Yoga is very effective for relieving stress. Yoga poses are both stimulating and calming, i.e. they tone up the body, and then lead it to a balance. In this article I want to show 8 simple asanas of yoga against stress.
It is interesting that stress itself is not bad by nature; its purpose is to help the body respond quickly to a critical situation – this is due to the mobilization of body forces. However, it is not assumed that the body should be in a stressful condition around the clock.
The following postures should be performed in the same order as they are indicated. The task of these postures is to soften the muscles and ligaments to relieve tension, and also to stimulate the immune and lymphatic systems, which in turn helps to get rid of stress. You can take these poses as a basis, and when you master them, deepen and expand your practice further. Stay in each pose for 1-2 minutes, breathe deeply, but without tension. Always perform shavasana (body posture) at the end of your yoga program .
1. Deep breathing
Stand upright, feet together, hands on the sides of the body. Breathe in, raise your arms to the sides, lift your palms up until they close over your head. With an exhalation, lower your closed palms to the level of the heart. Repeat 3-5 times. Your attention should be focused on the relationship between motion and breathing.
2. Hanging on the wall
Stand next to the wall. Put your hands on the wall, palms on the width of the shoulders. Now start backing away, dropping your hands down the wall until your hands are at the abdominal level. Slightly bend your knees, and gently press your hands against the wall, while bending in the back. The head can be “dropped”. In this state, take a few deep breaths-exhalations. With each exhalation, concentrate on the muscles of the jaw, trying to mentally relax them. When you finish the pose, go to the wall, raising your hands on it.
This position is convenient because it can be performed at home and at work. It also suits pregnant women.
3. Stretching the shoulders
Stand to the wall sideways at a distance of three-fourths the length of your arm. Put your hand on the wall behind your back, and, holding it on the wall, gently rotate the trunk in the opposite direction, stretching the shoulders. While in the final position, breathe in full breast (and stomach). After completing the exercise, repeat it with the other hand, turning to the wall with the other side. When you finish the pose, let the hand hang freely and relax.
4. The position of the child
Sit on your heels, place your knees slightly. Raise your hands in front of you on inspiration until they are over your head. In this position, stretch slightly upwards, then exhale gently lower your hands to the floor in front of you as far as possible. Feel how the waist is stretched. Breathe smoothly and deeply. Then return with an inspiration to the position of “hands over your head,” and with an exhalation, lower them to your knees. Relax. Repeat 3 times.
5. Sleeping pigeon
Lie on your back, legs bent at the knees, feet on the floor. Raise the right leg and place the ankle on the left knee. Keep your legs bent so as not to damage the knee joint. In this position, you will feel how the spine “falls through” to the ground. To increase the stretch, connect your hands behind your legs and pull yourself. Breathe deeply. After this, return the feet to the floor, and repeat with the other leg. This pose stretches the hips and lower back.
6. Twisting in a “sleeping pigeon”
Accept the position, as in the previous exercise (the ankle of the right foot rests on the knee bent by the other); “Roll” the left foot to the floor so that the right foot is on the floor. Press the right foot to the floor to stretch the hip of the right foot.
The shoulders are pressed to the floor, all tension and twisting is realized through the spine. To get out of the pose, engage the abdominal muscles to return the legs to their original position. Put your right foot on the floor, and repeat the whole exercise to the other side.
7. Feet against the wall
This is a “soft” version of the inverted pose. First sit next to the wall, right to her side, with bent legs, feet on the floor. Put your hands on the floor, and turn to the wall, leaning back, and pointing your feet at the wall. Once the legs are on the wall, push the pelvic area as close as possible to the skirting (or to the wall itself). Stay in this pose as much as you like, breathing deeply, but without tension. If the floor is hard, then first lay a blanket or yoga mat on it .
When you finish the pose, bend your knees, and gently lower them to the side, helping yourself with your hands. After that, go back to a sitting position. It is recommended after this position to lie on your back for 20-30 seconds or a minute to restore blood circulation. For this, the following exercise.
8. Shavasana or pose of a corpse
This posture is performed after inverted asanas, and also always at the end of the yoga program. The simple form looks like this: lie on your back, your hands lie slightly to the sides of your body, your legs are spread about 15-20 cm (or 30, if you prefer). The palms are looking up. Breathe deeply, but without tension; focus on your breathing. After a while, imagine that your body becomes soft, and “creeps” across the floor, as if melting. Do not think of anything else; if the thought and climb into the head, then just concentrate on breathing. Do shavasana for at least 5 minutes, but it can be longer – up to 40 minutes, if there is time. It is said that 40 minutes of a full-fledged shavasana can replace a full-fledged dream (but only on condition of full mastery of this asana).
Here’s to yoga from stress; Do these exercises to relieve stress or just as a regular practice – they will help relax and strengthen the nervous system to effectively withstand stress.
