Yoga for Better Sleep Workshop and Tip

by Nina

Cairns by Nina Zolotow

I don’t teach workshops very often, but when I do, I focus on topics I really care about. My upcoming workshop on Saturday April 6th, 2-5pm at Brentwood Yoga Center focuses on one of my favorite topics: Yoga for Better Sleep. (to register, go to http://brentwoodyogacenter.com/workshops ) This is topic is dear to my heart because, well, it’s something I have to practice myself on a regular basis. Even small amounts of stress can disrupt my ability to fall sleep or to sleep soundly (interestingly, that’s something that seems to run in my family). Fortunately I’ve learned a number of techniques both for reducing my stress levels in general and for lulling myself to sleep while I’m in bed. And my feeling about teaching these techniques to others is that if I’ve helped just one person to achieve better sleep, than I’ve been successful!

I’ve written about this topic in general on the blog (see Day to Night and Yoga for Insomnia, Part 1). But the other night as I was lying in bed not sleeping, I realized that if I had to choose one single technique above all the others, it would be the breath practice I turn to almost automatically these days. And I decided then and there I wanted to share it with you all.

For most of us, what is happening when we’re lying in bed sleepless is that our minds are churning, thinking about the day’s events, ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, which stimulates our nervous systems. Turning our minds to a neutral focus, such as the breath, allows us to let go—at least temporarily—of those disturbing thoughts and helps calm the nervous system, switching on the relaxation response. And in my case, after 10 to 20 minutes of breath practice, I almost always end up drifting back to sleep.

Start by practicing simple breath awareness. This means focusing your mind on how your breath moves in your body, perhaps on how your belly rises and falls with your breath or, if it’s easier, how your chest moves with your breath. You could also focus on the more subtle sensations, such as the feeling of your breath moving in and out or your nostrils or, if you prefer, the sound your breath makes in your body. I actually like to lie on my back with my hands on my  belly because that makes it very easy for me to feel the movement in my abdomen.

For some of you, this simple practice may be enough. For myself, I like to use a more structured technique of extending my exhalation. Extending the exhalation in particular helps calm the nervous system (your heart rate slows on your exhalation) but I also find it engages my mind more completely. To do this, when you reach the end of your exhalation, simply add a beat or two—without straining—before turning on to your inhalation. Keep it relaxed and easy. And if the practice aggravates you, simply return to your natural breath.

If at any point you realize your attention has wandered from your breath (it will, of course), simply—and without self judgment—bring your attention back to your breath.

I confess that, in addition to all that, I also count my breaths. I got the idea from Baxter who showed me a technique using your fingers that he learned when he studied at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Madiram. This really helps me keep my mind engaged, and when I start to really lose track of where I am, that’s when I’m starting to fall asleep. However, this may be, well, too anal for you. (Hey, I’m just trying to be honest about what I really do—and what really works for me.) Basically, you need to experiment and see what works for you. Maybe you’ll even come up with new variations. If whatever you are doing is working, then it’s right for you.

You can do this breath practice every night when you get into bed or just on those nights when you start to realize—it sometimes takes a while catch yourself—that you’re having trouble falling asleep or are wide awake in the middle of the night.

I have more tricks up my sleeve and hope to share them with some of you in person at my April workshop, but in the meantime, if I help just one person.....

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There Are Some Nice Dental Appliances For Sleep Apnea Out There

By Krystal Branch

Sleep apnea is a common disorder which most people don't even know they have. Most of you do realize that you snore or have a partner who snores. Snoring can often be a sign that one has this problem. Luckily there are various dental appliances for sleep apnea.

It is a scary consideration that most of us might have severe apnea and not even be aware of it. Surely though when you wake up in the mornings and you don't feel refreshed something is wrong. Or you even if you wake yourself and your partner up several times a night and might not even remember it; this should be a clue that you need to be checked for a sleeping disorder.

If you feel tired, lethargic or moody, and always seem to have a headache, this may be the time to visit a specialized clinic to check whether you have this issue. This is true especially if you snore. You might be overweight and perhaps you smoke or drink. These are all traits which encourage this problem to occur.

A dental technician will advise you to try an oral type of mouth guard. It is an oral device which can easily be inserted every night before sleeping. There are options to buy these appliances without consulting a dental technician. These are guards which need to be heated to make them pliable. You then bite into them so that your teeth create a mold of your bite. These are fairly inexpensive but are not as effective as a custom made version.

