In recent years, the rate of people suffering from anxiety disorders has tended to increase significantly. Experts attribute the cause to factors such as life pressure, financial burden, stress, the influence of electronic devices, and strict social requirements. Yoga, a simple and at-home practice, is considered an effective support measure for reducing daily stress and anxiety.
Yoga is becoming one of the most effective training methods for improving physical and mental health. As a result, methods to improve the health conditions that many people encounter today are becoming a top concern.
In particular, practicing yoga is an effective way to reduce stress and tension. This discipline can release stress and anxiety and improve memory. The best way to burn negative thoughts is to exercise. The body can only produce happy hormones and bring new energy to life when it burns this excess energy.
Practicing yoga can help reduce stress and improve your mental and spiritual well-being. Yoga exercises to reduce stress and fatigue will combine postures, breathing, and mental concentration, helping to create a certain state of relaxation and balance.
Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety effectively
1. Meditation pose
The meditation pose is suitable for beginners because it is easy to do and widely used around the world.
According to yoga instructors, yoga meditation is best practiced in the morning when the human soul is still fresh, or we can meditate before going to bed to relieve stress after a day of work, helping to sleep better.
Proceed as follows:
- Cross your legs so that the sole of the right foot faces the inside of the left thigh and the sole of the left foot faces the right calf.
- Keep your neck and back straight, clasp your hands together, and place them in front of your chest.
- Close your eyes, then relax your body. Please don’t think about anything else; you should focus on breathing. Stay in this position for 15-20 minutes, or longer.
2. Baby pose
Baby’s pose not only has the effect of resting and switching between positions but also helps relax the body and relieve stress and fatigue after busy working hours. Therefore, most of the time, this movement is usually done at the end of a workout session or whenever you need to rest to recover.
This exercise helps massage and tone the abdominal organs and acts as an excellent stimulant for digestion while also calming the mind.
processed as follows:
- Warm up by kneeling on the floor and sitting on your heels. When you feel comfortable, open your knees and hips. Breathe evenly.
- Bend forward between your thighs. Expiratory. Notice that your head and toes touch the floor, and your neck relaxes.
Slowly open your hips and relax between your thighs.
Stretch your arms straight forward, palms facing down, or you can also stretch your arms straight back along your back, palms facing up.
Relax your shoulders. Feel the weight of your shoulders, your belly relaxing on your thighs.
Hold the pose for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or longer, depending on your ability. - Relax, breathe evenly, and slowly lift your body to return to the prepared position
3. Cat Pose
This is a pose with a gentle combination of back bending and relaxation, helping your back and vertebrae become more flexible, avoiding injury, and detoxifying the whole body. This pose also activates the muscles in your arms and legs, enhancing your energy levels for more effective work. Additionally, this position offers the following benefits:
It helps your shoulders and wrists become more flexible.
It targets the abdominal muscles, assisting in the gradual reduction of abdominal fat.
It helps the blood circulatory system function better, allowing blood and oxygen to circulate throughout the body.
- The process is as follows:
Place your hands and knees on the floor, making sure your shoulders, elbows, and hands are in a straight line perpendicular to the floor. The knees and hips also form a straight line. Keep your head in a natural position and look down at the floor, inhaling. - Inhale and bring your chin toward your chest. Bow your head towards your navel, arch your back up towards the floor as much as possible, squeeze your hips, breathe deeply and slowly, and hold the position for a few breaths.Â
- Slowly exhale and return to the starting position. Perform the pose 5–6 times.
4. Seated forward bend pose
This yoga pose not only helps stretch and relax the back but also soothes headaches and anxiety and reduces body fatigue.
Proceed as follows:
- Sit with your back straight and your legs straight. Two feet are placed next to each other.
- Exhale and slowly bend down until your head touches the knee. Keep your knees straight, pressed close to the floor. Grab your ankles with both hands or cross your hands around your feet to make it easier to bend.
- Hold still in the position for 10 to 20 seconds. Inhale, lift your head and body, relax your hands and whole body, and return to the starting position.
5. Downward-facing dog pose
This is also a highly effective yoga exercise to detoxify the liver and improve the digestive system
Processed as follows:
- Stand with your feet hip width apart. Gently bend down to the floor from the waist and place your hands on the floor.
- Stretch your arms out in front of your abdomen. Place your hands between your legs, and at the same time, push your hips back to form a downward-facing dog position.
- Hold the pose for 5 breaths. Then, return to the resting position and repeat the movement.
6. Legs-Up the Wall Pose
This is a gentle inversion pose that relaxes the legs and nervous system, helping the body enter a state of complete relaxation. Anyone can practice this pose. Regularly practicing this pose can lead to a state of purity in your body and brain, which can aid in deep meditation, soothe and stimulate the mind, reduce stress, and alleviate concerns, among other benefits.
Yoga practitioners often practice this pose at the end of a session before performing the corpse pose, due to its relaxing effect on the mind. You can also practice this pose independently. This pose provides practitioners with several benefits.
It helps the front body, back of the legs, and neck relax.
It helps reduce back pain.
Good for the digestive system.
Reduce headaches and dizziness.
Improve sleep effectively.
Processed as follows: This position aids in body recovery; a pillow or folded blanket can provide support under the back.)
- Find a place next to the wall and sit down. Bend your legs, feet touching the floor, and extend your legs.
- Exhale, lie down on the floor, and raise your legs against the wall, the soles of your feet facing up. You can slowly adjust your position to feel most comfortable.
- Raise your buttocks a little away from the wall, or you can place your buttocks close to the wall. Make sure your back and neck relax comfortably on the floor, with your whole body forming a 90-degree angle.
- Raise your hips a little; you can use your hands to support under your hips; keep your head and neck looking straight up; and relax your neck and face.
- Close your eyes and regulate your breathing. Hold the position for a few minutes, then relax. Remember to regulate your breathing before sitting up.
7. Corpse Yoga Pose
Although this yoga pose is simple, it will help us relax the whole body, soothe the mind, and relieve internal frustrations. At the same time, it restores energy and gives the practitioner a refreshing feeling.
Proceed as follows:
- Lie comfortably on the mat, legs spread shoulder-width apart, arms parallel to the body.
- Close your eyes, rest, and focus on breathing evenly.
- Let your mind and body take a break from fatigue and stress, calm down, and restore energy.
- To get out of the pose, slowly shake your fingers and toes and do a few stretching movements of your arms and legs.
- Then turn your body to the side and gently push yourself to sit up.
Above are seven simple yoga exercises that you can do at home to help reduce stress and anxiety. Exercise regularly to help improve physical health and repel negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, boredom, pessimism, etc. Besides these exercises, you can acquire additional motivational skills.
You can incorporate additional activities into your workout routine to enhance both your physical and mental well-being.