15 Most Effective Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

Terms associated with stress relief including meditation and breathing techniques are trending search topics in Google these days. No wonder, considering the current global situation. Yes, corona has negatively impacted the mental makeup of people all over the world and has increased stress levels in many. Still, stress and its negative impacts have a much longer history. Lifestyle changes a few decades ago have contributed to widespread stress.

Based on the type of stress and the situation that triggers stress, stress can cause positive or negative impacts. Ever since primitive times, humans would have experienced stress. Naturally so, considering they had to hunt animals for their food and had to survive in hostile environments. Mankind has come a long way since. The types of stress and their impacts also have undergone changes over time. Recent years have witnessed great increase in negative impacts of stress. During the 1950s and 1960s, depression caused due to stress was a rare occurrence. Now, in the 21st century, stress and depression have found their way into the list of top health issues that prevail globally.

How Does Stress Affect Health

Stress is a natural response by your body and mind to a tough situation. Stress hormones that are released during a tough situation increase your heart rate and blood pressure causing an increase in the flow of oxygen. Your immunity increases thereby aiding you to face and win challenges. The increase in stress hormone levels owing to a particular situation gets back to normal once you are out of danger. This can be related to the stress experienced by a player who is on the verge of victory in a tournament. The player's stress levels get back to normal after victory is achieved. Chronic stress, on the contrary, does not help stress hormone levels to get back to normal. This negatively impacts the body and mind.

Negative Impacts of Stress

Given below are some of the negative impacts caused by stress:

• Headache
• Indigestion
• Insomnia
• Breathing disorders including asthma
• High blood pressure
• Heart conditions
• Low immunity
• Ulcer
• Diabetes
• Changes in body weight, particularly loss of weight
• Lack of focus
• Lack of interest in socializing
• Lack of confidence
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Low tolerance levels
• Sense of sadness

How Does Yoga Relieve Stress

Yoga relaxes the nervous system and promotes calm. It helps the practitioner to handle negative emotions better.

Practicing yoga for stress relief helps to improve focus of the practitioner. Yoga develops mindfulness. Once the mind is tuned to staying in the moment, negative thoughts that trigger stress are relieved from mind.

Yoga calms the mind and promotes clarity of thought.

Yoga cures insomnia. The importance of having quality sleep can never be over stressed. Insomnia, which is caused by stress, can also cause increase in stress levels. According to various studies, practicing yoga poses on a regular basis will cure insomnia.

Yoga and breathing techniques promote deep breathing. Such deep breathing practices stimulate parasympathetic nervous system. While sympathetic nervous system prepare the body for fight or flight mode, parasympathetic nervous system promotes rest and relaxes the whole body thereby promoting inner calm.

Deep breathing pranayama techniques stimulate vagus nerve. Vagus nerve helps to relieve mood swings and stress.

Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

Given below are the 15 most effective yoga poses for stress relief:

1) Lotus Pose

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2) Standing Forward Bend

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3) Warrior Pose 2

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4) Eagle Pose

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5) Downward Facing Dog Pose

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6) Dolphin Pose

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7) Cat Pose

Perform Cat Pose along with Cow Pose as a sequel as they are very effective stress relief yoga poses.

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8) Cow Pose

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9) Wide-Legged Seated Forward Fold

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10) Child Pose

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11) Cobra Pose

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12) Bow Pose

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13) Bridge Pose

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14) Legs Up the Wall Pose

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15) Rest Pose

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Life has its ups and downs..joys and sorrows. Life is not a bed of roses. Still, it is our choice to indulge our minds in the beauty of the flowers or to be torn by the thorn. Let's choose happiness and be relieved from stress and depression to lead a quality life that is complete in every aspect. Yoga shows the way. Practice yoga poses for stress relief and stay happy.