How to Do Yoga in Bed

Co-authored by Atthena Breitton, E-RYT 500

Last Updated: July 11, 2022

Yoga can be both invigorating and relaxing. For this reason, many people enjoy yoga in bed when they're waking up and falling asleep. There are a variety of yoga poses that can be done safely from bed.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Doing Yoga to Wake Up

1
Lie on your back as soon as you wake up from sleep. When you wake up in the morning, roll over onto your back right away. Practice a quick warm up pose, involving deep breathing and stretching, to wake yourself up from sleep.
- Place your feet together and open your knees. Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.^{[1]
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- Take slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose. Make sure your hands rise up. You want your body to expand with your breaths. Hold in the air for a few moments and then exhale naturally. Repeat for 10 breaths.^{[2]
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Practice several lying down poses. Once you've woken up a little with deep breathing, there are several yoga poses you can do in bed lying down. It's easiest to transition into these poses after the breathing exercise.
- The "Happy Baby" helps soothe and stretch your back. Draw your knees to your ribcage while keeping your hips on the mattress. Grab your feet around the big toe area and pull your knees down towards your rib cage. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths.^{[3]
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- The "Supported Shoulder Stand" involves using your pillow to prop up your hips. This increases blood flow, which can help wake you up. Try to elevate your hips above your heart with the pillow and then stick your legs straight up in the air. Try to keep your legs as straight as possible, with minimal bending of the knees. Try to hold the pose for 10 breaths or more.^{[4]
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- The "Fish Pose" involves bringing your hands under your hips while curling your back. Lift your chest above your shoulders. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths. This is a particularly energizing pose, so try to do it as the sun is coming up.^{[5]
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- The "Supine Twist" allows you to add some movement into your poses. Lie flat on your back and hug your knees to your chest. Hold your legs behind your knees and, using your forearm, slowly bring your knees to the right side of the bed. Then, move them to the left side of the bed. Repeat for 5 to 10 sets.^{[6]
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Make use of the wall if necessary. You can also make use of your bedroom wall when doing early morning yoga. If you're a beginner at yoga and holding your legs for some of the poses is difficult, feel free to prop your legs up against your wall. With time, you should be able to do the poses without the use of the wall.^{[7]
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Sit upright and do some poses from there. Once you've done a series of lying down poses, move to the upright position. There are many energizing yoga poses you can do sitting in your bed.
- In the "Seated Eagle," sit in a cross legged position on the mattress. Wrap your right elbow over your left elbow so your arms are entwined with your fingers touching. While dropping your shoulders, left your elbows upward. Lengthen your spine, take a few breaths, then round the spine from chin to chest in order to stretch the lower back. After 5 to 10 breaths, uncross your arms and then repeat the process.^{[8]
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- For the "Child's Pose," kneel on your mattress. Make sure your big toes are touching but separate your knees so they're as far apart as your hips. Move your head forward until it's between your thighs. Stay in the pose for as long as your feel comfortable.^{[9]
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- The "Pigeon Pose" is a somewhat more advanced pose, so unless you've been doing yoga for a bit you might want to hold off. However, if you're experienced in yoga it can be a great way to stretch your legs. Keeping your hands shoulder distance apart, stand on all fours. Then, move your right knee between your hands, allowing your outer right leg to rest on the mattress. Stretch your left leg backwards so your foot is lying flat on the mattress. Stay in the pose for as long as is comfortable. Then, switch the position of your legs.^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Doing Yoga to Fall Asleep

