Whatever reason you are stressed for, these days I think
everyone is on some level. Take some time for yourself to try
and help unwind. Yoga is great for that. Below are 7 of the best
yoga poses to try and help relieve some stress.
Standing forward bend:
Reach tall and exhale forward, then bend knees enough to be able
to place your palms on the floor, with your head pressed
against your legs. Be aware of your spine stretching in different
directions as you pull your head down and in. For a deeper stretch,
try to straighten the legs. Hold this pose for 6-8 breaths, then
whilst inhaling, stretch arms outwards and raise them and your
torso back to the standing position.
Benefits of this pose are:
Stretches hamstrings, thighs and hips
Effective for stress relief, fatigue and mild depression.
Cat-Cow pose:
Cat – Start on all fours, then while exhaling, round your back
toward the ceiling and bring your navel up towards your spine.
Bring back to the neutral position, of spine and head aligned.
Cow – Inhale and tilt your pelvis back so that your
tailbone sticks up. Keep your abdominal muscles hugging
your spine by drawing your navel in.
Benefits from this pose are:
Soothes and stretches the lower back
Massages spine and relieves stress.
Easy pose:
Sit up straight, then extend your legs in front of your body,
then with knees wide, place each foot beneath the opposite knee
and cross your legs in toward your torso. With palms down, place
hands onto your knees. Align head, neck, and spine together and
sit with your weight balanced. Lengthen spine, but soften your neck
and gently relax your feet and thighs. Stay in this position for
about a minute, then gently release and change the cross of your legs.
Benefits from this pose are:
Opens hips, lengthens spine and promotes serenity
Relieves physical and mental exhaustion
Eliminates anxiety.
Head to knee forward bend:
Sit straight with legs extended, bend left leg and bring the sole of
your foot to the upper inside right thigh. Your left knee should rest
on the floor. Put both palms on either side of the right leg and inhale.
Turn towards the extended leg and exhale while folding forward.
Hold for 5-6 breaths and repeat the pose on the other side.
Benefits from this pose are:
Relieves mild depression and anxiety
Calms the brain and helps with headaches and fatigue, even insomnia.
Bridge pose:
Lie flat on back and bend both knees, place feet flat on the floor
at hip width apart. Slide arms alongside the body with palms facing down. Inhale and lift the hips up, rolling the spine off the floor. Squeeze
knees slightly together to keep the knees hip width apart. Press down
into the arms and shoulders to open the chest upwards. Engage
legs and buttocks to lift the hips higher. Breathe and hold
for 4-8 breaths.
Benefits from this pose are:
Reduces anxiety, fatigue, backaches and insomnia
Provides gentle stretching of the legs and back.
Corpse pose:
Lie flat on back with legs close together but without touching,
arms at sides with palms facing up. Let eyes and face soften and
close eyes, while breathing deeply. Starting at the top of your head,
bring your attention to each part of your body until you reach your toes.
Hold this position for 4-5 minutes.
Benefits from this pose are:
Full body relaxation by putting body at ease
Slows breathing, lowers blood pressure and quietens the nervous system.
Child's pose:
Kneel on a yoga mat with legs together and slowly sit back onto heels.
Extend your torso up and bend forward from the hips so your chest
rests on your thighs and your forehead rests on the ground in front of you.
Let shoulders curl around and rest hands next to your feet with your
palms up. Hold this position for 5 – 6 breaths.
Benefits from this pose are:
Quietens the nervous system and lymphatic system
The resting posture eases stress and soothes the mind.
Try doing these poses on a daily basis and see if it helps.
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