Anxiety is the base of stress, tension, and discomfort. It is also a silent killer. Don’t fall prey to hypertension and elevated blood pressure, along with susceptibility to heart diseases and lifestyle disorders. Enrich your yoga practice using these stress-relieving exercises to calm your senses and soothe your nerves. Anxiety can be overpowering and modern life is full of challenges. Yoga can help you to overcome these.
Yoga can help with the physical stress and tension of a heavy workday. Mental stress and creative blocks can surface in the workplace or the social gathering you attend. Stress and tension can lower energy levels and lessen physical aches and pains. It can even lower insomnia and relieve sleeplessness. Yoga hacks can dispel tension in seconds.
Here are 5 Do-Anywhere Yoga Hacks for a peaceful mind and a de-stressed body.
1. Pranayama in Lotus Pose
How you are feeling: Tense, anxious, and uptight with the feeling of stress building up.
Yoga hack: Engage in the ancient art of pranayama or meditation in the Lotus position. This is an easy and simple pose which you can easily perform under the cover of an office desk or in a quiet corner by yourself. You need to locate a comfortable chair or opt for a flat surface. Your back should be supported and upright while you can close your eyes to concentrate better. Let your facial muscles relax and release the tension in your jaw and abdomen. Then, fold your legs in Lotus pose and breathing deeply, start counting. Inhale for 7 counts, hold the breath for 3 counts and then release your breath in 7 more counts. While you complete each cycle of the breath, try to prevent thoughts from building up in your mind. Let each thought come and go without your reacting to any of it. Keep the spine straight and at a right angle to the ground while performing this asana.
How it Works: Padmasana is one of the most basic and subtle poses of the ancient art of Yoga. Calm your nervous system and ease the tension by letting your body breathe out toxins as you align yourself using the Lotus pose.
2. Calm Yourself With the Child’s Pose/Balasana
How You Feel: You lack the ability to focus or concentrate well and are easily distracted.
Yoga Hack: Opt for the Balasana anywhere you go without being noticed by using your chair as a prop. There should be a comfort factor here as you need to reach out the arms ahead of you on a flat surface. So, sit facing your desk, and ensure that you are seated more towards the edge of the chair so that when you bend forward your tailbone gets enough space to stretch out. Ensure that the forehead presses the floor of the desk and the arms are placed against your sides next to the ears. Close your eyes to concentrate better, with your mind focused on the spot between your eyes. You need to close your eyes to focus on the Third Eye and ensure that your attention remains focused here.
How This Helps: The Balasana helps to restore and rejuvenate the body enabling the mind to slow down. Adding pressure to the forehead improves vision and perspective, permitting you to rise from this posture with clarity and focus.
3. Combat Stress With the Seated Chair Twist
How You Feel: If you are feeling anxious and tense, with thoughts crowding your mind and pent up tension from tasks undone, you can try the reclined twist in the comfort of your workstation or social event to get instant relief from stress.
Yoga Hack: You can do this easily anywhere. All you need is a chair. The gentle twists of the asana beats stress and anxiety-inducing thoughts. Start by being seated in your chair, legs together, gaze in front. Next, turn your head towards the right while turning your upper body to the left. If your chairs come with arms you can hold them for support. Maintain this pose for 5 short counts. Come back to initial position, take another five counts and do the same for the other side for the same amount of time. This pose helps to release tensions in the back and shoulders. It also helps to counter distracting thoughts.
How This Helps: This pose helps to relax tension that may have crept up the lower back and shoulders, helping to quiet the mind.
4. Relieve Stress With Kapalbhati
How You Feel: If you are feeling low levels of motivation and high levels of fatigue, this yogic breathing exercise can work wonders for you.
Yoga Hack: Find a comfortable seat for this yogic breathing practice. You need to just assume a comfortable seated position and raise your arms above your head. Then inhale in a way that adds to the comfort of the body and pump out short breaths. Breath out in a sharp and vigorous way to eliminate toxins. The inhalation takes place naturally and you need to count up to as many breaths as you can without feeling lightheaded. Slow your breath towards the conclusion of this exercise.
How This Helps: This exercise oxygenates the human body and enhances digestion and circulation as well. Rejuvenate tired cells and feel a sense of revitalization after practicing this exercise.
5. Fight Anxiety With the Mountain Post
How You Feel: Anxiety can strike at any time and you have to find ways to combat it. Use this Mountain Pose to find a subtle and easy way to counter it.
Yoga Hack: You can either do this seated or standing, whichever feels comfortable. Rather than just standing by and tolerating the stress, stand in yoga asana called the Mountain Pose. If you are standing, start with your feet hips width apart, shift weight back onto the soles of your feet and rest so that each corner of the foot is placed in contact with the ground. Feet should be planted so you don’t move despite a push or shove. Now bend your knees and stack bone atop bone. Puff up the chest and tuck your chin at a slight angle. Draw legs upward and maintain tension in your hips. The largest muscles in the legs should be able to take the weight off your joints (and your mind). If seated, you still do the same, except that your feet are together.
How This Helps: Feel energized, symmetrical and aligned through this pose. It clears the mind and chases away anxious thoughts and feelings.
Besides these tips and advice, you must remember to sleep well and have a good diet. There are many companies that offer special furniture (like bunk beds) for better sleep; avoid all those energizing beverages and junk food; your body will definitely start feeling better and more relaxed.
These yoga asanas are perfect for relieving stress and anxiety. Let go of harmful emotions such as fear and anger so that you can feel your sense of balance and peace all around you. Use these yoga hacks to combat worries, and tension levels and work towards relaxing the body and healing the mind.
Featured photo credit: himalayanyogainstitute via himalayanyogainstitute.com
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