5 Best Bed Yoga Poses You Need for Fibromyalgia

Last Updated on February 25, 2022 by melissanreynolds

These are my best five bed yoga poses for fibromyalgia and they will help you to gently build mobility and experience the benefits yoga can offer us.

Hopefully they will help you to see that yoga isn’t what you have been trained to think through the messages on social media.

One of my missions is to dispel these myths and help you to experience the benefits yoga can offer us.

You will recall from my post Yoga for Chronic Pain and Fatigue, the benefits yoga can offer us:

Benefits of yoga for chronic pain and fatigue (or anyone)

• calms the autonomic nervous system
• help with sleep
• reduced fatigue
• reduced pain
• increased physical capacity
• decreased myofascial pain
• less anxiety
• reduced depression
• relaxation
• mindfulness of movement
• awareness of proper alignment

Can you attain these benefits with practice on your bed? Yes! I would ask that you commit and practice these regularly, but I believe you can experience the same benefits with consistent practice.

Bed Yoga for Fibromyalgia: The Poses and Sequence

You may like to play with one pose at a time, especially if you are newer to the practice. They can also be practiced together as a sequence/class. It would be great first thing in the morning to get going, as a rest in the day or before bed. It could be anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on how long you want to hold the restorative poses at the end. If you are using the first four poses as a quick pick me up then it could be around 10 minutes.

Use what you need today. Remembering that it’s a good idea to check in with your medical team about doing yoga and listening to your body every step of the way.

Look through these poses and then check out the action points/what next wrap up at the bottom of the post.

Supine mountain

Practicing your mindfulness, grounding and stretching at the same time in this pose. Once you have your arms, neck and back comfortably placed, you may like to play with flexing your feet as if they are standing on the floor. Feel the grounding through the soles of your feet (you may like to do this with a wall). Hold this for at least five good breaths.

Toe points

Gently building mobility in your lower legs, getting your lower muscles moving, in time with your breath. From supine mountain, place your arms by your sides and flex your feet, pulling the toes towards your head, then point your toes away. You may like to alternate so that your left and right feet take turns in pointing and flexing. Use your breath here.

Reclined balasana (child’s pose)

Child’s pose is a well known pose that is a useful rest pose. This is a reclined version which is great for relaxing our lower backs. From your previous pose, bring your legs into your chest. Fold your arms over your legs, or hold the backs of your thighs. You may like to sway a little side to side to create comfort in your lower back before settling into the pose. Check in with your neck that it is neutral and not holding tension. Hold for a few minutes as you can.

Reclined single leg twist

Transfer your hands to your left leg, holding it in place as you gently lower the right to the bed. Inhale, exhale and let the right hand guide the left leg toward the opposite side of your body. If it suits your neck, you may turn to look at the opposite side and open your left arm toward the side. Let your leg stay at the height your body finds comfortable. Hold for a few good breaths. Gently return to center and swap sides. You may like to place a few pillows beside you for your twisting leg to be supported by.

Supported bridge

Find with a lovely restorative pose designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system – a very good benefit for fibromyalgia. It is a gentle inversion. If you feel any discomfort then play with a lower pillow or avoid it. You may use a folded blanket for a lower version. Hold for as long as comfortable, over 10 minutes will help with the relaxation response.

Bonus: Final Relaxation

If you are practicing this as a rest or just before bed, place your cushion behind your thighs and finish off in supported shavasana (final rest pose) and put on a Yoga Nidra guided meditation.

Bed Yoga for Fibromyalgia Class

This is a 10 minute bed class incorporating most of these five poses if you would like to watch it.

Want the bed yoga toolkit? Join us here for the simple, easy to follow toolkit that will help you start or adapt your practice specifically on the bed. Use these tools morning, noon or night from the comfort of your bed.

What next? Action points

• Try these poses (or one of them)
• Incorporate them into your mindful bedtime routine – a set time of day to practice will help make it a habit
• Read up: The Complete Guide to Chronic Fatigue
• Further reading: The Ultimate Guide to Meditation for the Chronic Life