Best Yoga Poses to Relieve Stress

While yoga is often touted for its ability to improve strength, balance and flexibility, it’s also a powerful tool when it comes to helping to reduce stress and anxiety. That’s because it demands both mental and physical disciplines, including controlled breathing, which can be a great way to helping you relax. It also helps lower blood pressure and heart rate because of this. While most types of yoga will decrease feelings of anxiety, Hatha yoga is a great choice for stress management thanks to its gentler pace and simple, flowing movements, while Yin yoga, which encourages you to hold poses longer and deeper, can really help release deep-set emotional anxiety.

Easy pose with forward bend

Adding a forward bend to this basic yoga pose increases your exhalation, which is a great way to initiate more relaxation.

1. Sit on the floor with your shins crossed.
2. Place your arms out in front of you, folded so that your forearms are crossed.
3. Lean your head gently on your arms and stay for 5 breaths.
4. Bend forward so that your upper body is leaning forwards towards the ground.

Child’s pose

A relaxing pose that naturally helps ease stress, anxiety and fatigue.

1. Kneel on the floor and from there, sink your body back onto your heels.
2. Fold yourself forward while walking your hands out in front of you.
3. Allow your torso to fall heavy into your thighs, resting your forehead on the floor.
4. Keep your arms extended forward or rest them alongside your body.
5. Hold for 2-5 minutes depending on your ability.

Tree pose

Once you master this classic pose, you should find it enables you to quieten a racing mind become more present in the moment.

1. From standing, transfer your weight onto your right foot while slowly lifting your left foot off of the ground.
2. Slowly turn the sole of your left foot inward toward the inside of your left leg.
3. Place this foot on the outside of your left ankle, calf, or thigh, wherever feels most comfortable.
4. Bring your hands into the prayer position in front of your heart or allow them to drop by your sides.
5. Hold for 2 minutes or as long as is comfortable.
6. Repeat on the opposite side.