Femina has published a list of six gentle bedtime yoga poses meant to reduce everyday stress, release physical tension, and help the body ease into sleep. The poses are Child's Pose, Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose, Reclining Bound Angle Pose, Cat-Cow Stretch, Supine Spinal Twist, and Corpse Pose.
The pitch is simple and low-cost: a routine you can do at home, no gear or gym membership required. That's appealing for anyone whose nightly wind-down currently consists of scrolling until the phone falls onto their face.
The Angle: Treat the Six Poses as a Sequence
Femina presents these as a list. My take, and it's only that, is that the list reads best as a little arc: start with folding inward, move through a few gentle openers and stretches, and end by lying completely still. Nothing in the source prescribes a timing or order, so consider this a suggestion rather than a protocol. Here's how I'd think about each one, sticking to what Femina says the set is for: relaxing the body, calming the mind, and preparing for rest.
1. Child's Pose
The classic "nothing is required of you" posture. It's a natural opener because it's the yoga equivalent of closing the door behind you. If the point of the routine is to release tension and shift into sleep mode, beginning with a pose that asks you to fold forward and stay put makes sense.
2. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose
This is the one that looks like you've given up on the day entirely, which is sort of the charm. You lie back and rest your legs against a wall. It's on Femina's list as part of the stress-easing lineup, and it may be the most effortless item here: the wall does the work.
3. Reclining Bound Angle Pose
Lying on your back with the soles of your feet together is another pose built around stillness rather than effort. It's a good example of how bedtime yoga differs from the daytime kind: no flow, no sweat, no instructor shouting about your core.
4. Cat-Cow Stretch
The only dynamic move on the list, and a clever inclusion. After the more static poses, a few rounds of this gentle spinal movement is a way to shake out the stiffness of a day at a desk. It's the pose most likely to feel like actual movement, so it's a nice change of pace in the middle of the sequence.
5. Supine Spinal Twist
A twist done lying down keeps things bed-friendly. It fits Femina's stated goal of releasing physical tension, and since it's done on your back, you're already halfway to the pillow.
6. Corpse Pose
The grand finale is lying flat and doing nothing, which yoga has dignified with a famously dramatic name. It's the natural endpoint of any wind-down: all the stretching leads here. For people who find stillness harder than any pose, it may also be the most challenging item on the list, which is a fun irony.
Why a Routine Like This Lands Right Now
Sleep struggles and stress management are perennial wellness concerns, and people are always hunting for simple routines they can do for free at home. Six poses is a manageable ask, and none of them demands flexibility you don't have. Femina's framing is gentle, not heroic, and that's likely the point: a bedtime routine you'll actually do beats an ambitious one you abandon by Thursday.
A Few Practical Thoughts
These are my own suggestions, not from Femina:
- Keep the lights low and the phone out of reach, since the whole idea is to signal "we're done" to your brain.
- Move slowly. Rushing through a relaxation sequence defeats the purpose.
- If stress or sleeplessness is persistent, stretching is a supplement, not a substitute for talking to a professional.
The Takeaway
The most radical thing about this list is how undemanding it is. In a wellness world that loves a 5 a.m. cold plunge, six poses that end with lying down on purpose feel almost rebellious. If the day has wrung you out, the final instruction is the easiest you'll get all week: stop, lie flat, and let the pose do its job.
