Yoga is one of the most ancient practices of health and well-being. It focuses on the full human body including the liver, kidney, heart, mind and personality. Yoga is not only beneficial for our physical health but also for our mental well-being.
Yoga is helpful for our mental well-being and mainly focuses on stress, anxiety and other issues. It encourages a healthy life by promoting mindfulness and self-awareness through various yoga asanas, poses and meditation.
Symptoms of stress
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Well, stress is a very common problem in our daily lives. Stress can be caused by the smallest things like paying the bill or workload. There are multiple ways to deal with stress; one such very common form is exercise, promoting a healthy lifestyle and having a balanced diet. While others try to ignore their feelings, they allow them to build up the stress and affect their own health.
One thing which we need to understand is that we cannot permanently get rid of stress but we can reduce it to a large extent by practising yoga. There are mainly two types of stress, one is physical stress and the other one is mental stress, both of which can be dangerous to our body and mind.
Physical symptoms of stress
• Low energy
• Dry mouth
• Constant headache
• Chest pain
• Tense muscles
• Stomach upset
Mental symptoms of stress
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Loneliness
• Lack of focus etc
Yoga for stress management
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The practice of yoga will allow your body to gently ease your mental and physical tension by focusing on breathing, simple meditation and physical postures. Here are a few effective yoga asanas for stress management.
5 Yoga poses for stress management
1. Child’s Pose
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The child’s pose is ideal for calming your busy mind and soothing the adrenals. When we are too stressed, our adrenal glands are pressurised which can lead to burnout. Balasana stretches your back, hips, thighs and ankles. Here’s how to do this asana:
• Start with your hands on your knees, and sit back on your heels with your hands in front of you.
• Try slowly bending forward until your forehead touches the floor.
• Allow your toes to touch the floor. You can either keep your knees together or at a distance.
• Keep your arms stretched in front of you or you can stack your hands and rest it on your head on your forearms.
• Stay in the same position for sometime and then relax.
2. Eagle pose
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Eagle pose also known as Garudasana is a bit of a difficult pose allowing you to take out the tension in your body and focus on your balance, helping to ease stress and improve concentration. Here’s how to ace this pose easily:
• Start by standing straight with your hands at your side.
• Try to bend your knees, balance on your right foot and cross your left thigh over your right one.
• Keep the top of your left foot behind your right one.
• Extend both arms straight in front of you and then place your left arm under your right.
• The next step of this pose is to bend your elbows and raise your forearms at a 90 degree angle to the floor.
• Wrap your arms and hands, slowly pressing your palms together.
• Try to hold this position for sometime and then relax.
3. Bridge Pose
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Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is a very effective yoga pose that helps calm the brain and the nervous system, it promotes relaxation, anxiety and depression. This pose strengthens the back and hamstrings improving body functions like digestion and blood circulation. Here’s how to do it:
• Begin with lying flat on your back and bend your knees.
• Place your feet hip-width apart whilst keeping your arms at the side and palms facing down.
• Press your feet together on the floor. Take deep breaths and lift your hips. Ensure to keep your knees hip-width apart.
• Push your arms and shoulders to lift your chest. Focus on your glutes to lift your hips up.
• Hold on to this position for some time and then release.
4. Standing forward fold pose
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Standing forward fold pose also known as Uttanasana is highly beneficial for calming the mind and promotes mindfulness. It helps reduce fatigue, stress and anxiety. Here’s how one can easily do this pose:
• Start with simply standing straight. Slowly keep your knees straight and move forward from your hips, placing your hand in front of your feet.
• Next push all your weight to your feet, focusing on your hamstrings.
• Hold each of your elbows with opposite hands, focusing on your neck, and keeping your mind clear.
• Hold the pose for five to six breaths and then relax.
5. Extended Triangle pose
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This is another yoga position that is ideal for full-body stretch, which is highly beneficial to reduce anxiety and stress. Here’s how to do the pose efficiently:
• Begin with standing straight, with both legs apart at a distance.
• Stretch your arms sideways with palms facing towards the ground.
• Turn your left foot out at a 90-degree angle.
• Focus on your thigh muscles and turn your left thigh outwards.
• Bend your body down towards your left leg.
• Twist your body towards the right side.
• Stretch your right arm straight up towards the air.
• And keep your head straight holding the position for 30 seconds.
• Repeat the same with your right leg and hold for some time then return back to the starting.
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