there, as well as a good yoga posture to aid your digestion.
12# Seated side bend (Parsva Sukhasana)
Especially beneficial first thing in the morning, side stretches like Parsva Sukhasana are great to give your lateral body a good release and release tension.
13# Seated Forward fold (Paschimottanasana)
This is one of the best yoga poses in bed to do when you feel overstimulated and have a hard time letting yourself relax.
Bend your knees deeply and place a pillow below them if you want to let this yoga pose be even more restorative and grounding.
14# Head-to-knee pose (Janu Sirsasana)
Since the head-to-knee pose is a seated posture, it can be easily modified and practiced on a bed.
Performing this posture before or after sleep can help relieve any stiffness from sleeping positions, promote relaxation, and set a positive tone for the day ahead or enhance the quality of sleep.
15# Seated wide-legged forward fold (Upavistha Konasana)
When done on the ground, this yoga asana can be quite intense for the lower back and hamstrings.
Practicing this pose in bed, on a softer and more forgiving surface, you may find more space to relax into the shape.
Prone yoga poses in bed
The next few yoga in bed poses are performed while facing down, what is also known as prone position:
16# Child’s pose (Balasana)
This grounding posture can be practiced on the bed just like you would on the ground, with the advantage that it provides less resistance for those with knee problems.
You can also use pillows below your torso to make the pose less intense.
17# Cat-Cow pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
These two energizing postures that in flow, can bring loads of freedom onto your spine, are easy to practice in bed, solving one of the biggest difficulties they present: having wrists and knees on a hard surface.
18# Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)
This backend is a prone pose that can be practiced in your bed.
As you lift your chest off the mattress, cobra pose opens up your chest and lungs, enhancing lung capacity and breathing efficiency.
A morning bed yoga routine
When done in the morning, yoga in bed will wake you up and energize you, giving you an opportunity to notice how you feel before you start engaging with your daily activities, responsibilities, and to-do lists.
Here is a yoga routine you can do without even leaving your bedroom:
A Night time bed yoga routine
If you have a hard time winding down or have insomnia, practicing yoga poses in bed, can be a great way to help you drift to sleep and help you have better and more profound rest.
For those who’d like to try yoga poses in bed right before sleep, here is a practice for you:
Conclusion
The convenience and comfort of practicing yoga in bed allows for seamless integration of gentle movements, stretching, and relaxation techniques, promoting balance and harmony.
By performing some of these postures in the morning or at night, you may enhance your flexibility and mobility while also reducing stress levels and fostering a deeper connection with your mind, body, and breath.
Practicing yoga poses in bed is a practical and accessible approach to maintaining physical and mental wellness that you can sustain through the ups and downs of your life.
For more on building a daily yoga habit, read this next.
