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When mobility is limited, yoga in bed is a life-enhancing and joyous activity.

 

At home with yoga

Yoga studios are incredible places of sanctuary, peace, and well-being. I’ve been to many, all over the world, and I feel right at home at each of the yoga studios I’ve visited. But the truth is, yoga can be done anywhere. It’s easy to create your own personal yoga sanctuary at home, with everyday objects, even in your own bed.

For many of us, a bed-based practice is best. Why? Our beds are accessible—all the time. The bed holds no barriers and it’s comfortable, no matter what physical abilities we have.

I recommend a bed-based yoga practice to absolutely anyone. It’s a great way to settle down to sleep at night, a gentle way to wake up in the morning, and a therapeutic treatment for insomnia.

For some of us, yoga in bed is the only accessible option.

 

How is yoga done in bed?

First, make sure you’re centred on the mattress so you don’t risk falling if you roll to the side. Have at least two or three pillows on hand to support the head and neck, spine, and knees. You can do your bed-based yoga under your blanket if you feel cool, or have someone help you fold your blanket down if you tend to feel hot.

I like to begin a bed-based practice by guiding people through gentle movements of the feet, hands, and arms first. These are all done in rhythm with the breath. Already, the lungs and circulatory system are getting exercised.

Following that, I usually recommend some movement in the spine and the core muscles. By now, all the major joints and organs have gotten some attention.

As we lie back, we can practice eye yoga as well. Oh-so important for our overworked eyes in a visual world!

Bed is also the perfect place to do a guided meditation or yoga nidra to focus the mind and release any residual tension in the body.

 

The benefits of yoga in bed

Gentle movements, breathwork, and meditation in bed can help reduce pain, swelling, and stiffness. Your lung capacity and circulation improves with each yoga practice, as does your mood.

When we are bed-bound, we often lack the stimulation of going out into the world. Brain fog is a common result, as the hours and days begin to blur into each other. The clarity of mind that follows a yoga practice is the perfect antidote.

If you, or someone you love, is bed-bound, it can seem as if the opportunities to get involved in life’s pleasures are painfully narrow. Yoga is not only possible when mobility is limited, but it’s a life-enhancing and joyous activity.

To get started on a bed-based yoga practice, try my free 30 minute morning practice online, or reach out for a customized private lesson with Transition Yoga. We’d love to practice with you!

 


About the author: Erika McDougall has been practicing yoga since the 1990s. In 2020, a bad fall on the stairs left her virtually bed-bound for months. Yoga helped her recover. She’s now a certified yoga teacher, with 300+ hours of training from Yoga Therapy Toronto, and the founder of Transition Yoga. She specializes in yoga for positive aging and palliative care.

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