Yoga is not just a physical exercise. This is a comprehensive exercise for the body and mind, helping to eliminate accumulated stress, help restore emotions and calm the nervous system. Just a few minutes of deep breathing and stretching can reset your energy levels and give you a boost. Next time you feel like you need instant stress relief, turn to your yoga mat. Even practicing these yoga poses for a short time can make you feel positive.
Balasana
One of the most soothing yoga poses is Balasana. It calms the nervous system and induces relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. In balasana, gentle stretching along the back and releasing tension in the neck and shoulders helps eliminate tension and stress.
To practice balasana, sit back on your heels, stretch your body forward, and hold your arms out in front of you. Place your forehead on the mat and take a few deep breaths.
Bhujangasana
Cobra pose energizes the body and mind; it could actually be your posture when you’re mentally drained of energy. It opens the chest and shoulders, allowing for deep breathing, stimulating the release of the feel-good hormones serotonin and endorphins. This pose has a good effect in stretching along the spine, thereby reducing stress and increasing flexibility.
Gentle compression of the abdomen will stimulate digestive activity and thus reduce drowsiness and discomfort. Lie face down on the mat, bring your hands under the mat and place them under your shoulders. Push into your palms to move your elbows closer to your body as you lift your chest off the mat. Hold for a few breaths, feeling the expansion in the back and opening in the chest. Then lower yourself down.
Uttanasana
This is a simple but highly effective pain relief posture. Inverting the body so that the head is below the heart has a stimulating effect that increases blood flow to the brain by increasing mental clarity and releasing feelings of relaxation. Fresh, oxygenated blood can help clear the mind, reduce stress, and reduce feelings of overwhelm.
This is also a good stretch for the hamstrings, calf muscles and lower back. Abdominal compression also stimulates the digestive system to help reduce bloating and discomfort. To practice Uttanasana, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly if necessary to avoid affecting your lower back. Hold here for a few deep breaths, allowing your body to relax and calm your mind.
Warrior II (Virabharasana II)
Warrior II is a dynamic standing yoga workout that helps increase strength, stability, and confidence. This pose opens the hips and stretches the inner thighs, helping to strengthen the legs and core, while also enhancing focus and concentration to help clear mental fog.
To practice Warrior II, step your legs wide apart. Turn your right foot out and your left foot in slightly. Bend your right knee so it rests directly above your ankle and extend your arms out to shoulder height. Look over your right hand and hold for a few breaths; then switch sides.
Setu Bandhasana
Bridge pose is a gentle stretching position that helps relax the mind and body after exercise. It is great for elevating your mood as the heart chakra is stimulated in this pose. This pose also rejuvenates the thyroid gland – the center of energy metabolism – helping to improve the speed and efficiency of metabolism, thereby increasing energy levels. This pose improves circulation, increases energy by reducing fatigue.
To practice Setu Bandhasana, lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Press your feet into the floor as you lift your hips toward the ceiling, rolling your shoulders underneath you. Place your hands together under your body and hold for a few breaths, then slowly lower your hips back to the mat.
Viparita Karani
This is a restorative and deeply relaxing pose that will immediately create a feeling of calm. This body inversion helps stimulate blood flow and lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling and fatigue in the legs, and is also helpful for reducing anxiety and stress as it encourages deep breathing and mindfulness . It helps the nervous system enter a state of relaxation and calm. Any anxious person suffering from insomnia will find it useful.
Sit on one side of your body along a wall. Lie on your back, swing your legs up against the wall and keep your arms on either side of your body. Close your eyes and stay in this position for a few minutes, breathing deeply and letting go of the tension in your body.
Savasana pose
Savasana, also known as Corpse Pose, is often performed at the end of a yoga session. Although it may seem like the pose that requires the least amount of effort, the practice of Savasana engages both the body and the mind. This pose activates deep relaxation, which can dissolve everything that creates tension, stress or anxiety in a person.
Through stillness, Savasana helps mindfulness, focusing on the breath and sensations in the body helps calm the mind and clear mental fog, and it is one of the best yoga poses. Lie on your back. Relax your arms at your sides, palms facing up. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Hold for a few minutes and focus only on your breathing as the tension is released.
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