International Yoga Day 2024: These 8 yoga poses will help reduce stress, calm your mind
International yoga day 2024: By incorporating these eight yoga poses into your routine, you can significantly reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and promote a sense of relaxation. Regular practice helps create a mind-body connection, allowing you to manage the pressures of everyday life more effectively.
In today's fast-paced world, stress, anxiety, and depression are increasingly common. Yoga offers a powerful tool to combat these challenges by promoting relaxation, mental clarity, and overall well-being. Research has shown that regular yoga practice can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress while improving sleep quality. By activating the parasympathetic nervous system, yoga helps the body release feel-good hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins, creating a sense of peace and relaxation. Here are eight yoga poses to help calm the mind and rejuvenate the body listed by Yoga practitioners Bhavika and Ashmin Munjal. This husband-wife duo are practising yoga for over 15 years and has seen their life changing for good and finding perspective.
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Child’s Pose (Balasana): Child’s Pose is a gentle forward bend that stretches the lower back and hips, helping to reduce fatigue and stress. Begin by sitting on your heels with your knees hip-width apart. Extend your arms forward on the floor and rest your torso between your thighs. Breathe deeply and hold the pose for several minutes, allowing your body to relax completely (Image: Canva)
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Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani): This pose is excellent for relieving stress and fatigue in the legs. Lie on your back with your hips close to a wall and extend your legs up against it. Your body should form a 90-degree angle. Close your eyes, place your arms by your sides with palms up, and take deep breaths. This position helps improve circulation and calms the nervous system (Image: Canva)
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Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana): Supported Bridge Pose promotes relaxation by opening the chest and relieving tension in the lower back. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your pelvis and place a block or pillow under your sacrum. Rest your weight on the support and relax your arms by your sides. Breathe deeply and hold for 5-10 minutes (Image: Canva)
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana): This pose stretches the hamstrings and lower back, helping to release tension and improve circulation. Sit with your legs extended straight in front of you. Hinge at your hips and reach for your feet, allowing your spine to lengthen. Hold the pose for several breaths, focusing on the stretch and your breath (Image: Canva)
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Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana): This inversion pose energizes the body and increases blood flow to the brain. Stand with your feet wide apart and toes slightly inward. Bend forward from your hips, bringing your head towards the floor and hands under your shoulders. Hold for several breaths, then slowly return to standing. This pose helps relieve stress and stretches the hamstrings (Image: Canva)
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Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana): Lizard Pose opens the hips and strengthens the hamstrings, improving flexibility and reducing stress. Start in a downward-facing dog position, then step your right foot outside your right hand. Lower your left knee to the floor and bring your forearms to the ground. Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the other side (Image: Canva)
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Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana): Sphinx Pose stretches the chest, shoulders, and abdomen, helping to relieve stress and improve posture. Lie on your belly with your elbows under your shoulders and forearms flat on the floor. Lift your chest and head, keeping your lower body grounded. Hold for several breaths, then release (Image: Canva)
Corpse Pose (Savasana): Savasana is a deeply relaxing pose that helps reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and alleviate headaches. Lie flat on your back with your arms by your sides and palms up. Let your feet and arms naturally fall open. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, allowing your body to melt into the floor. Stay in this position for 5-10 minutes, fully relaxing (Image: Canva)
Nivedita is a Delhi-based journalist who writes on health, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment. Views expressed are personal.
