Yoga Asanas for Stress Relief
What is Yoga?
Yoga can be answered in hundreds or thousands of ways and it would be surely impossible to assign one definition to yoga. It is effortless to think that Yoga is all about bending into crazy poses and controlling the body balance in a way that is impressive and unattainable for the average person. Neither of these definitions even scratch the surface of defining what yoga truly is!
Even if you Google the term Yoga, it will show you this definition:
Yoga, Sanskrit for ‘yoking’ or ‘union’, is a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated in ancient India.
But, as I have experienced, Yoga is a mind and body practice. Various styles of yoga combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation to promote mental and physical well-being. Yoga turned one’s hand in India around 5,000 years ago. Originally, it was taught one-on-one and only to men of the highest caste, but nowadays it is enlightened to all the women and girls too. Now, yoga is a part of our daily life routine. This makes a practice of keeping our mind calm in the bust of your rushy world.
Many who are not conscious about yoga believe it to be a topic of religion, but yoga is so universal in the concept it teaches and so holistically beneficial, it is possible for everyone to get benefits from it’s practice. It simply boosts your life and ability to live what you believe more fully.
5 Yoga Poses as a stress buster:
1. Sukhasana: Forward Bend
Adding a forward bend increases the exhale,which leads to the relaxation response.
Sit in an easy pose, tibia crossed with your right tibia in front. Come into a slight forward bend. Hold the position till 5 breaths, then put the other tibia in front. Put your both hands on the floor, then straighten both legs into a standing forward bend pose like structure.
2. Uttanasana: Standing Forward and Bend with Opener Shoulder
It not only helps in increasing the exhalation, it also helps to relieve stress. In fact, with the arms behind the back, we release shoulder tension. This pose is beneficial in releasing the injury.
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3. Sasangasana: Rabbit Pose
I find this one to be the best pose when I’m stressed, exhausted, anxious or bordering on panic. It almost feels like what the body actually wants to do. You get the relaxation of the exhale and comfort of being hunker up in a ball. When you add the hands intertwined behind your back and lifting and lowering your hips up.
From Childhood’s Pose, intertwine your fingers behind your back, lift your hips, and roll to the crown of your head. Keep on pressing the top of your feet down, so that you can control the amount of weight on your head. Take your hands away from your back. Repeat and lift and lower 3 times on each side, changing the intertwine each time. Create a rhythm for controlling your stress.
4. Side stretch
This stretch will help to release pain from the neck, head, and shoulders.
Take one hand to the floor, walk it away from the body, and drop your head to your ear, with your other arm over your head. Hold for 5 breaths, then reverse your arms and hold for 5 breaths. Repeat on the other side at least for 6–8 times.
5. Halasana: Plow Pose
Plow releases the neck, head, shoulders, and hock. It also increases the level of exhale and turns one inward.
Lie down with your head on the mat. Swing your leg back over your head and rest your toes on the floor. Stay for 10 breaths. Slowly roll out of the plow, keeping your head back so it doesn’t break forward when the legs and rib-cage touch down.
“It’s not about being good at something;
It’s about being good to yourself.”
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