The feet tend to take a lot of abuse and they almost never get a day off as most people are always on their feet whether they are working or playing. While keeping active is always a good thing, it can leave you with achy and sore feet. But, if you are a fan of yoga, you should know that there are some poses that can be very useful in keeping your feet healthy so that they can withstand the almost constant abuse.
Some of the best yoga poses for better foot health include the following five.
#1 Mountain Pose-Tadasana
If you are going to do any standing yoga pose, mountain pose is always going to be your foundation. However, it is also a helpful pose for your feet as it helps improve balance, focus and your general posture. Healthy posture is vital for foot health as it reduces irritation and inflammation of the foot muscles and joints. Mountain pose helps you focus on your posture and stance which in turn ensures you are more aware of your standing habits to minimize the pressure on certain parts of the foot which tend to be the most problematic such as the heels.
How to do it:
* Start by standing with your feet parallel and about hip-width apart.
* Spread your toes apart and then distribute your weight evenly across both feet.
* Make sure that you do not lean forward or backward as you apply even pressure on all four corners of each foot.
* Keep your legs straight but not locked and make sure that your hips are aligned with the ankles.
* Breathe in deeply and then stretch the spine towards the ceiling with the arms at your side.
* Hold the pose for about 3 minutes and try to focus on both maintaining the correct position and your steady breath.
#2 Tree Pose-Vrksasana
Tree pose is a classic yoga pose that will help to improve your balance and the distribution of weight across your feet. This pose will entail transferring weight from one foot to the other which in the long run will improve your balance. Also, the weight transfer will help to stretch the micro muscles around the shin and foot.
How to do it:
* Start by coming into mountain pose.
* Slowly shift your body weight to the left foot, bend your right knee and then use your right hand to bring the sole of your right foot to your inner thigh, calf, or ankle.
* While in tree pose, keep your pelvis centered and parallel to the floor and your back straight.
* Bring both your hands in front and together to form anjali mudra (prayer hands). Lift your hands above your head to come into the full expression of the pose.
* Hold the position for at least 10 seconds and then release before repeating for the other foot.
#3 Warrior 1 Pose-Virabhadrasana 1
Warrior 1 or Virabhadrasana 1 in Sanskrit is also a classic yoga pose that can come with numerous health benefits for the feet. This pose is all about stretching your feet and strengthening the foot muscles but it can also help to reduce heel pain. And it can also help lift flat arches as it targets specific arch muscles to help lift the feet.
How to do it:
* Start in mountain pose.
* Take a long step forward so that your feet are 3-4 feet apart and hips width distance.
* Make sure your body and front foot face forward and turn the back foot 45 degrees to provide some balance.
* Bend your front leg until the front knee is directly above the ankle to form a 90-degree angle.
* Press your back heel and pinky toe edge of your foot into the ground
* Lift your arms straight up. Hold this pose for 30 seconds before switching to the other foot.
#4 Thunderbolt Pose- Vajrasana
When you want to release tension on your feet Thunderbolt Pose is a great option. And this is because it entails sitting on your heels which helps to press into a natural pressure point in the arch.
How to do it:
* Start by kneeling on the floor.
* Bring your knees to touch and press the tops of your feet flat against the floor. Your heels should be as close to one another as possible.
* Now lower the weight of your body onto your heels and then sit with a straight posture and your hands resting on your thighs.
* Hold this posture for about one minute before releasing.
* Finish by stretching your legs out in front of you. Give your legs a little shake or find movement before repeating the routine again.
#5 Toes Pose
Toes Pose is a popular Yin Yoga pose that targets the plantar fascia ligament, one of the most problematic ligaments in the foot as it is where the pain that comes from plantar fasciitis originates. This pose aims to stretch, strengthen and elongate the fascia, and in doing all this it helps to keep the soles of the feet in great shape.
How to do it:
* Start by sitting in a kneeling position.
* Next, lift up on the toes (your toes are curled under) with the knees still anchored in front of you and still on the ground.
* Gently let your weight settle back onto your heels and hold this pose for a minute or two.
* Make sure that you breathe calmly and deeply through this pose, and also try to imagine the fascia becoming more flexible and elongated.
Bottom Line
Your feet have to carry a lot of weight every day and so keeping them in good shape is vital not only for their health but also for your overall well-being. And while there are many ways of doing this, yoga poses like the five above are a great starting point.
