Yoga Poses for Anxiety and Stress.

With the coronavirus resulting in a pandemic, and a serious lack of accurate information there is a lot of stress floating around in the air. While I’m no expert on the virus, I do know that stress is not good for anyone’s health. Stress can actually reduce the strength of our immune system making us more susceptible to sickness. Throughout times of uncertainty like this, it’s important to take care of ourselves. This means making our physical and mental health top priority. Luckily we’re all self-quarantined so we’ve got some time to relax and unwind.

In general, yoga can be a very relaxing, stress-reducing practice. Still, certain styles, postures, and exercises will affect everyone a little differently. Here are a few simple yoga exercises you can do to reduce stress and keep your immune system strong!

Mindful Breathing

Stress Reducing Yoga Postures

Of course, restorative yoga is not everyone’s jam, and there are so many yoga postures that can help reduce stress and maintain our physical health. Here are five postures I’ve been incorporating into my daily yoga routine to keep my stress levels low.

Tree Pose

Tree pose is a balancing pose that requires a great deal of concentration and stillness. When we cultivate stillness in our body it aids our mind in finding stillness as well. This means instead of thinking about a million different things all at once, we are focused on our body and its relationship to space. Additionally, tree pose taps into the energy of the first chakra. The first chakra is a space of survival and belonging. Both of which are great concepts to cultivate during times of stress.

Forward Folds

Forward folds are both grounding and soothing for our central nervous system. They stimulate our sciatic nerve which in turn taps into the energy of the first chakra. You can choose to fold standing up, sitting down, passively with props, or more active with a flat back. Whatever way you fold, make sure you have space through your side body so you can breathe into your lungs and diaphragm.

Supine Twists

Twisting is a great way to release excess energy. While twisting is extremely detoxifying for our internal organs, I also like to believe it detoxifies our thoughts. Additionally, when we twist we are tapping into our third chakra space, a space of confidence and will-power. A little confidence boost during stressful times never hurt anyone!

Inversions

I love inversions and the main reason I love them is that I find myself so focused and clear-headed when I practice them. Inversions are tricky and require a great deal of awareness to hold. Some prefer a softer practice and can get easily flustered when moving into inversions. If that’s you, then moving into restorative legs up the wall, or shoulder stand is probably more your style.

However, if you’re one of those anxious people that prefer to expel their energy through more active movements, headstand and handstand will suit your energy better. Regardless of what type of inversion you choose, inversions can help flip our perspective – literally. Along with a perspective change you can expect a boost of positive energy!

Eagle Arms

Eagle pose itself is extremely grounding as it is a closed off-balancing posture. What I mean by closed off, is that our body is binding which allows us to maintain our natural energy instead of expelling it outward. However, Eagle pose can be very heat-inducing and aggravating if your balance is a little off-kilter. That’s why I like practice eagle arms in a seated position. It’s still grounding since we are seated and close to the earth, but it allows us to focus more on our shoulders, neck, and jaw – high tension areas in our body. While it doesn’t necessarily seem like a shoulder opener, eagle arms help release our shoulder heads and back of our hearts. Focus on sending your breath to space between your shoulder blades here. Stay relaxed through your jaw and neck.

Childs Pose

Childs pose is very grounding for our mind and body. Having that gentle pressure of your forehead against a brick or your mat is soothing. This pressure invites a sense of softness into the muscles of our face and neck. There are multiple variations of childs pose all of which can help us release stress and allow our brains to find some focus.

Pigeon Pose

Pigeon pose is a hip opener which can be a little intense if we are tight in our hips and in an emotional state. However, it can be extremely beneficial in both those cases as well. Here’s why; pigeon pose taps into the energy of our second chakra. Our second chakra correlates with our emotions so when we find ourselves worked up over something, like coronavirus, it’s important to work through those emotions. By tapping into our hips and our emotional center we are facing our emotions head-on. When we do so, and we breathe with focus and intention, we can allow our minds to find a sense of contentment even though we are feeling certain emotions.

Pigeon pose invites you to find peace with where you are. When you move into this posture be sure to move slowly and check in with your brain and body as you go. Stay focused on maintaining a smooth rhythm with your breath, and if your body allows, fold over your front leg. Adding a forward fold can help maintain a calm mind and invite some release into your lower back and outer hips.

On top of yoga, getting enough sleep at night, eating a well-balanced diet, drinking enough water, and limiting the amount of information you’re taking in about covid-19 can help reduce your stress levels. Take this time of self-quarantine to slow down, reflect, and pick up a hobby or habit you’ve been itching to start.