rest

Whenever my friend Shannon can’t sleep because too many thoughts are barreling through her mind, she calls it “riding the A train.” She’ll text me at 3 a.m., “I’m on the A train again.” Of course, I get the message because I’m awake, too. My type A personality and new business responsibilities are battling it out with my dire need for some mental stillness and rest.

Insomnia isn’t a four-letter word, but it ought to be. Lying awake at night is no fun, but everyone’s doing it: A survey by the National Sleep Foundation estimates that 58 percent of American adults experience insomnia at least a couple nights a week. Good ol’ yoga to the rescue once again! Selected with doctors at Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine program, the three yoga poses guided in the video clips below will calm your mind, release muscle tension and help you sleep like a baby.

When I demand that my clients incorporate REST into their intense workout schedule, I’m always met by googly eyes and a surprised “You want me to do NOTHING??!!” But it’s a matter of fact that no workout plan, or anything else for that matter, works to it’s fullest potential if you don’t rest properly. And to be quite honest, after implementing all the new work out movements in your routine, having rest and relaxation on the schedule is like getting an unspected gift!