Yoga has reached to the peak of fame in past decade due its versatile benefits to our life. Yoga is just about everything, you can opt to practice yoga for almost any purpose. One of the major focuses yoga implies is to create a balance within your body. Studies have proved that people practicing yoga live longer as it creates harmony and strength in both mental and physical health.
Busy lifestyle is quite normal in today’s fast moving world which then results in many health problems, anxiety and stress, in particular. If that’s the case, yoga is your best companion. Today in this post we’ll look into some of the best yoga poses that not just only help you get rid of stress and anxiety but keep you fit.
Table of Contents
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
This posture is found to be very helpful in releasing upper body strain. It also helps you calm the nervous system with steady, conscious breathing.
How to Do It:
Kneel on the floor and sit onto your heels. Bend forward and relax in a stretched position. Rest your chest on your thighs or you can choose to spread your knees out to the sides, keeping your feet together, allowing your torso fall towards the ground. Your can allow your arms to stretch in front of you, above your head like a Chinese bow or reaching back towards your feet.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
This is an amazing yoga pose that allows you to relax by slow breathing and decreasing blood pressure. It is important to concentrate on your breathing, it also improves your memory.
How to Do It:
Begin by lying flat and stretched on your back. Put your arms and legs out creating a 45-degree angle approximate, put your palms in upward direction and allow your feet to relax. Gently roll your head both sides to relax your spine, straightening your back to make sure it is properly aligned. Retain the position and focus on your breath.
Extended Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)
This posture helps you calm your mind and stretch the spine, releasing any tension in the back.
How to Do It:
Begin putting your hands and knees on floor in a way that your knees are under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Keeping your legs at the very same position, slowly slide your hands forward, stretching your spine until you have a nice lean forward with a chest almost touching the floor. Breathe in and out with a small pause making sure a stretch on your spine and back. Slide back your hands in order to get to the starting position.
Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
This yoga pose is one of my favorites, it is a great way to calm the nervous system, stabilize mind and increase flexibility in spine to release tension.
How to Do It:
To begin with, sit on the floor with both legs extended forward. Keeping your right leg straight, pull your left knee towards your chest in a way that it creates a cross over with your right leg. You can opt to touch your left bum with your right foot. Put your right elbow on your bent knee, left knee in this case, and your right hand on floor behind you creating a spinal twist. Turn your gaze out over your left shoulder by putting backward force with the help of your right elbow, be careful not to twist too hard. Twist until you get a soothing effect. Repeat the same procedure on opposite side.
Half Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
There are lots of many yoga poses that ensures body strength and mental calmness, this pose is great for both. This is an effective posture for toning your body as well. If you want a strong spine this is just perfect.
How to Do It:
Bring your right leg forward with holding the left leg at the same point. Now bend your right knee forward putting whole upper body weight on it. This will create full stretch between both the legs. Now flex your right leg, your foot pointing towards your left side. Stretch your back leg out behind you further more if possible, otherwise you’re good to go. Finally, reach out for your back leg toes with both the hands, bending backwards, meanwhile touch your head with the toes.
Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
This pose is an amazing way to relieve tension in your hips, a great source of lower back pain as well.
How to Do It:
Set up a folded blanket with the wall. Lay on your left side with your hip on the edge of the blanket, as if you are sitting on the wall. Kick your legs up and lay on your back with your legs straight up the wall and the blanket beneath your hips. Relax into this restorative pose and if you can, stay here for at least five minutes. To get out of it, bend your knees to your chest and roll on to your side.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
This yoga pose is really effective in calming your mind, reducing headaches, and lowering blood pressure. It also gives strength to our mind and boosts memory, indeed.
How to Do It:
Begin by sitting straight with your legs stretched out in front of you, keep your spine straight. Lean forward and reach out for both the toes, put your head on your knees and leave your body in a relax mode holding the same position. With each breath, continue to deepen your stretch and find more space between each vertebrae.
Tree Pose (Vrikasana)
You’d love to have this pose in your daily routine as it is a confidence booster. It also improves the physical and mental balance which are the keys to healthy living.
How to Do It:
Begin by standing straight on mat with your feet together. Stand on your left foot and bring your right foot to the inner thigh. Position yourself in a way that right knee is pointing towards your right side and right foot is at your inner thigh. Once you have your balance, bring your hands together in front of your heart in prayer position. Now lift your hands above your head and try to concentrate on your balance. Repeat on the other side.
Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)
This is yet another amazing pose for boosting confidence. If need a extra dose for boosting confidence, make this your favorite one. You can be get rid of back fat with this effective yoga pose. It can help you increase your physical balance which in turn can cause a boost in mental and emotional balance.
How to Do It:
Begin by standing straight with feet together. Bend forward at 90 degree angle allowing your arms to stretch out just above your shoulders. Now lift your left leg straight back at your waist height. At this point of stage you’ll be positioned like Capital “T”. Balance yourself and hold the position as long as you can. Repeat on the other side.
Padmasana (Lotus Pose):
You might have seen this pose so many times. This posture is commonly used during meditation and helps to increase the self-awareness levels and mental calmness. This is also great for improving concentration and inner strength.
How to do:
Begin with sitting cross legged. The left feet should be on right thigh and vice versa, while lifting your chin straight. Keep the spine erect. Keep the hand in Gyan mudra. Close your eyes and while inhaling and exhaling deeply, maintain the pose for a minimum of 30 seconds.
Practicing these poses will help you reduce stress and anxiety. Do give us your feedback, suggestions and ideas via comment box. You can also join us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.