5 Postures To Relieve Anxiety And Stress

Among the techniques for relieving anxiety and stress are a number of yoga postures that allow us to channel negative energies to address this problem.

Currently, many professional and alternative medicine centers are recommending this type of physical activity to calm tension and reduce negative emotions.

Its main benefits are due to the concentration and physical demand it requires, which favors the reduction of cortisol and the correction of breathing and body posture.

Added to this, it has been shown that movement improves joint health and contributes to the prevention of heart disease and diabetes.

Best of all, they can be practiced in the comfort of your own home, or in some free space in the office.

Try it!

1. Energizing breathing to relieve anxiety and stress

Energizing breathing, or Kapalabhati Pranayama , is one of the exercises to purify the airways and stimulate metabolic activity.

It is a deep breathing technique with a relaxed abdomen and a forced exhalation, in which the abdominal muscles contract.

Through breathing, stress is reduced and the mind is purified.

How to make?

• Sit on a mat with your legs crossed and your back straight.
• Put your hands on your knees and relax your face.
• Then relax your abdomen so that inspiration starts naturally and passively.
• Breathe in deeply through your nostrils, and gradually expand your abdomen.

• Exhale with a strong contraction of the abdominal muscles.
• After each exhalation, take another inhalation.
• Repeat ten times in a row.

2. Balasana or child posture

The posture called balasana , which in Sanskrit means “child’s posture”, is a stretching exercise that controls tension in the back and neck.

It is performed with slow breathing, which helps to reduce anxiety and problems caused by stress.

Due to the effort involved, it is good to do it on a mat or comfortable surface.

How to make?

• Get on your knees and lean forward so that you lean on the mat or mat.
• Place your arms at your sides with your palms facing up beside your feet.
• You can also choose to stretch them over your head.

• Breathe deeply, concentrating on the pose for 30 seconds.

3. Uttanasana

It is very likely that in one of your routines you have done a spine stretching exercise by leaning forward.

The uttanasana is a modified version of the same approach, with which we seek to soothe muscle tension and channel bad energy.

How to make?

• Inhale and stretch your arms above your head.
• Exhale and lean forward, pulling in your abdomen and keeping your back and legs straight.
• Place your hands on the sides of your feet, keeping your fingers together.
• Bring your head to your feet and exert your quadriceps effort to stretch your legs even further.

• If you feel too much tension, you can bend your knees a little.
• Hold the pose for 30 seconds and increase the time until you reach one minute.
• Carefully return to the starting position.

4. Dog looking down

Its original name is Adho Mukha Svanasana , and it is a position that warms almost every part of the body.

In yoga, it is used to tone the spinal nerves and improve blood circulation from the lower body to the head.

With its continued practice, it is possible to reduce stress and control anxiety symptoms; it also strengthens muscles and joints.

How to make?

• Support yourself on your hands and knees, with your feet hip-width apart and your hands as a fulcrum.
• Support the metatarsals and stand up in the dog’s posture looking down.

• Avoid arching your back too far back, as this can injure your muscles.
• Raise your back to better support your shoulders and spine.
• Push the tailbone to the heels and press through the inside and outside of the feet.
• Hold for 20 seconds and rest.

5. Back crunches

This type of back flexion is most comfortable if performed with a Pilates ball.

With it, it is easier to correct the body posture and we can control circulation problems, anxiety and stress.

How to make?

• Sit on the ball, with your spine comfortable and stretched.
• Stand on your feet to keep your balance.

• Place your back on the ball and make a natural curve with your spine.
• Keep your arms on the sides of the ball or put them over your head, down to the floor.
• Press your feet together and support yourself on your palms.
• Hold for a few seconds, breathing deeply and letting your spine lengthen.

By regularly practicing all of these postures, you will be able to keep stress and anxiety away, but you will also increase your flexibility and joint health.