I wouldn’t exactly call myself a yogi. I’m about as flexible as a two-by-four and my usual level of Zen could be described as ‘Jessie Spano on caffeine pills,’ but I’ve become addicted to yoga.
I started doing yoga videos on YouTube a couple years ago as a way to deal with stress (here is the series I first started with. It’s awesome!). I don’t go to classes. I don’t do crazy poses like balancing on one hand with my leg wrapped around my head. I just put on a video and roll out my mat in my house before anyone else gets up, and I love the way it sets me up for my day.
Though I’m far from an expert on the subject, I really wanted to share my experience in case there are others out there who feel like they’re not a “yoga person.” I felt the same way, but now I can’t live without it as a tool for relieving stress and releasing tension in my body. I definitely notice a difference in how I feel and the way I respond to stress when I skip my morning yoga session.
Below are seven of my favorite yoga poses for stress relief and anxiety. They’re particularly great for the hips and lower back; those parts of my body are constantly tight since I sit at a desk looking at a computer all day (which I’m sure is the case for many of you as well).
These poses can also be deceiving in that they look simple, but they can give your muscles a workout. Since I’m not an instructor and have no business telling anyone how to do these poses, I’m including a link to an instructional video for each one. If you want to get the most out of these poses, I highly recommend checking those out.
Yoga Poses For Stress Relief
1. Forward Fold
You guys, this pose has changed my life (which is funny, because I’m not very good at it). I know it totally just looks like you’re just bending over, but there’s so much more going on than that.
Being upside down takes pressure off your spine and neck, which typically hold onto so much tension. It brings the blood flowing straight to your brain, which instantly makes me feel more awake and can relieve headaches.
The moment I really started to love this pose was when I watched a video that talked about lengthening your tailbone upward—not just reaching your upper body toward the floor, but reaching your tailbone up toward the ceiling.
When I tried this, I instantly felt a zing! Sensation. It stretches your hips in a new way and feels so good after sitting in a desk chair for so many hours.
2. Crescent Lunge
Where are my runners and dog-walkers at? This pose is a must for loosening up those tight hip flexors. It’s also great if you spend a lot of time sitting during your day.
A lot of exercises and stretches focus on our hamstrings and the backs of our legs, but we often neglect the muscles on the front of our legs and as a result, they can become incredibly tight. The first time you do this pose it might be really tricky. Now that I have the hang of it, I feel the urge to do this stretch every day.
3. Downward Dog (bonus points if it’s with a dog)
Downward dog is one of the most well-known yoga poses, but I spent at least a year doing it wrong. That’s because the correct alignment feels so unnatural, and if you have tight hamstrings like I do it can feel impossible to make your body bend this way.
When done correctly, downward dog lengthens the spine, takes pressure off the neck and back, stretches out the backs of the legs and increases blood flow in the opposite direction (since half of your body is upside down). All of these things contribute to feeling lighter and less stressed.
Here’s what perfect downward dog form looks like:
I’ve been tracking my progress on this pose for months because I’m determined to get it right and eventually, maybe even get my heels down.
4. Mountain
Who knew standing still could be an exercise? Mountain pose is wonderful for stress relief in that it forces you to focus on your breath. Because it’s such a simple pose for the body, it’s a great chance to zero in on your thoughts and breathing and take stock of how they make you feel. It’s also a great one for noticing when you’re holding stress in different parts of your body, like my endlessly tense shoulders.
The biggest eye-opener with this pose happened for me when I heard one yoga instructor reference the image of lifting your heart—physically raising the part of your chest where your heart is toward the sky. For me it was the perfect image to lock in what this posture is supposed to look and feel like.
5. Garland
Another pose that’s a challenge for me. My body just doesn’t do this pose naturally, but that’s one reason why I love it. It gives me something to work toward.
Garland pose is the ultimate hip opener—again, great for us desk-sitters. It also works your abs and I hear it’s a good one if you’re preggo.
6. Bridge
Bridge pose is meant to be a shoulder and chest opener, which is a perfect antidote to hunching over a keyboard for hours. But I particularly like the process of getting into bridge pose even more than the pose itself.
You’re supposed to draw your shoulder blades in toward your spine, kind of wiggling them underneath your body, and in doing this you can give them a great little massage against the floor.
Bridge pose is a precursor to wheel pose (basically a backbend), which *isn’t in my practice* but maybe it will be one day!
7. Child’s Pose
Ahh, child’s pose. Doing it feels like a sigh of relief for the whole body.
I have found child’s pose effective not only for stress relief but for relieving headaches and stomach cramps, too. Sometimes getting into this pose and just breathing for a few minutes can totally change my outlook for the day.
Do you use yoga as a stress relief tool? Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite poses. And if you haven’t tried yoga yet, I highly recommend finding a beginner’s video and giving it a shot!
