http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/475_1.cfm
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491_1.cfm
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690_1.cfm
Child's Pose
Downward Facing Dog
Legs up the Wall Pose
Now, I'm not a teacher nor a physical therapist, so this is simply a suggestion.
After reading the description of each pose, you could try one or all three during your symptoms to see if you find some relief. I read somewhere during a Google search that one woman liked to use Child's Pose during an episode. Sometimes it took her moving in and out of Child's Pose 15 times (coming up on her knees, then moving slowly back into the pose), but she found great relief in the massage of her lower legs and would eventually get back to sleep.
Legs up the Wall can be made as easy or as intense as you'd like. If you prefer an easy stretch, your butt will be farther away from the wall, and your hamstrings won't work as much. If you'd like a little more intensity in the stretch, all you have to do is move your butt closer to the wall.
Down Dog I think would be the most difficult of the 3 poses. The woman demonstrating the pose in the picture is obviously super flexible and has been practicing for some time. Not everyone's Down Dog looks like that, nor should they. Some people cannot get their heels to touch the floor. Some faint at the thought of getting their hands all the way down to the floor. In those cases, I would suggest putting your hands on the couch or something a little higher and sturdy. That way, you can stretch those legs without having to worry about touching the floor.
I would imagine you guys could work through the poses slowly and gently, massaging and stretching your leg muscles. I'm going to try it next time and keep track of how long it takes.
Anyway, it's food for thought. What if some of this worked? Wouldn't that be great?
. IMHO, any yoga at all is a good thing, RLS or no.
And she looks so relaxed.
). Not sure about the others, but they don't look like they would help. My favorite is not a yoga thing, but a ballet-like barre stretch. I stand behind my couch, facing away from it. I put the top of one foot on the back of the couch so my leg is stretched out behind me. Another thing that stretches my thighs is to kneel on the floor, with my thighs and body at a 90 degree angle (like an L). Then, holding my stomach muscles tight and back straight, I slowly lean back as far as I can. This really stretches the thighs.