I’ve been deep diving into living a healthier and more vibrant life. My desire to live the best life possible led me to Cate Stillman’s Body Thrive course. The course is fully rooted in healthy habits and Ayurvedic principles. I’ve been feeling so great, that I committed to doing her twelve month Yoga Health Coaching course (I’m in month one as of May 2018)! This little blog post is simply meant to be an intro to Ayurveda, an Ayurveda 101 if you will. 😉
Ayurveda 101: What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is an ancient science that originated during the Vedic era in India, thousands of years ago. When one looks at the Sanskrit roots of the word Ayurveda we see Ayu = life and Veda = science or knowledge, so Ayurveda is literally the science of life. Ayurveda is not just a way to cure disease, it is also a way of life.
Following an Ayurvedic lifestyle leads to overall health, improved immune system function, weight loss/weight maintenance, lowered risk of disease and improved energy.
Ayurveda 101: Ayurveda and Your Whole Being
Ayurvedic practitioners take into account the person’s entire being: physical, mental and spiritual. They assess diet, lifestyle, daily habits, imbalances and instances of dis-ease. Ayurvedic practitioners look at your prakriti (or constitution) and your vikruti (current state of imbalance) and work on bringing the patient back into balance by balancing the doshas.
The Ayurvedic College defines “a person’s prakriti [as] the inherent balance of the three doshas at the moment of their creation.” To know a person’s constitution is to know their tendencies. And to know your own prakriti is a way to step into your own power and live a vibrant, healthy dis-ease free life.
Your prakriti, or constitution, is determined by the balance (or imbalance) of your doshas. It is common to have one or two dominant doshas. The three doshas are vata, pitta, and kapha. Each of the doshas has very specific tendencies and are identified by different characteristics of body type, energy, digestion, personality and so much more. Want to find out your dosha? I like the Banyan Botanicals quiz (although they do try to sell you their products). Here is a link to the Banyan Botanicals dosha quiz. I’m Kapha-Pitta, and almost NO VATA!!! I’ve been working on balancing my own doshas and it’s been a fun experiment in self-care.
Your vikruti is your current state of imbalance and is not static. Your vikruti changes at different times of day, seasonally, your stage of life and with lifestyle changes. Would you like to determine your vikruti? Here is a short worksheet from the Ayurveda Institute that you can take.
Once you’ve discovered your prakriti and vikruti, and therefore your dominant dosha(s), you can begin to make lifestyle changes to balance your doshas and thrive. Three easy ways to balance your doshas are to eat a diet to pacify your dominant dosha(s), establish a dinacharya practice, and align your lifestyle with the ayurvedic clock.
Ayurveda 101: Ayurvedic Diet
In Ayurveda they have broken down our tastes into six dominant tastes: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Certain tastes increase or decrease the qualities of each dosha.
For example, pitta types typically tend toward hot and oily need to eat foods that are cooling and drying to balance the firey qualities of pitta. They do well with smoothies, fresh and raw foods and should avoid garlic and heating spices. Spicy foods can aggravate pitta and bring it out of balance. Salty, sour, and pungent foods increase pitta, while sweet, bitter and astringent foods pacify pitta.
Kapha types who tend toward heaviness will do best with astringent, bitter and pungent foods, while vata types who tend to be light and airy need foods that are warm, rich, and heavy or foods that are characterized by sweet, salty and sour.
You can see here that the Ayurvedic diet is one way to find balance and overall health. Quote by Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
I love these two Ayurveda cookbooks and use them weekly:
When I started incorporating more Ayurvedic foods into my diet my digestion improved and I’ve felt lighter and healthier. It’s been an easy transition (probably because the recipes in Laura and Kate’s books are amazing) and I try to incorporate a few dosha specific meals into my weekly meal plans.
Ayurveda 101: Dinacharya
Another way to balance your doshas is to establish a dinacharya practice. Dinacharya is a daily routine, specifically a morning routine. The Ayurvedic morning routine begins with rising before the sun and involves a handful of self-care practices. For most of us, we don’t have hours to dedicate to our morning practice, but I’ve found it pretty easy to streamline.
For example, I wake early, sit upright in bed and meditate for a few minutes, I get up and scrape my tongue and brush my teeth, evacuate my bowls, hydrate, walk the dogs, and then hop in the shower. After my shower, I use a little oil to massage my body and joints and then I’m ready to go.
Do I do all of the dinacharya practices? No, but I have it down to a habitual flow and it works wonders. The trick with waking early begins with eating an early dinner and going to bed at a decent time the night before. The beauty of following Ayurvedic practices is that we immediately tune in and honor our body’s natural rhythms.