Also try to lose weight, if that is a problem and most definitely stop smoking. The next medical solution would be to use a special oral appliance which has been designed to work with the tongue or lower jaw position. The mandible repositioning device pushes the lower jaw forward and slightly downwards, whereas the tongue repositioning device keeps the tongue in place. Both maximize the amount of air that can flow freely through your air passages.

This type of oral appliance uses a technique to keep the airways clear of any obstruction such as the tongue, to help ease breathing. This obstructions occurs when the tissues collapse and draw closer together, which blocks the inflow of air during rest. The oral appliance can either drop the jaw slightly or keep the tongue out of the way to correct this problem.

All of the mouth guards may look very different, but that is because each one is molded uniquely for its owner. A gentler case of this issue can definitely be treated with this type of management; however, breathing pressure devices such as a type of nose clip or surgery may also be suggested. This depends on the severity of the case.

Our lifestyle can adversely be affected due to chronic rest deprivation, not to mention the dangers associated with this issue. Risks such as heart complications, strokes or even diabetes have been linked to this disorder. It is therefore a good idea to try the dental appliances for sleep apnea, they could effectively cure you of the problem and you can once again return to a normal sleeping pattern.

About the Author:

You can visit apneaandsnoring.com for more helpful information about People Are Turning To Dental Appliances For Sleep Apnea.

Conscious Relaxation vs Sleep

by Nina

Naushon Meadow by Brad Gibson

Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night with your heart racing, short of breath, mouth dry, and thoughts racing? Maybe you just had a nightmare. Or maybe your mind was spinning, worrying about some difficulty at home or at work, or even about a disaster somewhere else in the world. Then you know intuitively that sleep is not necessarily “relaxing.”

Dr. Herbert Bensen, who originally discovered the relaxation response (see here for information), tells us that sleep, although necessary for our physical and emotional wellbeing, is a very different state than conscious relaxation. In The Relaxation Response he identified the following four basic differences:

1. Dreams can actually cause stress when you have a nightmare and anxiety dream. On the other hand, during conscious relaxation, the production of stress hormones gradually decreases. And your other symptoms of stress, including physical and emotional sensations, gradually diminish. 
2. During conscious relaxation, your consumption of oxygen  decreases by 10 to 20 percent during the first 3 minutes of practice (during sleep it decreases only 8 percent after about 4 or 5 hours). In the Rest and Digest state, you body needs less oxygen than when you're in the Flight or Fight state (and are preparing to run or fight). 
3. During conscious relaxation, your levels of blood lactate—a substance associated with anxiety attacks—fall rapidly within the first 10 minutes of conscious relaxation. As you relax, your thoughts stop racing and your mind quiets while your body is resting and digesting. 
4. Slow brain waves (alpha waves), which are not commonly found during sleep, become more intense and frequent during conscious relaxation. 

Dr. Roger Cole, a sleep researcher and long-time yoga teacher, says that during rest or meditation our brain waves may slow to the alpha rhythm (8-12 cycles per second), during which we remain quietly aware of ourselves and our surroundings, without a lot of self-directed mental processing. Sometimes they may slow even further to the theta rhythm (4-7 cycles per second), during which we may get a “floating” feeling, dreamlike mental imagery, and withdrawal from the outside world. There is still much that is unknown about these unique states, but what is known is that regular practice of conscious relaxation helps foster ongoing feelings of serenity, contentment, and even happiness. 

Now you can see why taking a nap or sleeping in on Sunday morning just won’t produce the same results as yoga. On the other hand, practicing conscious relaxation on a regular basis will not only provide you with immediate relief, it can also reduce your overall stress levels, so you can maintain your health and face the difficulties that life presents with greater equanimity. To be honest, I don’t practice conscious relaxation just because I’m hoping that it will reduce my chances of getting heart disease or having a stroke in the future (although that’s definitely a bonus), I do it because it makes my life better, right here, right now.

Furthermore, as anti-intuitive as it might seem, relaxing while you are awake can even help you sleep better. When you are under great stress, it is difficult to fall asleep. Or, if you can fall asleep (because you are so tired) you often can’t stay asleep. To sleep well, your nervous system needs to be relaxed (if you are in a state of stress, you will be wakeful and alert, watching for danger) and your mind needs to be quiet (if your thoughts are racing, reviewing the past or worrying about the future, you will have a hard time settling down). But conscious relaxation, especially practiced before bed, will relax your nervous system and quiet your mind. And any of the methods I listed in my Monday post will produce these results. See here for further information.

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