11 Yoga Poses to Relieve Stress

When you learn to practice yoga, a wonderful thing happens: your body responds positively. Yoga aids your bodily systems by improving your balance and endurance through therapeutic poses. Also, regular yoga practice increases your flexibility, improves your stamina, and protects you from joint pain.

The benefits of practicing yoga are innumerable – not only does yoga improve your health, but it also works well as a way to calm your mind and relieve stress. It encourages you to slow down, breathe more deeply, and think about the present.

Whether you’re bogged down by the stress and anxieties of your day-to-day, or you simply want something to do in the evenings to help prepare you for sleep, here are 11 yoga poses you can try to help you relax and ease your worries:

1. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

This yoga pose releases tension in the hamstrings, calves, and thighs. It helps soothe mild depression and fatigue, and reduce anxiety by lowering our core body temperature.

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Exhale slowly and bend over, attempting to touch the floor with your hands. Your head should be pressed against your thighs.

Hold for four to eight breaths and then return to your usual standing posture. Continue this exercise for 1 minute.

2. Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

This yoga pose helps restore chakra’, rejuvenating your energy. It’s an excellent way to reduce tension, helping us deal with and control our inner thoughts and emotions.

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Kneel on the floor, palms on the back of the pelvis, fingers pointing downward. Then, lean back and hold your ankles, facing the ceiling.

For beginners, simply gripping the pelvic region and gently bending backward will suffice. Do this exercise for 30 seconds.

3. Marjaryasana (Cat Pose)

This elegant posture mimicking the cat helps soothe and lengthen your back, cooling your muscles and alleviating tension.

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Position yourself on your hands and knees. Inhale deeply. And then, as you exhale, pull your stomach upward, arching your back, and pointing it toward the ceiling. Bow and relax your head. Maintain this pose for 30 seconds and repeat as necessary.

4. Bitilasana (Cow Pose)

Similar to the cat pose, this yoga pose stretches and releases tension from your back. Arching your spine helps stimulate the organs in the torso, fixing imbalances by relaxing your stomach.

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Position yourself on your hands and knees. Inhale, and then as you exhale, arch your back, pointing your stomach downward. Raise your chin upward, facing the ceiling and stretching your neck. Maintain this pose for 30 seconds.

5. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

This yoga pose is especially beneficial for people with hypertension. It’s a mild way to give your back and legs a nice, long stretch. It can help relieve tension, headaches, and backaches.

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Lay on your back, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground. Relax and lay your arms on your sides, hands almost touching your feet. Then, raise your hips off the ground, forming a bridge with your pelvis and knees. Maintain this pose for 30-60 seconds.

6. Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)

This yoga pose will enhance your flexibility and fill you up with positive energy. It also calms down the mind and reduces anxiety.

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Position yourself on all fours. Slowly move back, shifting your bottom up over your heels. Bow your head, letting the floor touch your forehead. Breathe and relax. Maintain this pose for 1 minute.

7. Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose)

This yoga pose will put you in a good mood and help you unwind and get ready for sleep. It will help both your mind and body relax, melting your tensions away.

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Lay on your back and bring your knees to your chest, raising your feet up in the air. Hold both feet with your hands and spread your knees. Keep this pose for 1 minute.

8. Halasana (Plow Pose)

This is a more challenging pose but it will do wonders for your mood as well as your muscles. It relieves stiff aches, stimulates the thyroid gland, and helps you sleep by calming your mind and easing your tensions.

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Lay on your back. Raise your legs along with your hips and slowly bend them over your head, placing your toes on the ground above your head. Your chest and pelvis should be parallel to your shoulders and your knees should be parallel to your head.

Keep this pose for 5-10 seconds or for as long as you can.

9. Viparita Karani (Leg Up The Wall Pose)

The pose works wonders for the circulatory system. If you’re having a hard time getting a decent night of sleep, practicing this pose regularly will help alleviate your insomnia by releasing tension in your lower body.

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Lie down on the floor, facing the wall. While breathing slowly, raise both your legs and lean them against the wall. You may bend your knees according to your preferences. Keep a straight back and maintain this pose for 1 minute.

10. Balasana (Child’s Pose)

This yoga pose calms the mind and promotes happiness. It also encourages good digestion and improves overall well-being.

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Kneel with your knees together and sit on your heels. Bend over forward, chest over your thighs, and forehead touching the ground. Relax both arms. Keep this pose for 1 minute.

11. Savasana (Corpse Pose)

This yoga pose is both comfortable and relaxing, releasing endorphins that promote well-being and happiness.

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Lay on your back, palms facing up. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, focusing on each part of your body, from your head and then down to your feet. Maintain this pose for 3-5 minutes.

Conclusion

Yoga helps relieve stress and fatigue by promoting blood circulation, stabilizing your heart rhythm, and increasing the flow of oxygen in your body. Focusing on your breathing by consciously inhaling and exhaling as you perform the poses above will help ground you to your center, calming your mind, soothing any pain, and alleviating your worries.

In today’s hectic environment, practicing yoga every morning and night can give you the chance to slow down so you can acknowledge your thoughts and emotions, helping you control and accept them. Practicing regularly will also increase mindfulness and will aid you in taking on the coming days with a clear and focused mind.

Experience the benefits for yourself by trying out any one of the yoga poses above. Your body will be grateful for it.


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