Ayurveda 101: Aligning With The Ayurvedic Clock and Your Physiology
Our 24-hour clock and the doshas are also aligned: certain times of day align with certain doshas, which means that certain tasks are better done at certain times of the day. Here is a simple breakdown of the Ayurvedic clock:
10 pm to 2 am Pitta
From 10pm-2am it is possible to get a second wind, want to snack, etc. It’s best to head to bed before 10 pm, so that your second wind doesn’t keep you up later than you intended. This is also the time of organ healing and restoration, so it is best to skip that midnight snack.
2 am to 6 am Vata
This is the time where energy is most fluid. This is also the time when many people need to get up for a late night bathroom break. It is best to wake up and start your day before 6 am. This time of day is also characterized by active dreaming and is a time of expansion and awe.
6 am-10 am Kapha
The morning hours between 6 am and 10 am are characterized by a steady energy and it is the best time of day to get your daily exercise in.
10 am-2 pm Pitta
Digestive fire is the strongest during this time, so it’s recommended to eat your largest meal of the day between 10am and 2pm. This is also the time of greatest productivity.
2 pm-6 pm Vata
This is the time to work on projects or do seated tasks and it’s a good time to tackle problems as you may feel both alert and creative. It’s best to eat dinner before 6 pm to allow for proper digestion before bed.
6 pm-10 pm Kapha
This is a time of slowing down. It’s a great time to spend with friends and family or to get your daily exercise in.
The amazing thing that happened to me was that my energy improved. I’ve had more energy to do the things I want to do. I’m also more in tune with my body and its needs. Do I need to rest? Do I need to eat? What foods make me feel good and what foods make me feel “blah”. I love it!
Over the next few months I will work on sharing more info about Ayurveda, changing your habits and living a healthier life, so if you have questions please ask!
So many blessings to all of you!
Love and Light,
Autumn
*Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. These earnings help make the maintenance of this blog possible. You can rest assured that I only link to products I know and love.
Does yoga improve posture? The answer is yes! Yoga is great for overall back care and spinal health. The best yoga for better posture includes a full range of motions: forward folding (spinal flexion), backbends (spinal extension), twisting, shoulder opening, hip flexors and hamstring lengthening, and retraining the body to move in better, healthier ways. It is also important to strengthen muscles that have become weakened and/or overstretched.
Posture issues and back pain are often caused by poor biomechanics and muscular imbalances due to habitual patterns of movement (or lack of movement), imbalances of strength and flexibility, injury, and sometimes genetic predisposition.
In this blog post, I will be focusing mostly on gentle yoga stretches for good posture. These good posture exercises help release tension and tightness in the muscles that often become tight, shortened or overstretched when we spend much of our time standing, sitting, or walking with poor posture.
1.) Yoga For A Stiff Back: Cat Cow
Cow Pose
Cat-Cow is one of the best exercises to improve posture. I include cat-cows in every single yoga class I teach. Why? Because it stretches the postural muscles, encourages the healthy movement of the pelvis and requires the core to gently engage. Cat-cow also helps release tension in the neck and shoulders.
Cat Pose
To practice Cat-Cow, come into a tabletop position on hands and knees with your knees directly underneath your hips and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. To start, find length through your spine, draw your lower belly in and up to support your lower back and lengthen your tailbone straight back behind you. Take a few rounds of breath here and experience the length of your spine and the subtle engagement of your core.
Use an inhale breath to lift your tailbone up towards the sky, draw your belly down, pull your chest forward between your upper arms and finally turn your gaze forward and slightly up while you maintain your core engagement. This will draw your spine into a gentle backbend. You want to think of articulating through each vertebra. On your exhale breath, tuck your tailbone under, pull your navel to your spine as you round your back; Continue to round your back, puff up the space between your shoulder blades, and draw your gaze toward your knees.
Continue this movement for 10-12 rounds of breath.
2.) Yoga for Rounded Shoulders: Supported Supta Baddha Konasana
Reclined Cobbler’s Pose
Reclined cobbler’s pose is one of my favorite yoga poses because it is deeply restorative, reestablishes the lumbar curve, opens the chest, and softens the muscles of the groin and inner thighs. The forward head, shoulders rounded forward, spine rounded forward posture is quite prevalent in today’s society. This forward head, “C” shaped posture is reinforced in our workplaces (computer hunch), our cars, and our homes (super soft couches that you sink into).
When we allow our shoulders to round forward, the muscles in of our chest get tight, weak and shortened, the muscles between the shoulder blades become weak and overstretched, and the muscles of our neck and upper shoulders become tight and prone to strain. If you notice your shoulders rounding forward during your workday, take a minute and do some shoulder rolls.
