I’ve always been a light sleeper. I remember being amazed as a young girl that my father could crash on the couch for a fifteen-minute nap – and fall asleep immediately. It was the same with airplanes, long car rides, and at the beach.

As I got older sleeping became more and more of an issue for me. College dorm rooms never seemed to be quiet enough. Stress from exams, internships and my first job had a drastic impact on the quality and quantity of sleep I was getting. By the time I graduated from college, I was carefully planning my schedule so that I never had social events two nights in a row – a cushion I had to create in case I slept horribly the night before. Talk about killing time.

I’m now about 90% reformed, and my restorative yoga practice has a lot to do with that (in addition to changing my diet, vitamins and meditating). The best way I can think to explain this is that restorative classes taught my body what it feels like to be in a deep, relaxed state, and it’s now fairly easy for me to access that place on my own at nighttime.

Here are two of my favorite restorative poses. May they help you access that beautiful quiet, peace we all have inside of us!

1.) Legs up the wall. This pose is often recommended to people with insomnia, and it’s also very beneficial for those who are standing for long periods of time during the day. *You don’t need a bolster to do this. A blanket underneath your low back and buttocks works as well.

2.) Hug a bolster. This pose makes me feel really supported, in an almost childlike way. My body feels like it can relax because someone else is doing the work. A great sensation!  (You can also use a big pillow instead of a bolster.)