Say goodbye to all that stress and anxiety by incorporating these yoga poses in your daily routine
By pooh | April 2024 | Aura Align Blogs
Namaste!
lets dive in and see about The 10 Best Yoga Poses for Stress Relief
YOGA IT’S ORIGIN & HOW THE POSES HELP IN STRESS-RELIEF
Yoga has been prominently known as a great antidote for stress. Introducing several simple yet effective yoga poses for stress-relief into our regular routine helps us have a mindful and positive state of mind throughout the day.
The ancient practice form which combines physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation help us achieve both physical relaxation and psychological relief.
Establishing consistent yoga routine into your daily routine is how one can experience the benefits it can offer. There are different types of yoga, some are slow and focusses on stretching while others are fast-paced to a create more intense workout. Start with small simple yoga poses for everyday mindfulness, for beginners you think, you don’t have the time. Keep reading to learn more about the history and 10 best yoga poses for stress relief in detail.
HOW DOES PRACTISING YOGA FOR STRESS RELIEF?
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is an unwelcome companion for many of us.This ancient practice isn’t just about bending and stretching; it’s a potent stress-reliever that taps into our body’s natural relaxation response.
Yoga works its magic by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, signalling our body and mind to unwind. Through deep breathing and gentle movements, it lowers blood pressure, slows heart rate, and enhances focus, helping us find calm amidst chaos.
But the benefits don’t end there. Studies show that yoga reduces cortisol levels, the notorious stress hormone, improving sleep, digestion, and immune function. It also boosts mood by restoring dopamine and serotonin levels, leaving us feeling uplifted and serene.
Numerous studies support yoga’s role on stress- relieving effects. take for instance, a study from the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, found significant decrease in depression, stress and anxiety in women after 12 sessions of regular Hatha Yoga practice {1}
Moreover, yoga teaches us the importance of being present, grounding us in the here and now. So, if you’re seeking relief from stress , roll out your mat and let yoga guide you on your journey to tranquillity. here are some of my favourite list of 10 best yoga poses for stress relief.
Table of Contents
THE 10 BEST YOGA POSES FOR STRESS RELIEF
So let’s get started, shall we! Below are 10 best yoga poses for stress relief listed below will help you relieve stress and decompress. Find a comfortable space and don’t push your limits meaning, How long you hold each pose will depend on your body. Pooh recommends holding a yoga pose only for as long as your body allows. The more tension you have in your body, the more time it takes to recover or relax.
Easy Pose (Sukhasana) with optional Forward Fold
Sit on the mat cross legged. There should be a comfortable gap between your feet and pelvis. Keep your Spine in a neutral position. Lengthen from your tailbone and relax your shoulder. Stack your arm on your knees with palm open or in chin mudra. For beginners Sit on one or more folded blankets to elevate your hips slightly and offer more space for your hips to open. Stay here for 5 to 10 minutes.
How it helps relieve stress: A simple yoga pose for both Beginners and intermediate yogis – Easy Pose or Sukhasana is a meditative pose , often practised as a meditation pose. Also an uncomplicated therapeutic pose which calms the mind and reduces stress and anxiety.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels , separate youtube knees as wide as your hip. Now exhale and forward fold by lengthening your tailbone away from the back. Slowly sink your hips, chest onto your inner thighs and place your arms either on the sides, palms facing up or reach out forward with your palms facing the mat. Tuck your chin slightly to lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck. Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes.
How it helps relieve stress: Child’s Pose can be calming and relaxing, helping to manage stress. This yoga pose activates the relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system) and deactivates the stress response (sympathetic nervous system).
Bridge Pose (Setu BandhaSarvangasana)
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the mat, hip-distance apart. Inch your feet as close to your glutes as you can. Place your hands alongside your body. Slowly inhale and raise your hips up initiating the movement from the pubic bone rather than the navel. Broaden your collar bones and roll your shoulder beneath you, opening your chest. If you’re here and feel comfortable, reach your hands and try to hold on to your ankles to open your back even further. Stay here for 15 to 30 seconds as per your convenience.
How it helps relieve stress: Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana acts as a mild inversion, with the heart higher than the head. This yoga pose helps calm the brain and central nervous system, promote ease and relaxation, alleviate stress, anxiety, and mild depression.
Stick Pose (Yastikasana)
Lie face up on the floor with your legs extended and feet together. Extend your arms above your head so they’re resting on the ground, arms parallel with each other. From here, inhale and interlock your fingers and stretch your arms and legs together, you’re trying to reach something at each end of you. Hold for five to 10 seconds, breathing deeply. Release and repeat two to three times.