To practice supta baddha konasana, or reclined cobbler’s pose, you will want a bolster (or a couple of pillows or a rolled blanket), a blanket or folded towel, and two yoga blocks (or cushions of the same size).
Place your bolster or rolled blanket lengthwise behind you and take your folded blanket or towel at the far end of your bolster (this will support your head and neck).
Take a seat with your sacrum at the short end of your bolster, carefully lower yourself down onto your bolster, support your head with the blanket/towel (optional), and bring the soles of your feet to touch as if you were coming into butterfly pose, your knees drop out to the side like the pages of a book. If you feel like you need support for your legs, slide your blocks or extra cushions underneath your thighs/knees. Settle into the posture and allow your entire body to relax. Hold 4-7 minutes.
3.) Yoga For a Flattened Lumbar Spine: Supported Bridge Pose
Supported Bridge Pose
Supported Bridge Pose benefits your lower back by re-establishing the lumbar curve. The lumbar curve is often flattened in those who sit for the majority of the day. Some individuals will have a deep lumbar curve typical of what you would see in gymnasts. A deep lumbar curve compromises the integrity of the vertebrae and discs of the lower back.
For supported bridge pose you will want to have a bolster, block or a firm pillow.
Lay down on your back and bring your feet as close to your bum as you can with your feet and knees both hips-width distance. Stretch your fingertips down toward your heels. From this pose, press into your feet and lift your hips, belly, and chest up toward the ceiling on an inhale. On an exhale breath reverse the motion. Begin at the top and roll your spine down one vertebra at a time. Repeat 3-7 times. The active version of bridge pose strengthens the glutes, back, abdomen and legs.
On your last active bridge pose slide your bolster, block, or pillow underneath your sacrum, so your hips and lower back are supported. Keep your legs bent for a few minutes. If the posture still feels okay after a few minutes you can play with lengthening your legs long along the floor. This will lengthen your hip flexors, but please be mindful of your lower back. If you experience any lower back pain then bend your knees and bring your feet back down to the earth.
Hold the pose for 5 minutes.
4.) Two Exercises for Better Posture and Health of The Lower Back & Pelvis: Low Lunge & Half Splits
Low lunge, or anjaneyasana, is a foundational yoga pose. When linked with Half Splits or Ardha Hanumanasana, it is a great yoga exercise to improve posture because it opens the quadriceps, hip flexors, and hamstrings. Low lunge with the torso upright also trains the paraspinal muscles (the muscles that run along your spine on either side) and abdominal muscles to hold the torso stable.
You might like to have two yoga blocks to practice the low lunge and half splits
Come into a standing forward fold with your feet hips-width distance at the top of your yoga mat. Bend your knees enough to bring your hands down to your mat. Step your right foot towards the back edge of your mat and bring your right knee down. Make sure that your left knee is directly above your left ankle. To begin, bring your torso upright and if you feel stable take your arms up overhead.
Bring your awareness to your lower back and notice if you’re collapsing; if you are, your lumbar curve will be deeper and your belly will have softened forward. If this is you, draw your lower belly in and up. You can think of lifting your pubic bone up toward your ribs, which will teach you to use your core muscles to support your lumbar spine. Hold this posture five to ten rounds of breath and then release your hands to the ground (or onto your blocks).
Half Splits or Ardha Hanumanasana
For half splits you will wiggle your left foot an inch or two forward and then shift your hips back, so your right hip stacks over your left hip. With your left leg extended long out in front of you flex your foot and dray your toes back toward your shin. This posture lengthens your hamstrings. Hold this pose 5-10 rounds of breath.
When the hamstrings become shortened they pull on the pelvis via the sit bones (ischial tuberosities) and this pulling posteriorly tilts the pelvis and flattens the curve of the lower back.
5.) Supine pelvic tilts
Anterior pelvic tilt.
Supine pelvic tilts are incredibly helpful when it comes to rehabbing low back injuries and teach the muscles of the abdomen, pelvic floor, and inner thighs to engage.
You will want one yoga block to practice supine pelvic tilts.
Lay down on your back like you’re setting up for bridge pose (see exercise #3). Put your feet close to your bum to start. Place your block between your thighs on its narrowest setting.
Posterior pelvic tilt.
Level 1. Keep your feet on the mat. Bring your hands to your lower abdomen and pubic bone, so you can feel the movement. Inhale a full deep breath and as you exhale curl your tailbone up off the mat and draw your navel toward your spine. Your lumbar spine will press into the mat beneath you. As you inhale, reverse the tilt: tailbone down, belly lifts and there is a space underneath your lower back. Make sure to squeeze into your block during this exercise. Repeat 10-20 times.
