Yoga is not just for the body but for the solidarity of mind, body, and soul.
Most people are undergoing stress and look out to overcome and handle stress in their daily routines. There are umpteen yoga Asanas to keep the mind, body, and soul happy.
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Standing Forward Bend or Uttanasana
Reach your tallest posture and exhale as you slowly bend forward. Once you attain this yoga posture, hold here for 6 to 10 breaths per your comfort of the lungs and the spine. Alternately, if you have been into yoga for a long, then you can attempt to straighten the legs for a deeper stretch. And once you have held the posture enough, stretch out your arms, raise them and exhale and come back to the standing position. Come and feel the difference in peace of mind! For great results, you can do this some ten times, but slowly, please.
This yoga not only reduces stress, fatigue, and mild depression but also works great on your thighs and hips to tone up those sagging, fatty muscles.
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Easy Pose or The Sukhasana
Sukhasana means an Asana done to attain Sukh means calm and peace. The alternate name ‘Easy Pose’ comes from the fact that you can do this anywhere and anytime. It is the most common pose in an image of meditation – yes, the same one! All you need to do is sit straight and open the legs in front of the body. Then cross the legs slowly to bring them closer to the torso. Keep inhaling and exhaling while you do this, sit up straight so that your spine feels the stretch but the neck, feet, and thighs stay relaxed. Stay in the same position for a minute while deeply inhaling and exhaling while focusing on your breath. Then change the cross of your legs and repeat the same till you find some relaxation in your mind.
Sukhasana eliminates anxiety and exhaustion. It also helps relieve the stressed spine and hips due to longer working hours. It is the most serene yoga form – one of the most sought-after ways to relieve stress.
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Cat-Cow Pose or Marjariasana
This Yoga Asana is a fusion of two postures – one the Cat Posture and another the Cow one.
Cat- Posture – When you have to exhale while doing it, repeat, exhale while doing it. You have to sit on four limbs and then move back towards the ceiling and the cat does a stretch while exhaling a yawn. Right next, bring the navel up to the spine and exhale. And move to the neutral position of the spine and head aligned in the same line. Now to inhale, move to the cow pose.
Cow-Posture – Inhale and push back your pelvis where the tailbone rises high in the air. But ensure that your abdominal muscles are hugging your spine and for this, keep your navel drawn in. You can repeat the Cat-Cow posture as per your comfort level of breath 6 to 10 times and see the mental difference.
This yoga benefits the spine with the whole day’s stress and releases happy hormones.
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Head to Knee Forward Bend or Paschimottasana
Also known as the Paschimottanasana, this is the most sought-after way to relieve stress. Extend your legs and sit. Bend one of the legs so that the sole touches the thigh of the opposite leg. The knee of the bent leg must keep touching the floor. Now put your palms on either side of the extended leg and inhale. Now bend towards the extended leg while exhaling. Hold for 4 to 6 breaths in this bent position. And repeat the pose on the other leg. You can do this pose 4 to 5 times as per comfort, don’t forget to deeply inhale and exhale continuously at the right time so as not to lose breath to feel any stress.
It relieves anxiety and even mild depression and relief for mild headaches and fatigue and relieves insomnia too.
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Child Pose or Balasana
It is the simplest known as Balasana. It is all about resting your body the way a child does it. Kneel on a soft surface where your legs are together, and you can comfortably sit on them. Then inhale, extend your arms and torso, and bend forward to lift your hips upwards. Place your torso and forehead resting in front of you on the ground. Relax and exhale, and rest your palms of stretched hands in front of you. Hold this posture for 5 to 6 breaths at ease.
This yoga calms your mind and body and detoxifies the nervous and lymphatic systems by enhancing blood and hormone circulation.
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Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
The name comes from the posture you make – The Body Bridge/Setu Bandh. All you need to do is exhale as you lie down on your back so that your feet are placed flat on the ground keeping your arms stretched alongside. Then while inhaling slowly, lift your hips and chest off the ground, giving the body a bridge shape between your feet and head. Breathe and hold for 4-6 easy breaths.
This yoga benefits those who have anxiety disorders and insomnia. Many benefit from it for backaches and limb relaxation as well.
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Corpse Pose or Savasana
The easy form of yoga and most sought-after stress relief activity among all yoga poses for stress relief is Savasana. All you need to do is lie on your back facing the sky/roof with hands extended and relaxed by your side, at the body’s length. Keep breathing deeply and while doing this, feel the breath in each part of the body from head to toe. Repeat this head-to-toe breathing focus for five minutes to feel the mental change. It is the most calming exercise and mostly makes you fall asleep as you do this.
It benefits hypertension as it lowers blood pressure due to slow breathing and quietens the nervous system. In short, it calms down the whole body in one go.
Mental health is the most neglected among all health forms in the world. Not many know that stress is the cause of lower body immunity, which in turn attracts so many diseases like hypertension, diabetes, etc.