pillow-supported bedtime yoga for better sleep + week of workouts

Training with mostly easy runs and mobility the month of December, and also emphasizing general healing and wellbeing as I cruise through the holidays. One aspect of our athletic endeavors sometimes undermined in our routines is relaxation and, more specifically, sleep. I am not one to receive 8+ hours per night often. I work a very early job (often with wakeups between 3:15 and 4:30 am) and find it near impossible to adhere to an obscenely early bedtime when J works until 6p and I want to have dinner and together time with him before I check out for the evening.

Yoga can help. Deeper, more restorative sleep is easier when the body is given the chance to fully relax and destress. A gentle pre-bed yoga routine can take 5-10 minutes and do wonders for our evening cycles. Bonus points that every posture listed is doable atop our cozy mattresses! This sequence emphasizes mindful, even breathing and connectedness with the tension in even the smallest areas of the body. The use of a pillow as a prop – preferably a good, firm one, or even two – supports sensitive regions, such as the low back, knees, and hips, and deepens the stretches to release tension seeded far below the surfaces of the muscle fibers.

As for this week’s workouts, my mileage was higher than I expected but the weather was too perfect to pass up. I’m feeling a little tired in the legs, though, so next week I’d imagine my casual run days won’t be as prolonged. I am working to rebuild my long run mileage so Big Sur training doesn’t wallop me across the face come January!

Related: In-flight Yoga Postures for Fatigue | Yoga Flow for a Hectic Day

Monday, 12/2: 3.17 miles, 8:56 pace

Tuesday, 12/3: 6.45 miles, 9:19 pace

Wednesday, 12/4: 25 min elliptical intervals + 35 min lift & resistance band + 1 hour teaching yoga

Thursday, 12/5: 5.37 miles, 9:20 pace – 10 x :30 mixed-pace intervals w. 1 min jog recoveries

Friday, 12/6: 3.13 mile walk + 15 min upper body strength + meditation class!

Saturday, 12/7: 5.05 miles, 9:22 pace

Sunday, 12/8: 8.39 miles, 9:40 pace – aerobic long run

Total mileage: 28.43

Pillow-Supported Bedtime Yoga

Hold each posture for at least :30 but up to several minutes, as feels good on your body.

1. Child’s Pose

2. Supported Hero

3. Supta-Badhakonasana

4. Legs Up the Wall with low back support

5. Supported Savasana