Yoga poses that help alleviate stress and anxiety

There is a powerful link between your physical and mental health. When you take care of yourself, you are helping your overall wellbeing. Exercise induces changes in a part of your brain that regulates the body’s response to stress.

While there are multiple different forms of physical exercise that help reduce stress and anxiety like cardio and interval training, yoga is a generally safe and universally well-rounded form of exercise that helps manage anxious feelings and stressful thoughts. By adding movement to your anxiety treatment routine, yoga may offer some relief as an add-on to your treatment.

To prove yoga’s effectiveness with reducing stress and anxiety, a study of 226 adults with generalized anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), stress management education, or Kundalini yoga. CBT had longer lasting benefits, but yoga helped significantly improve and alleviate anxiety symptoms. Other research found that people who practice yoga regularly had low cortisol levels.

Here are some overall wellness benefits of doing yoga:

Reduces stress
Relieves anxiety
Helps manage depression
Decreases lower back pain
Improves quality of life in those with chronic conditions or acute illnesses
Stimulates brain function
Helps prevent heart disease

“The great thing about yoga is that besides stretching and core strengthening, there is a tremendous focus on breathing, which helps to slow down and calm the mind.” - Ben Michaelis, PhD

At healf, we see the value yoga has on connecting physical wellness to mental wellness. Here is a list of a few yoga poses curated by yoga instructor Sangeeta Vallabhan that you can do to help connect your body to your mind and reduce your stress and anxiety.

6 poses to easy stress and anxiety

When doing these poses, try going to a quiet space and play soft music. Before you begin, get in a mindset that you will use this dedicated time to take care of yourself.

“All of these poses can help people feel more present in their body and will definitely move them in the direction of reducing stress and anxiety, as well as sadness or anger” - Sangeeta Vallabhan

1. Seated side bend

Sit cross-legged on a yoga block or the floor
Place right hand on the floor to the right side of your legs
Reach left arm up and overhead, bending from the waist to the right
Look up and hold for 3-5 breaths
Repeat on other side

2. Downward dog

Start in a plank position
Lift hips up and back forming a triangle shape with the body
Press hands and feet into the ground as hips move up
Knees can be straight or slightly bent
Hold for 5 breaths

3. Extended side angle

Start in a plank position
Lift hips up and back forming a triangle shape with the body
Press hands and feet into the ground as hips move up
Knees can be straight or slightly bent
Hold for 5 breaths

4. Warrior II

Stand with feet wide apart
Place right foot forward and left foot turned in at 30 degrees
Bend right knee to 90 degrees with thigh parallel to floor
Extend arms out to both sides with palms facing down
Right arm should extend forward and left arm backward
Hold for 5 breaths
Repeat on other side

5. Plank

Start in a push-up position
Keep shoulders over wrists and create a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels
Engage core, lengthen torso, press through heels
Hold for 3 to 5 breaths

6. Restorative savasana

Lie on back with a towel or blanket rolled and placed under knees
Add another towel or blanket under head
Close eyes and relax body
Stay in Savasana for 5-10 minutes

Conclusion

Yoga is a great way to add movement to your routine to reduce stress and anxiety no matter how physically fit you are. Overall, these movements will help connect your mind to your body and ease any tension you may be feeling.

If you want to try these poses out for yourself, here are some products we recommend: