You might have heard of yoga alleviating stress, but did you know it can also reduce anxiety? Anxiety is one of the most diagnosed conditions among 40 million adults. However, not too many people know you can treat it holistically.

“Sometimes you need to hear nothing so you can hear everything. Sometimes you need to move slowly so you can feel everything.” A wise remark from one of our instructors, Gina Mandella. 

The 3,000-year-old tradition has been medically reviewed and proven to mend the body. Yoga correlates with better health, from regulated glucose levels to improving ailments. Trying a simple pose will help you relax by opening your lungs and lowering your heart rate.

What To Know About Anxiety

It’s completely normal to feel anxious sometimes. Anxiety can be a genetic condition or your body’s response to a stressful or traumatic environment. It can be helpful to understand what triggers your anxiety disorder before getting started.

If your anxiety is hard to control or affecting your ability to live life, yoga is a method you can try in addition to other treatment plans. Look out for these physical and emotional symptoms:

• Feeling tense 
• Feeling jumpy, jittery, and nervous
• Experiencing shortness of breath
• Sweating profusely 
• Insomnia, fatigue, headaches
• Panic attacks
• Feelings of dread
• Physical: upset stomach and frequent urination

Top Recommended Poses To Release Tension

At Release, our holistic health center offers you more than the average yoga class. We provide our clients with a premier experience for optimal wellness. The recommendations we list below are great for eliminating anxiety-induced concerns. 

Child’s Pose will provide the calm and stability you seek by reducing blood pressure and pulse rate. It is highly advised by two of our yoga instructors, Marianne and Gina. 

“Other than feeling a great stretch in your thighs and opening your back, you feel a direct connection with the earth as your third eye (between your eyebrows) grounds on the mat,” said Marianne, “with your face down and eyes closed, it’s easy to shut out the world and draw your attention inward. In the stillness, you can concentrate on the quality of your breath, aware of your body’s response to each inhale and exhale,” she continued. 

As for Gina, she believes all yoga poses create the opportunity to incorporate a challenge within the practice, and the challenge will allow us to practice using breath to calm our nervous systems.

“Child’s pose is the perfect pose to find when you’re overwhelmed or unable to breathe and process. Child’s pose, also known as balasana in Sanskrit, invites rest to soften the tension that may build from working with and opening the body. It teaches us to pause and be still to notice where we are hurting or affected. When we notice we can heal,” remarked Gina. 

Remember to exhale and sink your hips, belly, and chest a little deeper. This will help you let go of anxious feelings and feel safe on your mat.

Butterfly Pose is a classic hip opener that promotes a sense of calmness while promoting self-awareness. The pose targets the lower back, hips, and thighs to relax the body mentally and physically. 

Prioritize deep breathing while in the pose as you sit for extended periods during meditation. The relaxing effect will allow you to let go of stress then and there. Make sure to gently bend your needs, keep the soles of your feet together, and interlace your fingers.

Extended Triangle is an ideal pose to try if you’re new to yoga. Tilting your body distributes the energy flow equally throughout your body. This posture subconsciously trains your brain to relax, making you feel calmer and more balanced in minutes.

This pose requires you to be fully present, while focusing on your breath. Trust us – extended triangle will give you a healthy combination of stability and heart-opening expansion.

Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose is one of the most satisfactory solutions. Restore and regain your sense of self after a long day. This position instantly decompresses the nervous system without putting pressure on the neck or head. In addition to anxiety relief, other benefits include tension relief in the neck, less knee pain, and deep relaxation.

Crocodile Pose has beneficial advantages to control anxiety. The nature of the pose aids us in deep, diaphragmatic breaths. 

“This pose is, in my opinion, one of the BEST poses to help calm anxiety,” said Rebecca Dybala, another yoga instructor at Release. “It is incredibly grounding. As we lay on our stomachs, there are many points of contact between your body and the floor beneath you.” 

When you begin, the upper abdomen and lower rib cage should rest directly on the floor, so as you inhale, your stomach will press into the floor beneath you – a subtle reminder to breathe fully and deeply!

As your third eye or center of your forehead presses into the back of your hands, it will induce a calm sensation and reduce facial tension. The combination of all physical sensations linked with your breath and the grounding nature of the pose will quiet your mind while regulating your nervous system. It will bring you instant peace, even when stress or anxiety is at level 10.

Experiment with a few of our guided practices and do what feels best for you! We also offer therapeutic classes, pranayama, and meditation if you seek stress relief and restorative postures.