Stress. Everyone is affected by it in some way and no one is immune from it. Whether you’re stuck in sitting traffic and running late for that important meeting or you’re struggling to figure out how to balance the different roles in your life, stress can come from anywhere and can, unfortunately, take a toll on your health.
According to a 2017 study done by the American Psychology Association, 59 percent of Americans consider this to be the lowest point in our nation’s history that they can remember. This figure includes generations that have lived through tragedies such as World War II, high-profile mass shootings and the September 11 terrorist attacks.
However, no matter how big or small your life stressors are, yoga is a great way to help calm your mind and give yourself some much-needed love. Yoga has a ton of benefits including boosting your immunity, increasing your energy levels and of course, relieving stress. Besides the aforementioned benefits, yoga is cost-effective and can be practiced practically anywhere. If you’re a beginner at yoga, you can start by practicing these yoga asanas (poses) for five to 10 minutes a day to help reduce your stress levels.
Yoga Poses For Stress Relief
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Uttanasana offers many benefits when practiced as a pose in itself. Often used as a transitional pose, uttanasana stretches the hamstrings, hips and calves and helps to reduce fatigue and anxiety. This asana also strengthens the thighs and knees, relieves headaches and insomnia as well as calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
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How to do:
Start by standing in tadasana pose with both feet facing 12 o’clock and hands lift towards the sky. Exhale as you bend forward from your hips. Place a slight bend in your knees and if possible, bring your palms or fingertips toward to the floor in front of or beside your feet. If that’s not possible yet, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. Press your feet firmly into the floor and lift your sitting bone towards the ceiling. Stay here breathing in this pose for up to one minute.
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Paschimottanasana pose stretches the spine, shoulders and hamstrings as it calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
How to do:
Sit with your legs straight out in front. Gently flex your toes towards your shins and reach forward towards your toes as you relax your spine, dropping your forehead toward your knees. Lift and lengthen your torso on your inhale and as you exhale, fold a little deeper into the forward fold. Depending on your flexibility level, your forward fold may not extend too far yet, so go where you’re challenged but don’t forcefully fold into the forward fold. Hold this pose for one to three minutes.
Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)
This asana is a beautiful blend of balasana and adho mukha shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog). It lengthens the spine while stretching the shoulders, helps create a calm mind and can also help correct the slouch of shoulders when feeling stressed.
How to do:
Starting on your hand and knees in a table-top position, keep your hips stacked over your knees as you walk your hands out in front of you. Keep your palms flat and your elbows lifted off the floor. As you inhale and exhale, sink your chest and forehead down into the mat and arch your back.
Viparta Karani (Legs-Up-The-Wall)
If you’re stressed or tired, this pose is for you. Sometimes, less is more and that’s exactly what this pose teaches those who practice it. Viparta Karani helps relieve lower back pain, alleviates stress and boosts energy levels.
How to do:
Place your legs up against the wall. If flexibility allows, bring your hips all the way up against the wall. Relax your shoulders and inhale and exhale as you remain in this pose for up to five minutes.
Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)
Ananda Balasana gently stretches the hips and the back spine, all while calming the brain and helping to relieve stress and fatigue.
How to do:
Lie on your back and grab the outer edges of your feet. Place your elbows inside of your knees as the bottom of your feet face toward the ceiling. Breathe in and out as you pull down on your feet and flatten your lower back. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Savasana is one of the most challenging poses in yoga simply because this pose really centers on providing your body total relaxation while you focus on your breath. Savasana calms the brain, helps to relieve stress and mild depression as well as reduces tiredness, insomnia and headaches.
How to do:
Lie down onto your back and if you’d like, place a pillow or rolled-up blanket underneath your knees. Make sure that the tip of your nose is pointing directly towards the ceiling. Bring your arms out to your side with your palms facing up. Relax your body, close your eyes and slowly inhale and exhale. Stay here for at least five minutes. When coming out of this pose, slowly roll onto the right side of your body then press yourself up into a comfortable seated position.
The key to de-stressing is realizing how to be present and calm the mind, so if you’re struggling with stress, take about 10 minutes out of your day for some “me” time and try these easy, beginner-friendly yoga poses for stress relief.
