This is a cross-post from Glue and Glitter
Oh my goodness gracious! Everyone I know is stressed to the max these days. I’m hearing about work drama, family woes, and just an all around sense of feeling overwhelmed from pretty much everyone I love. It’s bumming me right out, and it’s time to do something about it!
I’ve been sort of slack when it comes to posting about the Yoga Project, and I’ll be honest: I’ve been blowing off my practice way too much lately. Let’s chalk that up to my own stress. We can’t let stressful times get us down, though, right? In fact, sometimes that’s when yoga is the most beneficial. I’m going to start working the following postures into my own routine ASAP!
Great Stress-Relieving Yoga Positions
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Child’s Pose – What’s more soothing than this relaxation pose?
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Extended Puppy Pose – My back feels less tense just thinking about it!
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Dolphin Pose – Dolphin is a bit more strenuous and great for getting that angst out of your system.
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Cobra – That stretch in the chest and belly is a wonderful release for pent up tension.
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Standing Forward Bend – I love just hanging out in forward bend! If you can keep your balance, it’s extra nice to close your eyes in this posture.
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Plow – I like transitioning into this pose from Shoulder Stand.
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Triangle – Another good stretch for your chest, this one helps release tension along the sides of your body, too!
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Easy Pose – Sitting up straight and focusing on your breath is such a nice break from fretting about real life!
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Cat and Cow poses – I like cycling between the two doing cow on the inhale and cat on the exhale. So relaxing!
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Seated Twist – Talk about releasing tension! This stretches so many of the places where we store stress – the shoulders, spine, neck, and chest!
Do you have any favorite poses for when you’re stressed out?
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dm-set/ / CC BY 2.0
About Becky Striepe
I practice meditation every morning for 10-15 minutes and I think that is the best thing to do!
Ooh, yes! I bet that works wonders!
Great post! I find what intention you bring to the pose and then just letting it go really helps me.
I really liked the approach of this article. It was good to know what poses are directly good for stress relief. I am a stress advisor and I am sure my clients will find this of use too. Thank you