Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

Mind-Body ConnectionStressHolistic Health

Oct 12

What are the benefits of yoga?

Yoga can have a number of different benefits on our physical bodies as well as our minds. It can be a practice that helps us get embodied, or in touch with our physical experience, as well as have an impact on our mood.

If you’ve been following along with us here at Nourished Wellness Group, you may be familiar with the importance of the nervous system. Finding techniques to regulate our nervous systems and increase vagal tone can result in improvement in physical, emotional, and cognitive struggles.

Yoga has been shown to be a great regulation tool.

“Mechanistic explanations for yoga’s potential mental and physical health benefits have highlighted reductions in sympathetic nervous system tone (21–22), and increases in vagal activity (22), both of which could have favorable endocrine and immune consequences, including lower inflammation” (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2010).

So, let’s explore some yoga poses to help you regulate your nervous systems and relieve stress…

Forward Bend

To do this pose standing:

Take a few deep breaths in, filling your stomach with your breath
Slowly bend your body, hinging at your hips, and walk your hands near your feet
Lower your chest towards your thighs and allow your neck to release any tension
“You will then start to drop your head below your heart which will help your heart rate to slow and your mind to calm” (Thompson, C., n.d.).

Legs up the wall

Find a comfortable spot to lay down with your head facing away from the wall
Swing your legs up onto the wall, allowing your body to make a right angle against the wall
If you need support, an option is to place something with cushion (a blanket or mat) below your hips
Breathe into this pose and notice what your body’s response is

Child’s Pose

Kneel onto the floor and bring your feet together
Take a deep breath in and allow your spine to elongate
As you breathe out, lower your upper body over your knees, reaching your arms overhead, and resting the palms of your hands on the ground beneath you
Allow your forehead to rest on the ground beneath you
With each breath out, allow any tension in your body to release

cat / Cow

“These poses combined offer relief for the spine and all the muscles in the back. It also helps to steady your breathing as you move which assists in calming the mind” (Thompson, C., n.d.).
Get into a tabletop position, aligning your hands under your shoulders and bring your knees below your hips
As you breathe in, fill your stomach with air, push your hips out and back, and lift your chest and head forward (cow pose)
On the out-breath, arch your back and reach your mid-spine up to the ceiling
Focus on curving your spine fully, reaching your tailbone and your neck towards the floor
Continue breathing as you move, breathing into the cow pose and out in the cat pose

Eagle Pose

Start by standing with your shoulders rolled back and with your feet just below your hips
Pick something in front of you to focus your gaze on
Gently bring your right leg across your left as if you were sitting cross-legged in a chair
Bring your left arm and cross it at your right elbow, bringing the backs of your hands so that they are gently touching and bend your elbows
“This is a balancing pose that requires deep concentration, therefore it’s hard for the body and mind to do anything else but focus on the present moment” (Thompson, C., n.d.).

How we can help

It can be difficult to remember to do things that are helpful for us in a moment when we are already stressed. Bringing something in as a practice, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day can have a big impact. It can also make it easier for our brains to remember to practice the next time we need to.

There is building evidence to support the benefits of using yoga in a therapeutic way. At Nourished Wellness Group, Yoga Therapy, is something we offer.

“Yoga-based practices are being extensively used as therapeutic ingredients, alone or as adjuncts to other therapies in a variety of disorders, both physical and mental. There is now strong evidence to suggest that yoga-based interventions are beneficial in several lifestyle disorders. Recent research has also shown significant benefits in mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis” (Varambally, S., & Gangadhar, B.N., 2016).

We also offer other mind-body therapies like EMDR and Brainspotting which allow for deeper re-processing of mind and body-based memories.

If you are interested to learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy to explore what might be best for you!

References:

Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Christian, L., Preston, H., Houts, C. R., Malarkey, W. B., Emery, C. F., & Glaser, R. (2010). Stress, Inflammation, and Yoga Practice. Psychosomatic medicine, 72(2), 113. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181cb9377

Thompson, C. (n.d.). 5 Poses to Relieve Stress. Gaiam. (n.d.). 5 Yoga Poses to Relieve Stress. Gaiam. www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/5-yoga-poses-to-relieve-stress

Varambally, S., & Gangadhar, B. N. (2016). Current status of yoga in mental health services. International Review of Psychiatry, 28(3), 233-235.