Ssshh! Falling Asleep the Way You Like To

by Nina

Pink Clouds by Marie Lossky

"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases." Carl Jung

I've had more than one person ask me the same question about my post recommending practicing breath awareness or pranayama in bed for insomnia (see Yoga for Better Sleep: Workshop and Tip). The question had to do with the position you should take while you are practicing in bed:

Was wondering whether this breath practice was to relax you enough so that you can then turn over and fall asleep or to fall asleep while doing this practice? If you are to fall asleep while doing the practice and you happen to be someone who cannot fall asleep laying on your back, do you then do the practice in the position that you fall asleep in?

The simple answer is: it's up to you! The description I provided of practicing on your back with your hands on your belly just happens to be the way I do it, at least most of the time. It was never meant as a prescription.

Although breath awareness and pranayama are typically taught either in seated positions or supine positions (on the back), in this case your aim—the opposite of that for a formal breath practice—is to fall asleep. So you will need to experiment to see what works best for you. Maybe you'll practice on your back until you feel ready to turn over and fall asleep. Or maybe you'll practice in your typical sleeping position and fall asleep while practicing. As it happens, I've also been taught to practice pranayama in supported Child's pose, feeling my breath in my back body, so practicing in a prone position (face down) even turns out to be legit!

Supported Child's Pose

Or, if you practice on your back, you might, to your own surprise, find yourself drifting off to sleep in that position, maybe even turning over in your sleep. (To be honest, I'm pretty sure I've done all these things, at one time or another.) And what works one night (or one month) may not work at another time, for any number of reasons, including physical ones, such as having a cold or a physical problem that requires a change in your sleep position.

The point is: Ssshh! It's dark, no one is looking, and you can do whatever you want!

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