Four Yoga Poses To Relieve Your Stress And Anxiety

Many of us, like millions of adults, suffer from anxiety and it is a very common mental illness. And even those that have not been diagnosed with this disorder are not immune to stress, tension or anxiety.

We face things that tend to stress us or make us tense or anxious. From trying to get a bus, to driving next to trailers on the highway, to walking down the street and being whistled at, to meeting new people or going to new places.

Practicing yoga can be an effective stress reliever. It can also be a way to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. By transferring focus and attention to the body and breath, yoga can help you release physical tension.

Yoga helps slow your body down so that it can heal naturally from all the stressors we have around us.

These are four yoga poses that we recommend to help you relieve stress:

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Childs pose. Photo: The Chopra Center

One of the most essential resting poses of any yoga practice is the Child’s Pose. It involves sitting on your knees and bending forward with your arms forward or by your side. It can be very comforting and self-soothing. It can help you a lot when you feel anxious as it helps to slow your mind down.

2. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Corpse pose. Photo: Beachbody on Demand

Anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed, or at the end of your yoga practice, try lying down flat on your back, with your arms at your sides, and simply focus on your breath for one to ten minutes. The Corpse is the ultimate relaxation pose as it really allows the body to sink down into the ground. It is also easier to tune your breath when you are lying down on your back and watching your chest rise up and down as you breathe.

3. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Tree pose. Photo: Pinterest

Yoga beginners should start with Tree Pose, which is a basic standing balance to help calm a racing mind and induce concentration. Balancing poses force you to be honest about where you are currently, and to pay attention to where you are. If your mind wanders while in this pose, you will lose balance and fall over.

4. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Standing forward bend

Forward bends are excellent at helping us calm our nervous system. This posture provides a release of the upper body and soothes the mind when practised on its own or between poses.