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Dharamkira

All yoga

Before Sleep

Three folds and a long stillness — practised on or beside the bed, ending in so'ham.

Deep sleep4 postures · about 10 mingentle

In the simplest words

Sleepy-time moves you can do on your bed: curl up small, fold forward, make a tiny bridge, then lie still and listen to your breath say "so… ham…" until you drift off.

Practise along

Step through the postures at your own pace with the arrows, or press play and let each posture time itself. Arrow keys work too.

Child's pose

Breathe naturally

Fold small, forehead resting, and let the exhales grow longer than the inhales.

Learn this pose

Posture 1 of 4

What it is

Curated for the last minutes before lights-out. Forward folds tell the nervous system the day is over; the child's pose and seated fold do that work, a half-bridge releases the lower back, and shavasana hands you to the breath. The final step is not a posture at all: so'ham riding the breath until sleep arrives — most nights it arrives before the step ends.

Where it comes from: Curated by Dharamkira from the classical poses on this page — a sequence, not a scripture.

Rounds & rhythm

Once, in dim light, phone already far away. If sleep comes mid-routine, it has succeeded.

What it is kept for

Racing bedtime minds, restless bodies, building a wind-down ritual.

Before you practise — health first

Everything at half strength this close to sleep. Late pregnancy: rest on the left side for the final steps; skip the bridge.

Every posture, in order

  1. Child's pose

    natural breath

    Fold small, forehead resting, and let the exhales grow longer than the inhales.

  2. Gentle forward fold

    natural breath

    Legs long, drape forward loosely — a rag-doll fold, nothing earned.

  3. Half bridge

    natural breath

    Lift the hips a hand's height, five breaths, and lower vertebra by vertebra.

  4. Shavasana into so'ham

    natural breath

    Lie still. Let the in-breath whisper "so", the out-breath "ham", and follow it toward sleep.