5 Stress-Relieving Yoga Poses
March 3, 2020
The go-to resource for planning your yoga retreats & holidays. Find all you need to know about destinations and take your practice to the next level.
Discover Yoga Retreats now
While maintaining a yoga practice can be a great way to reduce stress, stay in shape, and calm the mind, finding time to relax through yoga in the modern world is a growing problem.
As Geeta Iyengar said, when this body has been so magnificently and artistically created by God, it is only fitting that we should maintain it in good health and harmony by the most excellent and artistic science of yoga.
Here are five easy stress-relieving, relaxing and calming yoga positions for beginners and advanced yogis alike by Rachel, Escape Haven's retreat manager!
1) Child's pose (balasana)
Image credit: Escape Haven
- Gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles
- Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
- Calming and restorative
- Focuses on the thighs but also is good at releasing back, shoulders, neck and hips
- Normalizes circulation through the body
- Relieves back and neck pain
- Encourages strong and steady breathing
- Calms the mind and body
2) Legs up the wall (viparita karani)
Image credit: Escape Haven
- Alleviates headaches
- Boosts energy
- Restorative and relaxing gentle inversion
- Eases anxiety and stress
- Therapeutic for arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure and insomnia
- Relieves lower back pain
- Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps and menopause
- Relieves tired or cramped feet and legs
3) Puppy pose or heart-melting pose (uttana shishosana)
Image credit: Escape Heaven
- Calms the mind and invigorates the body
- Relieves symptoms of chronic stress, tension and insomnia
- Relieves tension in upper arms, shoulder and neck
- Expands your chest
- Improves flexibility in the spine
- Stretches out abdominals
- Stimulates back muscles
- Opens hips and stretches hamstrings
4) Corpse pose (savasana)
Image credit: Escape Haven
- The ultimate relaxation pose!
- Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
- Relaxes the body
- Reduces headache, fatigue and insomnia
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Helps rejuvenate the body and mind
5) Standing forward fold (uttanasana)
Image credit: Escape Haven
- Gives a rejuvenating boost of oxygen as the head is below the heart, making the blood rush to the head
- Reduces stress, anxiety, depression and fatigue
- Stretches hips, hamstrings and calves
- Calms the mind and soothes the nerves
- Strengthens thighs and knees
- Ceases symptoms of asthma, menopause, headaches, insomnia
- Keeps spine strong and flexible
*Cover image credit: Escape Haven
Want to take your practice to the next level? Find a yoga teacher training that suits you!