How it helps relieve stress: By doing stick pose, you help relax some of the muscles leading to faulty posture, help improve circulation throughout your body. It also improves breathing to ease stress. This yoga pose is done during in-between a whole routine shifting from one pose to other to help relieve muscle soreness.
How it helps relieve stress: By doing stick pose, you help relax some of the muscles leading to faulty posture, help improve circulation throughout your body. This yoga pose is done during in-between a whole routine shifting from one pose to other to help relieve muscle soreness. It also improves breathing to ease stress.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Lie on your mat comfortably with your hands on the side slightly away from your body with palm facing up, Lift your pelvis off the floor, slightly tuck your tailbone. Make sure your shoulder blades rest evenly on the floor. Relax your entire body. To keep your spine neutral; If necessary ,place a pillow under your knees to reduce lower back strain. RELAX. Now stay here for 5 to 20 minutes.
How it helps relieve stress: There’s a reason why all the yoga classes often end with savasana. If it’s done properly it is believed that “20 minute savasana relaxes and energises your whole body equivalent to getting eight hours of sleep”. Pooh says! this particular yoga pose might not be fancy but works wonder when its come stress relief.
Reclining Bound Angle With Bolster (Supta Baddha Konasana)
On your yoga mat place several folded up blankets or rolled up towels, lengthwise supporting your neck, spine and head on the mat lying on top of the bolster(several folded up blankets or rolled up towels). With your hips & tailbone on the floor ,Bring the soles of your feet together and allow your knees to fall wide open like a lying down butterfly pose. Place rolled up towels under both inner -thighs for more support. Rest your arms on the sides with palms facing up. Close your eyes and stay here for 5 minutes.
How it helps relieve stress: This yoga pose promotes circulation, enhances breathing, opens up the chest, releases the hips, strengthens and stretches the shoulders and centres and calms the mind. Especially For women who are experiencing menstrual discomfort, this pose stretches and relaxes muscles in the pelvic area. Opening up the chest also allows for better breathing and thus, reduced stress.
Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
Sit with one side of your body against a wall. Lie onto your back and extend your legs up against the wall, feet together or hip-width apart, ankles relaxed. Adjust your hips if needed for comfort. Relax your arms at your sides with palms up. Hold for 1-5 minutes. If you feel tingling or numbness in your feet, come out of the pose slowly.
How it helps relieve stress: This yoga pose reverses the movement of the body and blood circulation to induce relaxation.
Rag Doll Pose (Uttanasana Variation)
Stand with your feet hip width apart and keep your knees slightly bent. Now slowly lean forward from your lower back with your hands crossed, grasping opposite elbows in a bent manner. Let the crown of your head hang toward the ground and be heavy. Hold the pose here for 10 seconds, going deeper into the pose with every exhalation.
How it helps relieve stress: Stress and anxiety in most people are concentrated in their lower back, neck, or shoulders. By doing this yoga pose, you let go of that weight in the upper body.
One-Legged Seated Forward Bend (Janu Shirasasana)
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right foot against your left thigh. Sitting tall, extend both arms over your head as you stretch up. Exhale and bend forward from your hips over the left leg, keeping your neck elongated and shoulders relaxed. Rest your hands comfortably wherever you can reach on your left shin (no need to prove anything—listen to your body and stop where you’re comfortable). As you inhale, extend your spine longer, and as you exhale, fold over your leg more. Hold for 10 to 60 seconds. Release and repeat with the opposite leg.
How it helps relieve stress: stretching in general basically helps in relaxing not only the muscles in the body but also does more on a psychological level. This yoga pose is entirely stretching the posterior and anterior chain, enabling us to sink into a comfortable environment leaving our stress and negative emotions aside by being in the present.
Revolved Abdomen Pose (Jathara Parivartanasana)
Lie face up on the floor with your arms extended to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing up. Bring your knees to your chest and slowly drop them to the right. Keeping your left shoulder on the floor, turn your head to the left and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Release your knees to center and repeat to the other side.
How it helps relieve stress: This gentle spinal twist massages your abdomen to relieve digestive discomfort . This particular yoga pose also helps release tension in your spine.
thank you so much for reading my blog about Best yoga poses for stress relief!
To know more and read about such blogs click on Aura Align Blogs
RELATED: How To Incorporate Yoga Into Your Daily Routine? subscribe to our blog to learn how to!