A dear friend of mine recently saw a doctor because of the chest pains she was experiencing.
She was working around the clock while balancing her home life. She was doing all the things with high expectations of herself and from others.
She was stressed.
Does this scenario sound familiar at all?
After visiting the doctor, he told her that she needed to slow down and to try yoga and meditation.
Though I felt terrible my friend was under such stress, I couldn’t help but jump for joy inside that a doctor was suggesting yoga and meditation to a patient!
Some of my favorite benefits of yoga are listed here. But to dive deeper into the health benefits of yoga, yoga and meditation have been proven to lower stress levels and trigger our “happy” hormones (oxytocin and endorphins) to create a greater sense of calm and peace.
Savasana anyone?
Though some stress is actually good, it sends our bodies an alert to take action when necessary, but too much stress can be detrimental to our health. And I mean serious health issues like anxiety, depression, heart disease, decreased memory and concentration, and weight gain.
Yep, I will pass on the whole high-stress thing.
But life today is real, and stress is out there. It’s in the palm of our hands via our phone for the majority of it with 24-hour access to emails, the news, and social media.
To help fight off stress, a simple trick to calming down and finding some quiet is through deep breaths and these 6 yoga postures.
6 Yoga Postures to Reduce Stress
1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Why it’s good for stress relief: This is your opportunity to create your own little cocoon and get quiet. Allow outside noise to fade away and just listen and feel yourself breathe. By taking slow deep breaths with your head below your heart, you begin to calm your nervous system and lower your cortisol.
How To:
Option 1 – Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Bring your big toes to touch at the back of your mat. Widen your knees as much as it feels ok in your hips. Crawl your fingertips long out in front of you. Rest your forehead on the ground. Stay for at least 10 breaths.
If your hips are tight, place a block under your bum so your muscles can soften.
Option 2 – Embryo Pose
Take a seat on your heels with your knees together. Bring your forehead to the ground in front of your knees with your arms down by your sides. Allow your shoulders to round over your body. Stay for at least 10 breaths.
Feel Good Tip: Gently rock your forehead side to side (ah, it’s so good) and concentrate on your back breathing.
2. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Why it’s good for stress relief: Similar to child’s pose, when your head is below your heart (we call this an inversion), you begin to reverse blood flow. This helps to calm your nervous system and get out of the flight or fight response in the physical body and mind.
How To: Start in a high plank position, stack your shoulders over your wrists and feet hip-width distant. Lift from your core to lengthen your tailbone up and then back. Press through the “L” of your hand to root and lengthen your side body. Hands should still be shoulder-distant apart. Relax your head down. Reach your heels toward the ground. Stay for 5-10 breaths.
If you feel your spine rounding, bend your knees until you have a flat back.
Feel Good Tip: Let every exhale that you take to allow yourself to soften and let go. Imagine your chest melting toward your thighs and heels to the ground. Breathe really deep.
3. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana and Prasarita Podottanasana)
Why it’s good for stress relief: Another inversion for you to slow your heart rate down and calm your nervous system. We carry a lot of tension in your shoulders and low back, allow this posture to be a release for both of these areas.
How To:
Option 1: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Stand with your feet hip-width distant apart and fold over your legs (bend your knees as much as it feels good). Bring your weight forward into your toes. Allow your arms to be down or capture opposite elbow with your hands. Relax your head down. Stay for 10 breaths.
Option 2: Separate Leg Forward Fold (Prasarita Podottanasana)
Stand with your legs wide and fold forward (bend your knees as much as it feels good). Bring your weight forward into your toes. Allow your arms to be down with fingers on the ground or capture your feet. Relax your head down. Stay for 10 breaths.
Feel good tip: Walk your heads out long out in front of you in Prasarita. Cage your fingertips and melt into your shoulders.
4. Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Why it’s good for stress relief: Stress can create tension in our bodies. To help find a release in your physical body, use twists to contract your internal organs and then soften them when you release the twist to relax into a deeper and better functioning state. This will also release tension in your back.
How To: In a seated position, bring your left foot outside of your right hip. Place your right foot outside of your left knee. Place your right hand at the base of your spine for support. Inhale and reach your left-hand high, exhale twist and place your left hand or shoulder outside of your right knee. Stay for 5-10 breaths and switch sides.
Another option is to take a twist on your back. Cross one leg over your body and gaze in the opposite direction. Root both shoulders down. Let your top leg be heavy.
Feel Good Tip: As you inhale, imagine creating space in your body, yes even when you’re bound up like a pretzel. As you exhale, imagine twisting away tension.
5. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Why it’s good for stress relief: This is yet again another opportunity to lower your head below your heart to calm your insides down. Create another cocoon for yourself to turn inward and just breathe.
How To: Sit with your legs together and extended out in front of you. Inhale and reach your arms overhead. Exhale and fold over your legs. Bend your knees as much as you like to release tension in your hamstrings and low back. Stay for 10 breaths.
Feel Good Tip: Allow your spine to round in this version. Focus on breathing in your low, middle and upper back. Feel yourself breathing and living. We are lucky to be able to do such a posture and to have the life we have.
6. Easy Pose (Sukhasana) / Meditate
Why it’s good for stress relief: Meditation has proven to lower your blood pressure, calm your heart rate and bring attention to the present moment. Read more here. This means that you are not focused on the outside “noise” that life is throwing at you. It’s just you and your breath.
How To: Find a comfortable seated position. Use a block or blanket under your bum or knees to help relieve tension in your hips. Rest your palms on your lap. Sit tall. Close your eyes. Pay attention to your breath. Stay for 10 breaths, or as long as time allows.
Feel Good Tip: Rest your palms down on your knees if you need more grounding. Or, place your palms up on your knees as a sign of openness to receive.
These postures all link together in this order and would make for a calming bedtime routine. The most important part is to breathe and to allow your mind to quiet.
My friend’s body was sending her message. Her lifestyle was causing stress to her body and it was telling her to slow down and take care of herself.
If your body is sending you a message, listen up.
Your self-care and self-love should be at the top of your to-do list. Take action to let go of things that don’t serve you.
Breathe deep, my friend.
