Fitness Tips: 5 Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

By Carly Silva

Doing yoga is a great way to stay active and get in touch with your body. But, it isn’t just great for physical health; it also does wonders for your mind and mental health. There are tons of yoga poses that will help you focus on mindfulness and breathing just as much as physical fitness.

If you’re in need of some new fitness tips that will help both your body and mind balanced, check out these five yoga poses for stress relief:

1. Child’s pose: Child’s pose is one of the most popular poses in yoga, and it is great to help you calm down and relax. To do this pose, start by sitting on your knees. Put your big toes together and knees as far apart as you would like, then stretch your arms all the way out in front of your and let your forehead touch the ground. This pose is great to do in the middle of an intense practice, or just throughout the day when you need to check in with yourself.

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2. Forward fold: Foreword folds are great to incorporate into any routine. Not only does a forward fold stretch your back or your legs, but it’s also very balancing and calming. You can do a foreword fold sitting with your legs out in front of you, or standing with knees bent. Fold your entire torso as far down as you can go, and let your head be super heavy. This is a great passive pose, meaning that instead of straining and using muscles, you will be more focused on releasing the tension in your body and mind.

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3. Bridge pose: This pose is another one that is great for releasing all of the tension and chaos going on in your body and in your mind. To do this pose, lay on your back with your legs bent and feet on the floor. Slowly squeeze your gluts to bring your pelvis up as far as you can go, but don’t tense up in your arms or neck. Keeping that calmness in your upper body will feel super restorative, especially if you stay in this pose for a few minutes.

4. Legs up the wall: Legs up the wall, which is done exactly how it sounds, consists of laying down on your back, and letting your legs rest completely straight up against a wall. This pose is great, especially for anyone with an anxious or restless mind, as it forces your body to de-stress and calm down.

5. Corpse pose: Corpse pose is probably the easiest pose here, and it mostly consists of just laying down flat on your back with your arms out on either side. It can seem simple, but allowing yourself the time to lay in this position without having to worry about other tasks or responsibility is a great way to give your mind a break and reset for the day. Corpse pose is great to do at the end of a yoga practice, in the middle of the day, or right before bed as a cool-down exercise.

What are some other yoga poses you love? Start a conversation in the comments down below!