Best Yoga Poses For Stress Relief

 Child's Pose (Balasana)

The calming child's pose is a resting posture that can help quiet the mind, easing stress and anxiety while gently stretching the back. It's also good for the nervous system and lymphatic system, Kennedy notes.

"It's one of the key poses that you can come to in the middle of a class whenever you want to to relieve stress," she says. "It's very restorative ... it's child-like and allows us to come inward ourselves."

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

 

Not to be confused with the full wheel, the bridge pose provides gentle stretching of the back and legs while alleviating stress and tension. The pose can reduce anxiety, fatigue, backaches, headaches and insomnia, and is even thought to be therapeutic for high blood pressure. Eva Norlyk Smith, Ph.D., yoga teacher and Managing Editor at YogaUOnline, recommends a supported bridge pose with a block underneath the sacrum as a gentler and more de-stressing way to enjoy the stretch. 

 

 

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

 

Often used as a transition between poses, uttanasana has many benefits when practiced as a pose in itself. The posture stretches the hamstrings, thighs, hips, and is thought to relieve stress, fatigue and mild depression. If your goal is to de-stress in the pose, it's best done with the knees slightly bent, Kennedy says.

"It's great for the legs and a lot of different physical things, and it also allows us to calm the mind. You're reversing the blood flow and just hanging out," she says

 

 

Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

 

The active and empowering eagle pose can help ward off stress by improving concentration and balance, and also by opening up the shoulders, upper back and hips.

"Eagle is an empowerment pose because it releases tension in the shoulders, legs and back, and it does require focus for you to remain balanced in it," says Kennedy. "You're literally squeezing the tension out of the body. It's a very active de-stress move"