Level 2, position 1
Level 2. This is more of a core strengthener than a pelvic tilt, but it’s equally important. Stay on your back, keep your block between your thighs, bring your shins to parallel with the floor. From here, superglue your lower back to the mat and lower your heels down to tap the mat on an inhale. As you exhale, lift your legs back up to the starting posture. Repeat 10-20 times.
Level 2. position 2
6.) Yoga For Better Posture: Release Tension in Your Back With Simple Supine Twist
Simple Supine Twist not only helps release tension in your lower back, it also helps reduce stress and improve relaxation. It’s also really easy and you can even do it in bed.
To practice simple supine twist, make your way onto your back. Draw your knees to your chest and give them a little hug in. Then release your arms out to the side, so they go straight out from your shoulders. Release your knees to the right and turn your gaze toward your left shoulder if it feels okay on your neck. Hold for a couple of minutes and switch sides.
7.) Improve Your Posture With A Chest & Shoulder Opener: Downward Facing Dog Using A Wall, Table Or Chair
Downward Facing Dog at a wall or table is a gentler version of the traditional yoga posture. It helps those who have tighter/shorter hamstrings, tighter lower back or tighter shoulders get the benefits of the posture. Downward Facing Dog stretches the hamstrings, back, and shoulders. The posture also helps people find a long spine and core engagement.
To practice Downward Facing Dog on the wall, face the wall and bring the palms of your hands to shoulder width distance on the wall in front of you. Walk your feet back until your back becomes straight. You might need to slide the hands down a bit. You will create an upside down “L” shape with your body. Your spine is lengthened long and your navel draws in to support your lower back. Hold the posture for 10 rounds of breath.
8.) Reduce Your Swayback: Child’s Pose
Child’s pose is wonderful for those who have tight lower backs. There are two versions of child’s pose: one that works deeper into the hips with the knees wide, and one that works deeper flexion into the spine with the knees together.
You don’t need any props to practice child’s pose. Come down into a tabletop position, bring your knees to touch and your big toes to touch and press your hips back toward your heels. Rest your forehead on the mat or on a yoga block or pillow if your head doesn’t reach the floor. Hold for 2-4 minutes.
I hope you find this blog post helpful. If you would like to learn more about strengthening poses specifically related to the postural muscles, read my post on back strengthening yoga poses. If you have lower back pain, please take a look at my four-part series on back pain, where I discuss restorative yoga for better posture as well as active yoga postures to help strengthen your core and back.
Congrats! Embarking on a yoga teacher training course will absolutely change your life, and that’s why it’s so important to choose the right yoga instructor course for YOU. I have personally taken a handful of yoga teacher training courses that have ranged from really freakin’ awesome to ugh… what a waste of money, time, etc. I want to make sure you find the yoga instructor course that works best for you, your needs, your lifestyle, and your practice.
Here are eleven questions you should definitely ask any yoga school before signing on the dotted line.
1.) Is the yoga instructor course registered with the Yoga Alliance?
Yoga Alliance provides the minimum standard for which a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher training must meet. The Yoga Alliance outlines a minimum number of hours to be spent on each topic: philosophy, anatomy, practicum, methodology, etc.
I’ve heard horror stories where yoga instructors were duped into taking a yoga instructor course not registered with the Yoga Alliance and their teacher training fell way short.
While Yoga Alliance isn’t a perfect organization, it does provide a bit of necessary accountability to instructors leading yoga teacher training courses.
2.) Who are the lead yoga instructors? What’s their experience? What style(s) do they teach?
You will spend a LOT of time with your yoga instructors and your fellow yoga teacher trainees. I recommend chatting with the lead instructors before the teacher training begins. Find out what the lead yoga instructors are passionate about. What do they love to teach?
If possible, you should take a class with the instructor before the teacher training. Do you actually enjoy their class? Would you like to teach the way they teach? Some instructors will invite you to take a class with them at a local studio or give you a video link to preview. Familiarize yourself with their teaching style and explore other styles too.
What type of yoga will you be learning? Vinyasa? Iyengar? Bikram? Ashtanga? Restorative? Yin? Hatha? Integral? Kundalini? Make sure their teachings align with what you want to learn AND with what you want to teach.
3.) Where is your yoga teacher training course located?
Will the training be in your hometown or abroad? Is the training held at a yoga studio, retreat center, or conference room? Will all of your class sessions be in the same place? Are portions of your yoga teacher training done online?
