Best Yoga Poses For Stress Relief

Yoga has long been considered as one of the best antidotes to stress. Doing just one pose for four or five minutes can help your system switch out of its stressed-out, fight-or-flight mode, the psychological tension and land in the calm or relief mode by improving your mind-body connection and boosting physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. All forms of physical activity have the possibility to help you feel less stressed, but yoga has several unique advantages because yoga is more than just physical exercise that helps manage stress through its own philosophy and psychology.

Numerous studies have supported yogaâ€™s stress-relieving effects and subjects experienced significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression. The practices of Yoga asanas combined with breathwork, relaxation techniques, and meditation create a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems while releasing happy hormones in the body.

What are the best Yoga poses for stress relief?

Below are seven poses to help you relieve stress and decompress. You can do all of them in one session or pick one or two poses to do as needed. You hold each pose depending on your bodyâ€™s strength. The more tension you have in your body, the more time it may take you to relax. These simple Yoga Stretches melt away muscle tension and relive stress.

Yastikasana (Stick Pose)

When you are stressed, your muscles tense up, and can lead to all sorts of issues, including bad posture. By doing stick pose, you help relax some of the muscles leading to faulty posture, help improve circulation throughout your body, also improves breathing to ease stress.

Lie face up on the floor and extend your legs and arms above your head. Inhale and stretch your body through your fingers and toes as long as you can as if you are trying to reach something at each end of you. Hold for five to 10 seconds, breathing deeply. Release and repeat four to five times.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

	It is believed that 20 minutes practice of corpse pose has the capability to relax and energize your body worth the equivalent of eight hours of sleep. Do it correctly.
Put hands away from your torso with palms turned up. Relax your entire body from head to toes by keep your spine neutral; if necessary, place a pillow under your knees to reduce lower back strain. Relax and stay in that pose for five to 20 minutes.

Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining bound Angle with bolster)

For women who are experiencing menstrual discomfort, this pose stretches and relaxes muscles in the pelvic area. Opening up the chest also allows better breathing and reduces stress. You will also get a nice inner thigh and hip stretch.

Lie back on the mat, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall open wide. (Place blocks, pillows, or rolled-up towels under each thigh or knees if support needed). Extend your arms to your sides, below shoulder height, palms facing up. Close your eyes and stay in this pose for up to five minutes.

Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall pose)

	This pose reverses the movement of the body and blood circulation to induce relaxation. It also calms the brain into a state of being without thoughts.
Lie onto your back and Extend up your legs against the wall, feet either together or hip-width apart, and your ankles relaxed. If you have any lower body stiffness, you can move your hips a couple of inches away from the wall. Relax your arms at your sides, palms turned up, and hold for one to five minutes.

Uttanasana Variation (Rag Doll Pose)

	In most people, stress and anxiety are concentrated in their lower back, neck, or shoulders. By doing this pose, you let go of that weight in the upper body. Note: People with a herniated disk or high blood pressure should avoid this pose.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and fold forward from your hips. Let the crown of your head hang toward the ground. Bend your elbows and grasp each elbow with the opposite hand. Hold yourself in this pose for 10 seconds to a minute, going deeper into the pose with each exhalation.

Janu Shirasasana (One-Legged Seated Forward Bend)

When you are stressed and anxious, you probably overthink, even hold onto thoughts, incidents and emotions. This pose works helps develop the let-go attitude to release the limiting thoughts and emotions and calm the mind.

Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right foot against your left thigh. Sitting tall, extend both arms over your head as you stretch up. Exhale and bend forward from your hips over the left leg, keeping your neck elongated and shoulders relaxed. As you inhale, extend your spine longer, and as you exhale, fold over your leg more. Stay in this pose for 10 to 60 seconds. Repeat with the opposite leg extended.

Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Abdomen Pose)

This gentle spinal twist massages your abdomen to relieve digestive discomfort and helps release tension in your spine.

Lie face up on the floor with your arms extended to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing up. Bring your knees to your chest and slowly drop them to the right. Keeping your left shoulder on the floor, turn your head to the left and stay in this pose for 10 to 30 seconds. Release your knees to center and repeat to the other side.