Work your way to a good night’s sleep, beginning with these yoga moves by instructor Hansen Lee, writes Aznim Ruhana Md Yusup
1. SEATED TWIST POSE (BHARADVADJASANA)
Sit with legs straight, then shift onto your right buttock, bend your knees and swing your legs to the left. Lay your feet on the floor outside your left hip, with the left ankle resting in the right arch.
Inhale to prepare, then exhale and twist your torso to the right, keeping the left buttock on or very close to the floor.
Tuck your left hand under your right knee and bring your right hand to the floor just beside your right buttock or reach it around the back of your waist towards the left hip. Stay for 30-60 seconds and then repeat on other side.
2. BODY TWIST AND LEG BENT (MARICHYASANA)
Sit upright with legs extended forward. Bend your right knee and bring the heel as close to the sitting bone as feels possible. Your right foot is outside the left knee and flat on the ground. Keep the left foot straight while left knee and toes are pointing up.
Turn your upper body gently towards the right, so that the left shoulder rotates towards the right leg and the right shoulder rotates back. Turn your head right as well.
If possible, anchor the left elbow on the outer right knee. Otherwise, gently place you left palm on top of the right knee. Stay for 30-60 seconds before repeating on the other side.
3. WIDE-ANGLE SEATED FORWARD BEND (UPAVISTA KONASANA)
This pose works the inner legs, groin and hamstring. Just like the previous two poses, sit upright with your legs straight in front of you. Lean your torso back slightly, then open your legs to an angle of about 90°.
Press your hands against the floor and slide your buttocks forward, widening the legs another 10 to 20 ° or as wide as you’re comfortable with. Rotate the thigh outwardly so that your knee caps point straight upwards.
Move your hands slowly towards your toes and keep the arms long. Slowly fold your torso forward, moving from the hip joints (not waist). Once you feel a comfortable stretch in the back of the legs, you can maintain the pose and stay for 60 seconds or longer.
4. BOUND ANGLE POSE (BADDHAKONASA)
Also called the cobbler pose, this pose strengthens the hips, legs, lower back and abdomen. It also stretches the knees, thighs and groins.
From a seated position, bring the bottoms of the feet together with the knees bent out to the sides and interlace the fingers around the toes. Drop the shoulders down and back, and press the chest towards the front. Press the knees down towards the floor to open the hips.
Keep the back flat and the chest open, then exhale and set your gaze in front. Stay for 60 seconds or more.
5. FISH POSE (MATSYASANA)
Lie on your back. Keep feet together and hands relaxed alongside the body. Then place your hands underneath the hips with palms facing down. Bring your elbows close toward each other.
Inhale and lift the head and chest up. Keeping the chest elevated, lower the head backward with the top of your head lightly touching the floor. Press the elbows firmly into the ground, placing the weight on the elbow and not on the head. Lift your chest up.
Press thighs and legs to the floor. Hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable doing so. To release, lift the head and lower the chest to the floor. Remove hands to the side of the body and relax.