Bed Yoga 101: Stay in Bed Longer? Yes, Please!

Goat yoga. Puppy yoga. Acro yoga. Hot yoga. 

Yoga, yoga, yoga. It’s everywhere. 

New twists on the practice seem to pop up every other day. And yoga is wildly popular for a reason: it's a fantastic movement for both the mind and body. 

For me, $5 drop-in hot yoga classes at my local studio are my go-to, and I am not shy about becoming an absolute sweat monster. 

I also recognize that it can be pretty intimidating (for you and your wallet) to enter a yoga studio and try it for the first time. I’d imagine that many people feel about yoga the way I feel about using the squat rack at the gym - as in, it’s not gonna effing happen.

And while I can appreciate the hesitation about becoming a human pretzel in public, maybe I can convince you to try out my twist: naked yoga.

Now, I have either piqued your interest with these words or you’re feeling absolutely horrified. Either way, I think you should stick around and hear me out!

No, I don’t think you should attend a naked yoga class. I mean, I’m sure they exist somewhere, I’m just not so sure how visually appealing they’d be? Perhaps a more apt and user-friendly name would be “bed yoga”.

What is Bed Yoga?

It's exactly what it sounds like. Stretching your body out from the comfort of your own bed. 

Stretching your body and allowing your muscles to relax is one of the ultimate forms of self care. It is SO important, and yet all too often is left neglected. 

Some poses and stretches can make people feel awkward or embarrassed by the poses themselves or because of inflexibility. That’s where bed yoga comes into play! It’s a private and comfortable space to move and stretch your body. So private in fact, that you could stretch naked without a care in the world!

Clothed or not, here are a few easy stretches you can do right when you wake up or before you get to snoozin’ at night:

Bed Yoga Pose #1: Figure 4 Stretch

You simply lay on your back with your feet flat against your bed. Cross your left ankle over your right knee, reach your left hand between your legs to meet your right hand, and gently use your hands to pull your leg toward your chest. Hold the position for a few breaths and then switch to the other side. 

This is fantastic for hip mobility and your glutes! It’s one of my favourites, and it’s so easy to do in bed.

Bed Yoga Pose #2: Butterfly Stretch

Here’s another great and easy stretch! Simply sit up as though you’re going to sit cross legged, but instead, bring the soles of your feet together. You can bring your feet closer to your body to deepen the stretch if it’s within your practice. 

Once again, this is a great stretch for your hips. And remember, don’t feel bad if you feel super inflexible. We all start somewhere, and your bed isn’t going to judge you!

Bed Yoga Pose #3: Happy Baby Stretch

This stretch sounds fun, right? I promise it’s going to make you feel great!

All you need to do is lay on your back and bend your knees so that you can grab the outside edge of your feet. You can use your arms to pull the stretch deeper, you can practice straightening one leg at a time, or simply rock back and forth while holding your feet. You get to choose what sort of happy baby you’ll be!

I honestly prefer doing this stretch from bed. I’ve done it at the gym a few times, and let’s just say, it starts to feel mildly inappropriate when no one else around you is stretching… awkward!

It sounds easy, right?

These are just three examples of some of my favourite stretches to do from bed, but there are so many more you can add into your routine!

Child’s pose, a supine twist, or some cat and cow, and whatever else you like.

The possibilities are endless, and you’ll feel great knowing no one is around to watch you pretzel about in bed. 

So, give your bed a little extra action and try out some bed yoga! Spice it up a little and do it naked! Where else can you do naked stretching in such a judgement free zone? 

It’s an easy way to add some self care into your day. Everyone always craves an extra 5-10 minutes in bed, so why not treat yourself?

For more self care ideas and tips, check out the Self Care Bucket List. I can’t promise more naked activities, but I can promise good times!

Enjoy yourselves this week!

Cheers,

Sarah

Sarah Welsh

I’m a Canadian freelance writer, with my main focus being content writing and creative writing. Though currently based in the U.K., I’m a big lover of writing from beachy locales and backpacking whenever I can. I’ve always got to have music on, and dancing while I write is what I’m all about. If you’re a fan of the little things in life and infusing humour wherever you can, we’ll get along just fine.