1
Sit down in your bed and do several poses. There are several yoga poses that can help you fall asleep as they tend to be relaxing in nature. Sit down on the bed first and do some poses before moving into the lying down position.
- The "Janu Sirsasana" involves sitting without slouching and extending both legs straight in front of you. Move the right knee inward and then, inhaling, lengthen your spine. Bend forward and hold onto the left leg, focusing on the big toe to help clear the mind. Focus on your breath moving in and out, holding the pose as long as is comfortable. Then, repeat on the other side.
- The "Bound Angle Pose" involves sitting with the soles of the feet touching and knees spread to the side. Bring your feet inward, as close towards the groin as is comfortable for you. Inhale and lengthen the spine. Exhale, while bending forward slightly and keeping the spine as straight as possible. Relax your muscles as you do so.
- The "Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend" Sit with your back straight and spread your legs to the side in a vee position, keeping them as straight as possible. Lengthen the spine as you inhale and then bend forward when you exhale. Place your hands in front of you for support as you bend. Hold the pose for several moments as you focus on your breaths.
2
Shift to lying down yoga poses. Once you've done a few poses sitting upright, you can shift into the lying down position. There are a variety of poses you can try lying down to relax the body before sleep.
- The "Thread-the-Needle" pose involves lying on the bed with your knees bent and the soles of your feet flat against the mattress. Bring the right knee towards the chest and place the right ankle below the left knee. Flex the foot to keep the muscles engaged. Lift your left foot off the floor and move it slowly towards the chest. Breath out slowly. Then, repeat on the other side.
- The "Reclined Twist" can help you move around a bit before bed to relax your muscles. Bring your knees to your chest and move your left arm to the side. Using your right arm, pull both knees to the right side of your body. Hold the pose for as long as is comfortable and then repeat on the other side.
3
Make use of the wall again. Much like the morning yoga poses, feel free to use the wall if your struggle to maintain any positions. There is also a pose you can do that specifically uses the wall for support.
- In the "Viparita Karani" pose, you would sit sideways with your legs spread straight against the wall. Spread your arms to the side, palms facing upward, and then close your eyes. Breathe in and out, focusing on each breath. Hold the pose for as long as is comfortable.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How should a beginner start yoga?

Atthena Breitton, E-RYT 500
Yoga Instructor & Educator
Atthena Breitton is a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 and Continuing Education Provider. She is the Founder & Principal Teacher of AtthenaYoga, a boutique yoga and meditation studio in New York City. She has been teaching since 2015, and some of her clients include NFL football player, Jordan Matthews, and Hip Hop Rapper, Lil Yachty. In addition to her studio, Atthena teaches and lectures around the city at major corporations such as Facebook, Ernst & Young, HSBC, U.S. Bank, and WPP. Atthena follows the path of Bhakti Yoga, a path of selfless love, devotion, and service to the Divine. Atthena holds a BS in Economics with concentrations in Finance and Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Atthena Breitton, E-RYT 500

Yoga Instructor & Educator

Expert Answer

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Question

Can yoga be done at any time of the day?

Atthena Breitton, E-RYT 500
Yoga Instructor & Educator
Atthena Breitton is a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 and Continuing Education Provider. She is the Founder & Principal Teacher of AtthenaYoga, a boutique yoga and meditation studio in New York City. She has been teaching since 2015, and some of her clients include NFL football player, Jordan Matthews, and Hip Hop Rapper, Lil Yachty. In addition to her studio, Atthena teaches and lectures around the city at major corporations such as Facebook, Ernst & Young, HSBC, U.S. Bank, and WPP. Atthena follows the path of Bhakti Yoga, a path of selfless love, devotion, and service to the Divine. Atthena holds a BS in Economics with concentrations in Finance and Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Atthena Breitton, E-RYT 500

Yoga Instructor & Educator

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Yes! You can do yoga in bed both in the morning and at night. Try this stretching routine when you first wake up: bend your knees and hug them in towards your chest. That will release your lower back, which tends to be very stiff after you've been sedentary after 8 hours. With your knees still bent, let your knees fall over to the right and keep your thighs parallel at hip level. Hold your left arm out straight out to the left, and use your right hand to press your left thigh down for a deeper stretch. Relax your left shoulder blade down your back. Then, switch sides. Stretch your left leg out long (left calf on the bed) and lift your right leg up to the ceiling. Lace your fingers around your right hamstring or calf (whatever is available to you), and tug your leg closer towards you. Try to straighten your leg as much as possible. Hold for at least a few breaths. Then, repeat that on the other side. Bend your left knee and press your left foot onto the bed, then hook your right ankle over your left thigh. Then, place both hands behind your left hamstring (right hand through the "keyhole"). Tug your left thigh closer towards you while simultaneously using your right elbow or hand to press your right thigh away. Then, switch sides. That will help stretch your glutes and can help relieve sciatic pain.