Life can be stressful, no matter what age group you belong to. We all go through a stressful phase in our day-to-day life. So, finding ways to end anxiety and stress creeping deeper into your mind and soul is imperative. One of the most popular and easiest ways is full-body yoga for stress relief. The best part is you don’t need to be a yoga expert.
Continue reading to know how to get started and how you can shake off stress and focus on self-improvement by practicing yoga.
Here are a few most common and effective yoga poses you need to start with.
Easy Pose
Being a beginner, this is the easiest way to start with.
Steps Included
- Start with an easy, comfortable seating position keeping your back straight and cross your legs with knees wide apart.
- To relax your shoulders, place your hands on your knees and align your neck, head, and shoulders while maintaining your weight balance.
- Sit in the position for a minute and feel the relieving sensations in your body.
Stand Forward Pose
This pose involves stretching your thigh and hips and helps relieve stress, depression, or any kind of fatigue.
Steps Included
- Stand tall and slowly bend your body till your palms hit the floor.
- Be careful and keep your neck and shoulder muscles relaxed.
- Keeping your legs straight in the bending position, press your head against your legs. And release the weight of your head.
- Continue in this position for 4-8 breaths, then slowly inhale, stretch your arms outward and bring back your torso to a normal standing position.
Cat-Cow Pose
This pose helps in soothing the lower back and helps relieve stress. This pose massages your organs and helps maintain emotional balance.
Steps Included
- Cat Pose- Exhale and drop down on all fours, slowly pull your stomach towards your spine and keep your back round, raising it towards the ceiling. Finally, bend your head towards the ground. Holding up for 30 seconds in this position is good enough for relaxing your muscles and brain.
- Cow Pose- Just like cat-pose, deep inhale and curve your belly towards the floor mat. Try to slightly pull your shoulders away from your ears while stretching your chin and chest by looking up at the ceiling.
- Repeat the cat-cow pose for 5-10 minutes in a peaceful and unrushed manner to reduce your stress.
Side Stretch
This yoga pose is efficacious in relaxing your head, shoulder, and neck muscles. Hence, making your whole body fresh, active, and stress-free.
Steps Included
- Sit down with a straight back and bend your legs inward on your knees.
- Place one of your arms on the ground, stretching it away from the body while dropping your head towards your shoulders.
- Stretch your other arm upward and inclined towards your head.
- Stay in this position for a few minutes and relax your body and mind.
Happy Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is effective in restoring energy and creating inward focus. This full-body yoga for stress relief is best for both physical and mental health. It also improves your sleep quality and regulates mood effectively.
Steps Included
- In a kneeling position, softly bend your body on the ground or floor mat.
- Bend your belly towards your thigh and make sure your chest rests on your thighs.
- Now extend your hands in front of you with your head resting on the floor.
- Hold up in this position for 4-5minutes focusing on relaxing your mind and body.
Leg-Up Wall Pose
Leg up wall pose quickly cools down your mind and body, naturally boosting lymph flow and circulation.
Steps Included
- Lie down on the floor mat facing a wall. Keep your body closer to the wall.
- Lying on your back, try to stretch your legs up towards the wall, bending your knees a little to avoid kneecaps knocking.
- Release your arms wide alongside your body on the floor mat.
- Stay in the position for 5-10 minutes.
Corpse Pose with or without Blocks on Head
Corpse pose is one of the most calming and brain relaxing yoga. It lowers your blood pressure by triggering a state of deep rest. This pose also helps comfort your nervous system by reducing the pressure on your brain.
Steps Included
- Lie down calmly on your flat back keeping your legs straight (but not close to each other) and heels wider apart.
- Place your arms next to your body on the floor at an angle of 45-degree.
- While breathing deeply, close your eyes and relax your mind and body.
- Bring your attention slowly to your body parts, starting from head till toe.
- To improve the effect of this yoga, you can add a block on your forehead by placing half of it on the other block placed on the floor.
- The touch of the block scrubs your forehead skin and calms the nervous system.
In Conclusion
No matter where you are, at home or work, you can help ease your stress levels through yoga. It helps to make you feel relaxed and improves your ability to focus, keep yourself calm, and maintain emotional balance. Making it an effective therapy to replenish your energy and the best alternative to any anti-depressants. Enjoy this full-body yoga for stress relief and enhance your overall well-being. Also, remember not to overdo it so that you don’t end up straining or over-stretching yourself. Some people also experience sleepiness after doing yoga, but this effect subsides after doing yoga regularly.
These are some of the different yoga techniques that you can include in your daily routine to attain a state of overall better health and wellbeing. With more insight into the different techniques in a yoga routine, you are better able to benefit yourself from the different positive aspects that come with it. These include alleviation in depression, anxiety, and even physiological benefits such as blood pressure regulation, better immune system, and overall improved sleep.