Yoga is the perfect tool to help eliminate stress and leave you feeling calm, which is no easy feat in today's unique climate. It’s one of the only activities that can provide a mind-body stress release, and can be done almost any time, anywhere.
Moving your body through various poses can seem like a purely physical pursuit; however, there is a strong mental component as well. The concentration and focused breathing required to maintain each pose can bring release, which relaxes both the body and mind.
Set aside some time and find a quiet place in your home to lay out a yoga mat and try these 4 poses.
Eagle pose
Eagle pose requires mental fortitude and brings clarity in strength. It strengthens your legs and the joints of the ankles and knees while at the same time stretching the upper back and releasing tension around the shoulders.
Standing forward fold pose
Standing forward fold can help release tension in the lower back and lengthen tight hamstrings. This pose can be performed with bent knees if hamstrings are tight. It can open the hips, activate abdominals and lengthen calves. As a bonus, it also lengthens your spine, creating space between the joints. By working all these areas, standing forward fold helps reduce stress and alleviate anxiety and fatigue.
Child’s pose
Often a favorite in yoga practice, child’s pose is a calming pose that can free the mind and provide gentle relief to the hips, neck and back. This pose is good for elongating the lower back and opening up the hips. It is also a good one to calm your mind, as your brain feels like it’s safe and OK to rest in this position.
Reclining butterfly
Lying on your back with the soles of your feet together and knees wide, reclining butterfly allows the hips to release and gives you a chance to focus on your breath. Deep, slow, rhythmic breathing will encourage relaxation in the hips, an area where we tend to store a lot of stress.
To relax the hips even further place a block underneath each knee or thigh for extra support. Stretching the arms out to the side or even resting them above the head can open the chest, relax the shoulders and allow for full deep diaphragmatic breathing.
The next time you’re feeling stressed, try to focus on calming your mind and body with these poses. You’ll be feeling stronger, more flexible and less stressed in no time.