With the load of work and responsiblities, we all get stressed out sometimes. Since it is never a solution, so what can we do to ease the stress ? Yoga. Yes, you read it right! It’s true that yoga has long been recommended as one of the finest ways to relieve stress. One of the numerous advantages of yoga practice is that it can reduce stress.
You don’t really need to invest a lot of time in this practice (yoga) – just giving yourself 10-15 minutes a day can do wonders.
Understanding Yoga
Yoga is an age-old discipline that calls for physical postures, focus, and deep breathing. Regular yoga practice can enhance your strength, flexibility, tranquilly, endurance, and overall well-being.
The ancient manuscripts known as the Rig Veda include the earliest recorded occurrence of the word “yoga.” The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj,” which meaning “to join” or “union.”
The practice of yoga originated more than 5,000 years ago in northern India.
What are yoga’s health benefits?
Studies indicate that yoga might:
- Help improve general wellness by relieving stress, supporting good health habits, and improving mental/emotional health, sleep, and balance.
- Relieve neck pain, migraine or tension-type headaches, and pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. It may also have a small benefit for low-back pain.
- Help people with overweight or obesity lose weight.
- Help people quit smoking.
- Help people manage anxiety symptoms or depression.
- Relieve menopause symptoms.
- Be a helpful addition to treatment programs for substance use disorders.
- Help people with chronic diseases manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
5 best yoga Asanas which helps in easing stress
1. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Lie flat on back with legs close together but without touching, arms at sides with palms facing up. Let eyes and face soften and close eyes, while breathing deeply. Starting at the top of your head, bring your attention to each part of your body until you reach your toes. Hold this position for 4-5 minutes.
2. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana to Bitilasana)
Begin in a tabletop position now place your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. As you inhale, turn your gaze toward the ceiling and allow your belly to move toward your mat, arching your back. This is Cow Pose and as you exhale, draw your chin in toward your chest and bend your spine toward the ceiling, like a cat. Continue to flow between these two positions for 1 minute.
3. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
From a kneeling position, place your knees together or slightly apart then sit back on your heels. Hinge at your hips as you fold forward, resting your forehead on your mat and extend your arms in front of you or alongside your legs. Allow your torso to sink into your thighs, now breathe deeply and focus on relaxing your body. Hold this pose for up to 5 minutes.
4. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
Sit with one side of your body against a wall. From this position, just lie onto your back and move your legs so they’re extended up against the wall, feet either together or hip-width apart, and your ankles relaxed. If you have any lower body stiffness, you can move your hips a couple of inches away from the wall. Now relax your arms at your sides, palms turned up, and hold for one to five minutes. If, though, you feel tingling or numbness in your feet, come out of the pose sooner by moving slowly.
5. Rag Doll Pose (Uttanasana Variation)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart then bend your knees and fold forward from your hips. Let the crown of your head hang toward the ground and be heavy now bend your elbows and grasp each elbow with the opposite hand. Hold here for 10 seconds to a minute, going deeper into the pose with each exhalation.