What time of year is the yoga instructor course? Is it in the summer or winter? Is it during the rainy season or dry season? I personally wouldn’t throw out a yoga teacher training course just because it is in the offseason… you’re doing yoga and learning the whole time anyway, but if it’s important to you, then take note.
4.) What are the expenses associated with your yoga instructor course?
Typical 200 hour yoga teacher trainings cost between $2300 and $4500 USD. Sometimes these trainings are all-inclusive, other times it’s just the training that is included.
There are often additional expenses associated with yoga teacher trainings. Examples of additional expenses include: books, manuals, private lessons for missed hours and registration with the Yoga Alliance.
If the yoga teacher training course isn’t in your hometown, then you will also need to factor in accommodation, meals, and possibly flights.
5.) What is not included in the training?
Make sure you know exactly what is included and what is not included in your yoga teacher training.
Also, note that your registration as a Yoga Alliance registered yoga instructor is typically not included in your course fees. The Yoga Alliance registration isn’t much, so don’t let that deter you from becoming a yoga instructor.
Books are often not included either…. which is a good thing. You can often find used copies for cheaper online on Amazon or similar.
If it’s a destination yoga teacher training, then accommodation and meals are frequently included, but not always. You might as well double check.
6.) How many teacher trainees do they accept?
There are benefits to both larger and smaller yoga teacher trainings. In larger groups, you have an opportunity to connect with more like minded people and see more bodies in their yoga practice. In a smaller group you will receive more one-on-one time from your instructors, develop closer relationships with your classmates and have more time to practice teaching yoga. What do you value most? Choose accordingly.
7.) How long will it take to become certified? What is required to receive certification?
Some yoga teacher trainings are done in an intensive format, typically around three weeks long, others are spread out over a few months or even a year. All formats have their benefits. In an intensive you are fully immersed in the yoga lifestyle. In a longer training you have more time to integrate between sessions.
Are there any additional papers or online classes that you will need to complete before you receive your certification? I didn’t look into this for my 300 hour yoga teacher training and I realized that I was going to have to essentially write a masters thesis to receive my certificate. Whoops! I learned my lesson.
You will also likely be required to attend a certain percentage of class hours to reach the minimum requirement set out by Yoga Alliance. The lead instructors for your yoga course will also have their own standards of attendance.
8.) What’s their policy on attendance, cancellation, etc.?
Each yoga teacher training course will have different policies regarding attendance, cancellations, etc. Some teacher trainings allow you to make up time with private sessions (usually at a cost), extra book reports, or self-study.
Know the yoga teacher training course’s policies. If you know the policies then you won’t be surprised when something does come up.
9.) How much yoga experience is required to participate?
Many yoga teacher training courses require you to have a minimum number of years or hours of practice under your belt. Some yoga instructor courses are more flexible on this requirement and some are more strict.
A few courses may even require that you practice at their studio for a certain number of hours/months/years before acceptance into their yoga instructor course.
10.) Will the program teach you how to modify for those with injuries? How to teach beginners? How to teach all levels?
No matter where you end up teaching after taking a yoga teacher training course, you will end up with beginners in your classes and you will end up having people with injuries in class too. It’s important, from a safety standpoint, to be able to teach both of these populations.
11.) What are the yoga instructors passionate about teaching? How do they teach?
Are the instructors passionate about teaching anatomy? Are they passionate about story telling, theme-ing, philosophy? Do they teach from their mat? Do they walk around the room? Do they demo? Do they use their hands? Do they use their voice to speed class up or slow things down? Do they teach pranayama and meditation? Do they teach the business of yoga?
You should find out as much as you can! It’s okay to ask to see their syllabus too. You’re paying good money to enroll in their training, so they should be happy to answer your questions.
I hope this blog post helps clear up some of your questions. I also recommend that you reach out to your yoga instructors in your community and ask them about their experience with teacher trainings. In hindsight, what would they have done differently?
Don’t we all want to fall asleep faster, improve the quality of our sleep, and wake feeling well rested? I know I do. It’s taken me 30+ years to master my evening routine and truly practice good sleep hygiene. I still have off days, but for the most part I’ve become a great sleeper. In this post we will talk about the healthy sleep habits and routines you will need to master to get your best sleep ever.
It’s time to throw out your old, bad sleeping habits and replace them with ones that will actually help you get a good night’s sleep. If you want to get better sleep, it’s time to make a few simple changes to your evening routine.
Are you getting enough sleep? The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults and young adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you’re not practicing good sleep hygiene then you may not be receiving enough sleep. Sleep deprivation affects your entire being.
