Top 5 Yoga Poses For Managing Stress

Stress is one of the most dangerous forms of slow poison. It creeps deviously into a person and affects everyone, including the kids. It has a way of messing with your life that makes it tough on everyone around you too! Here is one way to handling stress even before it happens to you.

Practicing yoga poses regularly, will help you cope with stress and its outcomes, in a very effective and efficient way. The poses, meditation, various breathing techniques, and various yoga mudras will help you train your mind and body to fight stress and manage it.

[ Read: Yoga Mudras ]

This write-up offers you a comprehensive view of various yoga poses that you could rely on to manage stress.

Yoga For Stress Relief

Before you start practicing any of the asanas, make sure you warm up with some basic exercises. This is essential to prepare your body for the yoga poses. Inhale deeply and exhale completely.

1. Tadasana (Mountain Pose):

It helps you improve your concentration levels by increasing your focus level.

• Stand straight with your feet flat on the mat with the heels slightly spaced out and big toes touching each other. Keep your spine straight while hands straight on either side, with palms facing the thighs.
• Slowly stretch your hands and bring your palms together.
• Inhale deeply and stretch your spine while taking the folded hands up above your head. Stretch as much as possible.
• Slowly lift your ankle and stand on your toes, with eyes facing the ceiling.
• Hold the position for a minimum of 30 seconds, while breathing normally.
• Slowly relax your body and bring your feet back to the floor.

Repeat this yoga for stress pose to make sure that it is effective.

2. Balasana (Child Pose):

This helps you to relax completely, like a child. In this pose, you curl up like a fetus.

• Sit on your knees with your palms facing the floor on either side of the body.
• As you inhale, bring your whole body forward in such a way that only the forehead touches the floor.
• Stay in the position for a minimum of 30 seconds, while breathing normally. The longer you stay, the more relaxed you will feel.
• Slowly lift your forehead and stretch your body back to Vajrasana (Diamond pose).

Repeat thrice.

People suffering from knee injuries are advised not to try this pose.

3. Padmasana (Lotus Pose):

This pose is commonly used during meditation and helps to increase the self-awareness levels. The pose helps you to calm down and soothes your mind.

• Sit cross legged. The left feet should be on right thigh and vice versa, while the soles face up.
• Keep the spine erect.
• Keep the hand in Gyan mudra.
• Close your eyes and while inhaling and exhaling deeply, maintain the pose for a minimum of 30 seconds.

People suffering from knee injuries are advised not to try this pose.

4. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose):

This is one of the 12 phases of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). Along with energizing the body and offering relief from indigestion problems, the pose is known to relax your body. Thus, it is an ideal asana for obtaining relief from stress.

• Stand straight with your feet flat on the mat. Keep your spine straight while hands straight on either side, with palms facing the thighs.
• While breathing normally, bend forward, and place the palms in front of you on the mat. The head should face down.
• Slowly stretch your legs backwards, one at a time, while maintaining the balance, in such a way that the feet and hands are in line with each other.
• Make sure that the elbows are straight and fingers are spread out.
• Inhale deeply and tuck in your stomach completely.
• Hold the position, while breathing normally, with tummy tucked in for about 30 seconds to 60 seconds.
• Exhaling slowly, come back to the standing pose.

Repeat three to five times.

5. Savasana (Corpse Pose):

Relax yourself completely with this pose. If you do not have time for any other yoga asanas, you can practice this. It brings your breathing to normal levels, and thus, helps to soothe down stress levels.

• Lie down in supine position.
• Close your eyes.
• Slump your body in such a way that it looks lifeless.
• Let go of everything and experience the serenity as your body weight shifts away from you completely.
• Maintain the position until you feel light and relaxed.

This pose helps you do away with fatigue and fills your mind with an amazingly intense calmness.

[ Read: Exercises To Boost Your Flexibility ]

Indulging in a regular yoga to reduce stress is a great way to also stay in shape, and calm the mind. Hence, start practicing yoga for stress management today and lead a happier life!