Is stress holding you back from living a full life? Stress can creep into your life quickly before you know it and disrupt your physical health and mental peace. This is when you can turn to yoga for stress management. Yoga has a calming effect on your body.

Many studies have found that aside from the physical benefits, yoga also increases mindfulness, enhances mood and provides a healthy dose of compassion – all of which, in turn, help you relieve stress effectively.

A Few Poses of Yoga for Stress Relief –

1. Child’s Pose

The Child’s Pose involves getting into a resting posture, which calms the mind and reduces stress. It benefits your lymphatic and nervous systems.

How to do it: Kneel on the mat with your legs together and sit on your heels. Bend forward until your chest rests on the thighs and your forehead touches the floor. Bring forward your shoulders and place your hands in a resting position next to the feet, with palms facing the roof. Hold the position for about five seconds.

Also Read: Benefits of Jumping Jacks: An In-depth Exploration into this Simple Exercise

2. Bridge Pose

Do you have a stiff back? This particular pose helps stretch your back and legs. It helps to ease anxiety, chronic pain, fatigue and insomnia. The Bridge Pose is also known to regulate high blood pressure, which again, can be a cause of stress.

How to do it: Lay on the back with knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground keeping a hip-width distance. Slide your arms alongside your body with palms facing down. Press your feet into the floor, breathe in and lift your hips as you roll your spine off the floor. Keep your knees hip-width apart. Press into the shoulders and arms to lift your chest, as you engage your buttocks and legs to raise your hips higher. Hold on to the position for a count of 4-8 breaths, exhale slowly and roll your spine back to the floor.

Practicing yoga and meditation as a means to manage and relieve both acute and chronic stress helps individuals overcome other co-morbidities associated with diseases and leads to increased quality of life. Multivariate analysis indicates that yoga practitioners had significantly lower depression, anxiety, & stress (DASS).

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

3. Forward Bend (Standing)

The Forward Standing Bend is thought to relieve mild depression, stress and fatigue. It also helps to stretch and open up the muscles of your hips, hamstrings and thighs.

How to do it: Stand on your feet, bend forward placing your palms flat on the floor and your head pressed against your legs. Make sure you do not bend the knees while doing so. Feel the stretch in your spine, as you pull your head down in the opposite direction. Press your hips up and keep your feet straight to feel a deep stretch. Hold the position until you count 4-8 breaths, then stretch out your arms to the sides and lift your torso back up to the standing position.

Also Read: Different Types of Depression

4. Corpse Pose

Do you find it difficult to relax? The Corpse Pose puts your entire body at ease and promotes complete relaxation. It calms your nervous system, emphasizes slow breathing and helps to lower blood pressure.

How to do it: Lie on your back with arms and legs wide apart. Your palms should face up. Keeping your eyes closed and body relaxed, take a deep breath. Bring attention to each of your body parts, starting at the top of the head. You should hold the position for 3-5 minutes.

Yoga is beneficial in a number of ways- it improves flexibility, helps with stress relief, improves mental health, reduces inflammation, reduces anxiety, etc. Regular practice is found to be very helpful.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.

5. Cat Pose

The Cat Pose stretches and soothes your lower back. It is great yoga for stress relief.

How to do it: Start on all fours, take a deep breath and draw your belly to the spine. Round your back to the ceiling. Release the crown of your head towards the floor but do not force your chin to touch the chest.

Prolonged stress can take a toll on your physical, mental and emotional health. In due course, it can affect everything, from your digestion to sleep. You can try these asanas or poses of yoga to reduce stress. These are easy to perform and take only about half an hour of your day.

Also Read: Different Types of Relaxation Techniques that Work

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