Increases incidence of depression (by five times that of the normal population).
Accelerates aging in the skin.
May cause weight gain and obesity (and makes losing weight more difficult).
Is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality.
Increases the risk of death.
That’s more than enough reasons for me to make sure I get adequate rest and establish the best healthy sleep habits I can. I’m sure it’s enough for you too!
Here are eleven tips to uplevel your evening routine and finally develop good sleep hygiene.
1. ) Good sleep hygiene starts with an earlier, lighter dinner
For me, eating an earlier, lighter dinner is my keystone habit for wellbeing. If I don’t eat an early, light dinner I struggle to fall asleep when I want to, I struggle to wake up when I want/need to and I feel sluggish the entire next day. For healthy digestion and sleep it’s important to eat dinner at least two-three hours before you want to go to sleep. In our house it means dinner is done by 7pm (most nights) and the kitchen is closed.
No snacking after dinner. If you must snack before bed, then make sure it’s healthy and nutritious. On nights when I’m feeling hunger pains before bed I fix up a cup of warm golden mylk. The warmth of the golden mylk is comforting and their are just enough calories in the coconut or nut mylk to stave off my hunger.
Another tip to making an earlier, lighter dinner work for you is to have a larger lunch with plenty of protein, vegetables and carbs. A larger, well-balanced lunch will keep you satisfied until dinner and you’ll be able to eat less at dinner.
2.) Get proper exercise
Moving your body is huge. And knowing which type of exercise is best for your constitution, or dosha, is also huge. It’s imperative to get the right type of exercise for your dosha. Do you know what your dosha type is? Take this dosha test.
Kapha types, who tend towards excessive sleep, can exercise with a strong physical yoga practice like vinyasa yoga, or running, cycling, etc. Kapha types, should exercise first thing in the morning. Movement early in the day improves circulation and digestion, removes kapha sluggishness and improve mental clarity and focus.
Vata types, who tend to wake in the middle of the night, need gentle and grounding instead. Those who are more vata should try activities like walking, hiking, gentle cycling, yoga, or chi gong.
Pitta types, who tend to burn the midnight oil, should try activities like walking, hiking, light jogging, swimming, cycling or yoga in the morning or evening (when it is coolest).
3.) Incorporate stress management into your evening routine
Stress management is easier said than done. Nearly all adults have experienced disrupted sleep due to stress related anxiety. Meditation, yoga, pranayama, exercise, and yoga nidra are all proven to be effective in reducing stress.
4.) Create a bedtime routine that focuses on healthy sleep habits
What do you do before bed each night? Here is a chance to really create healthy sleep habits that will nurture and nourish you. Give yourself plenty of time to wind down. My husband, Steve, and I both tend to be workaholics. We have a strict no work after dinner policy because we know that once we get started it’s a slippery slope that leads to late night jam sessions and sleep deprivation.
After dinner, clean your kitchen, walk the dogs, bathe the children and then give yourself some time to rest and relax; curl up with a book and a cup of relaxing tea like chamomile, do a few restorative yoga poses, take a bath with jasmine and rose essential oils. According to Ayurveda, rose and jasmine are said to reduce stress, open the heart, and purify negative emotions.
In Ayurveda, the daily routine is called dinacharya. If you’re wondering how you can start your day better, check out this article on the Ayruvedic morning routine.
5.) Aim to be in bed between 9 and 10 pm
According to Ayurveda, the time between 6am and 10am and 6pm and 10pm is dominated by kapha. Kapha is often described as dense, slow, and heavy. In the Ayurvedic practice they recommend that you’re in bed and asleep by 10pm, so you don’t get caught up in the second wind of pitta, which is associated with action and activity.
If you follow the healthy sleep habits of the Ayurvedic practices you want to rise by 6am each morning. At 6am, the energy of day is transitioning from the lightness of vata into the heavy, slow, dense energy of kapha. Have you ever noticed that if you stay in bed a little bit longer that you feel more tired and sluggish? This is why!
Remember. our bodies need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to function optimally. Early to bed, early to rise.
6.) Avoid stimulants like caffeine and nicotine before bed
I think this should be a no-brainer, but none the less I will include it in my list of good sleep hygiene tips because sometimes we forget. I have a rule of no caffeine after 4pm. What do I do if I’m tired? Move my body. I get my blood flowing. I go on a walk, shake it out, have a mini dance party or practice a couple of inversions. Way better than caffeine… I promise.
As for nicotine, there are so many reasons not to smoke, dip, etc. Just don’t.
