Yoga Dreamin’

So I will let you in on a little secret….I talk in my sleep. Actually, let me get honest with you, I teach yoga in my sleep. Weird, I know! The first time it happened, I remember waking up in table top demoing cat and cow tilts.

My “sleep teaching” not only happens when I sleep in my bed at home but it has been known to follow me on vacations and weekends away. In fact, it happened EVERY single night that I was at Wanderlust last year. My poor fellow roommates, also yoga teachers, woke up every night to me teaching various sequences. My go to sequence for that weekend happened to be Surya Namaskar A. You think I was getting enough yoga in that weekend between assisting and taking classes but I guess I needed to teach as well.

Wondering what “sleep teaching” sounds like? You’re in for a treat, my husband recorded me one night. Here it is!

I don’t think I will ever be certain as to why I teach yoga in my sleep and to be honest, thats for another blog post. What I do care about is how I feel after that night of sleep. Sleep is essential for me. It allows me to feel grounded. It allows me to feel energized and it also gives me more confidence stepping into my day. Here are some of my tips for getting enough rest.

1. I need to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. This would be a luxury for some but given the amount of energy I’m putting out during the day between teaching and working out, I need A LOT of sleep.

2. Shutting down all technology  by 9:30pm. The longer I stay on the computer, the harder it is for me to shut down and go to bed, especially if I’m on the computer passed 9:30 p.m. After 9:30pm, I start to get a whole another round of energy and then I know I’m not going to be heading to bed till 11:30 or even midnight.

3. My goal is to be in bed by 10pm and to be sleeping by 10:30pm. This obviously changes depending on what time I have to get up in the morning but given that I have early morning classes at 7am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, this time seems to be the sweet spot.

4. Consistency on bed time and wake up time is key. The more I keep my bed time and wake up time consistent, the better I feel. I also get a lot more enjoyment from sleeping in when I only do it once or at most twice per week.

Rest is important. It’s how we recover and grow stronger, not only physically but mentally. What helps you stay energized so you can feel your best?