We’re not gonna sugar coat it-- the world is a little crazy right now. We won’t get into the details…you know them. We will say that it’s totally understandable if you’re feeling a little…unstable right now. Maybe you’ve let your workout routine slip. Maybe you spend a little more time watching Netflix than normal…or worse, the news. Maybe you just can’t stop worrying.
Finding ways to stay sane when the world seems a little insane can be…hard. But, yoga can be a great way to not only stay active, but help you feel more grounded, relaxed, healthy, and peaceful. Working a few poses or an entire flow into your daily routine can give you back some of the stability you may have lost over the last few months…and it can help undo all the time spent sitting in home offices and on couches.
Here are a few yoga poses and routines to help you stay sane and healthy.
Yoga Poses for Anxiety
Using yoga to calm anxious feelings doesn’t have to complicated. As you try these poses remember, the most important thing is to focus on your breathing. If you feel your mind wandering, don’t worry—just keep brining your focus back to the breath.
Tree Pose
Tree pose is a great grounding pose for when you are feeling scattered or disconnected.
To get into tree pose:
- From standing, shift your weight to your right foot and slowly lift your left foot off the ground.
- Turn the sole of your lifted foot to face the inside of the opposite leg
- Place it on the inside of your ankle, calf, or thigh (never against the knee!)
- Bring your hands to prayer, lifted above your head, or to your waist.
- Breathe and hold for as long as you feel comfortable.
- Repeat on the other side.
Benefits of Tree Pose
- Works the abdominals
- Helps quiet thoughts
- Requires focus and improves balance
- Stretches your psoas
Standing Forward Bend
See, we told you yoga didn’t have to be complicated. This simple pose has a ton of great benefits due to the fact that your heart is above your head.
To get into ford fold:
- Just stand with feet hip-width apart
- Exhale and bend forward at the hips (not your stomach) keeping a slight bend in your knees
- Drop your hands to the floor or wherever they rest comfortably (try a block!)
- Tuck your chin to your chest
- Let it all go. Release all tension and just hang while your breathe.
You can try swaying, nodding yes, and nodding no to make sure all the tension is released from your neck and shoulders. Don’t forget your jaw.
Benefits of a Forward Fold
- Stretches your spine, hips, hamstrings, calves
- Calms the mind, soothes nerves
- Relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back.
Child’s Pose
This pose is so simple, a child could do it…but it’s also effective. Child’s pose can help relax your mind and ease tension.
- From your knees, lean back onto your heels
- Fold forward and walk your hands our in front of you
- Let your torso fall onto your thighs and rest your forehead on the floor
- Keep your arms extended or rest them along your body
- Hold and breathe.
Benefits of Child Pose
- Flexes the internal organs
- Helps alleviates stress and anxiety
- Lengthens and stretches the spine
Yoga Flows For Stress
If you only have time for a few poses, do what you can. But if you can start or end your day with yoga flows meant to ease stress and anxiety, you’ll start to feel the benefits on both your mind and body quickly.
Here are a few flows to get you started.
Yoga With Adrienne
SARAHBETH YOGA
MadFit
We hope these poses and flows can help your mind find a little relief during these strange times. If you’re looking into yoga for stretching and pain relief, the good news is the poses we shared can also help with that. Yoga is great for strength, alignment, your posture, your mental health, pain relief, and more.
And to boost the alignment benefits of yoga, you can support those efforts by making sure you’re fully supported throughout your day by adding an insole to your shoe.
Namaste!