7.) Alcohol in moderation
Alcohol is a depressant and may help you fall asleep faster, but overall quality of sleep is sacrificed. Too much alcohol disrupts sleep and diminishes the quality of sleep as your body processes the alcohol. Your body wastes precious energy breaking down the alcohol instead of using it to restore the rest of your cells.
8.) Expose yourself to natural light (and darkness) everyday
Exposure to natural light helps the brain and body stay on a healthy circadian rhythm. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the circadian system keeps us in sync with the 24-hour day. Our body’s internal clock sends signals to many different parts in the body, affecting things like digestion, the release of certain hormones, body temperature, and much more. Our circadian system also helps us adjust to jet lag and seasonal changes in daylight. It’s an adaptive system that allows us to be alert when we need to be alert and rest when we need to rest. Those with circadian rhythm disorders will need extra help creating new healthy sleep habits.
8.) Self massage
Self massage, or abhyanga as it is called in Ayurveda, is the simple practice of massaging your body. A full body massage is typically done in the morning with warm sesame oil. In the evening, rubbing warm ghee into the temples and navel can help promote relaxation.
One of my favorite parts of my evening routine is to rub essential oil mixed into a carrier oil onto the soles of my feet. For a good night’s sleep I like to rub lavender, frankincense, cedarwood, vetiver, jasmine and/or rose essential oils onto the soles of my feet. The scents are grounding energetically and calming to the nervous system.
9.) Make your bedroom a sacred space
One of the most important parts of good sleep hygiene is turning your bedroom into a sanctuary. Clear out the clutter, get rid of anything unnecessary, install soft lighting, and the best linens and mattress you can afford. Set some ground rules for the bedroom too: no screen time, no work talk, all kids/pets out of the room at a certain time.
10.) Good sleep hygiene includes eliminating screen time in the evening
One of the most important healthy sleep habits is to remove electronic devices from the bedroom. The blue light from laptop, tv, and cell phone screens is no bueno for your health and your quality of sleep.
Associate neuroscientist at BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Dr. Anne-Marie Chung states, “We know from previous work that light from screens in the evening alters sleepiness and alertness, and suppresses melatonin levels.” In Chung’s study they found, “iPad readers took longer to fall asleep, felt less sleepy at night and had shorter REM sleep compared to the book readers, researchers found. The iPad readers also secreted less melatonin, which helps regulate your sleep. They were also more tired than book readers the following day, even if both got a full eight hours of sleep.”
Even though I typically read paper books before bed I still struggle with this one. I use my phone as my alarm clock, which means I have to get on it to set my alarm, which usually turns into checking email or social media. I’m thinking I need to go old school and get an analog alarm clock! Do you struggle with this too?
11.) Keep a journal by your bed
Journaling is a great way to wind down. Before bed, take a moment to jot down a few things you’re grateful for in your journal. Also, when an idea does strike you in the middle of the night, know that you can write it down in your journal and go back to sleep. Once your mind knows that the idea is safe and sound (and won’t be forgotten) you’ll hopefully be able to drift off to dreamland quickly.
12.) Alternate nostril breathing
Is one of my favorite breath work practices because of it’s calming effect. It gives the brain something to do and simultaneously balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and calms the nervous system.
Alternate nostril breathing, or nadi shodhana, is practiced by bringing your right hand up in front of your face and taking your index finger and middle finger to your third eye, your thumb rests on your right nostril and your ring finger rests on your left nostril. To begin, block your right nostril gently and inhale to a four count through your left nostril; block your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril for a four count; keep your left nostril blocked and inhale through your right nostril for a four count; block your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril for a four count. Practice alternate nostril breathing for 5-10 minutes right before bed.
To simplify, one round equals:
Inhale left
Exhale right
Inhale right
Exhale left
13.) Create a bedtime yoga routine
Create a bedtime yoga routine by linking together a series of gentle yoga poses. Restorative yoga and yin yoga are both great to practice before bed because the majority of the postures stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (your relaxation response). A few postures to try are child’s pose, seated forward fold, supine twist and reclined butterfly pose.
I hope you see that a few “simple” lifestyle changes to your evening routine can help improve your sleep hygiene, so you can get the rest you need. Start incorporating one or two of these healthy sleep habits and you’ll be well on your way to a better night’s sleep. Good sleep and nourishing meals are the key ingredients to our vitality and quality of life. What tips do you use to sleep better? Do you already have some of these sleep hygiene habits automated? Share what works for you in the comments below.
Ambuja Yoga 
