Anxiety and panic might arise as a result of living a stressful life. Anxious people are always looking for strategies to combat their feelings of dread and worry. Patients suffering from anxiety, on the other hand, are turning to yoga for anxiety to help them cope.
Yoga, being one of the oldest kinds of exercise, has incredible advantages for calming your body, mind, and spirit. Negative thoughts and mental chatter may be reduced by focusing on your breath and remaining present in the moment. If you’re seeking strategies to combat your anxiety, here are 7 yoga for anxiety positions to try.
To relax and discover inner peace, try the yoga for anxiety positions shown below. These yoga for anxiety positions can help you overcome anxiety by allowing you to focus and quiet your rushing thoughts.
Yoga For Anxiety #1: Standing Forward Bend/Uttanasana
Many individuals are interested in learning how to eliminate anxiety and calm the mind via yoga positions. This standing forward bend position may help you calm your thoughts while also relaxing your body.
Steps:
- Place your hands on your hips and stand with your feet apart.
- Exhale as you hinge at your hips to fold forward, keeping your knees slightly bent.
- Tuck your chin into your chest and place your hands on the floor.
- Release all tension in your hips and lower back while keeping your head and neck heavy on the floor.
- Hold this stance for one minute while breathing normally.
Benefits:
- It aids in the relaxation of the mind and the soothing of the nerves.
- Anxiety, tension, exhaustion, and sadness are all reduced.
- Hamstrings and calves are stretched.
- Maintains the spine’s flexibility and strength.
- Relieves back, neck, and spine stress
- Menopause symptoms, headaches, sleeplessness, and asthma are all alleviated.
- Improves digestion
Yoga For Anxiety #2: Extended Puppy Pose/Uttana Shishosana
This is a great position for stretching out the spine and relieving stress. When you practice this yoga posture, the muscles involved include the deltoids, trapezius, erector spinae, and triceps.
Step:
- Begin by assuming a tabletop stance.
- Now, slide your buttocks down into your heels and stretch both of your hands forward a few inches.
- Press down with both hands, keeping your arm muscles engaged and your elbows raised.
- Place your brow on the ground.
- Allow your chest to open as you perform the position.
- Maintain this position for two minutes.
Benefits:
- It relaxes both the mind and the body.
- Chronic stress, sleeplessness, and tension are all alleviated.
- Shoulders, spine, hips, upper back, and arms are stretched.
Yoga For Anxiety #3: Triangle Pose/Trikonasana
This is an energetic position that can help relieve tension in the neck and back. Internal oblique, latissimus dorsi, hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteus medius and Maximus are the muscles used when performing this position.
Steps:
- Maintain a straight posture with your feet wide apart.
- Position your left toes forward, while your right toes should be at a little angle.
- Lift both arms and stretch them away from your shoulders. Place your palms down.
- Extend your body and extend forward with your left hand gently.
- Now, tilt your hip joint to bring your right hip back and lower your left hand to your leg or the floor.
- Raise your right arm to the ceiling.
- Hold this position for about 30 seconds on each side.
- Then repeat the process on the opposite side.
Benefits:
- Assists with stress relief
- Knees, thighs, and ankles are strengthened.
- Groins, hamstrings, shoulders, chest, calves, hips, and spine are all stretched.
- Enhances digestion
- All of the abdominal organs are stimulated.
- It alleviates back pain.
- Excellent treatment for anxiety, neck discomfort, infertility, and osteoporosis.
Yoga For Anxiety #4: Fish Pose/Matsyasana
This is an excellent yoga position for releasing tension in the back and chest. The fish posture works muscles such as the hip flexors, intercostals, trapezius, and abdominals.
Steps:
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
- Place your hands behind your buttocks, palms facing down.
- Begin slowly squeezing your elbows together while expanding your chest.
- Press down onto your arms as you lean back into your elbows and forearms.
- Allow your head to droop backwards towards the floor or rest it on a cushion if you’re at ease.
- Hold this stance for 30 seconds while keeping your eyes open.
Benefits:
- Reduces tension, anxiety, and irritability.
- Enhances posture
- Relieves shoulder, throat, and neck stress
- Neck and abdominal muscles are toned.
- Enhances upper back strength
- The abdominal organs are stimulated.
Yoga For Anxiety #5: Child Pose/Balasana
When you sense an anxiety attack building on, this is one of the finest calming postures to attempt to help relieve tension and worry. It may assist you in being calm and relaxed.
Steps:
- Get down on your knees and sink all the way back onto your heels.
- Fold forward and position your hands in front of you.
- Allow your body to sink into your thighs and lay your forehead on the floor.
- You should stretch your arms forward or just rest them beside your body.
- Hold this posture for 2–3 minutes.
Benefits:
- It relaxes both the mind and the body.
- Aids in the relief of stress and anxiety
- Tension in the chest, back, and shoulders is relieved.
- Excellent for weariness and dizziness.
- helps to strengthen the spine
- Internal organs are flexed.
- The ligaments, muscles, and tendons are stretched.
Yoga For Anxiety #6: Seated Forward Bend/Paschimottanasana
This is another incredible stance that is thought to relax the mind and ease tension. If you feel like your thoughts are racing around, try the sitting forward bend stance to help focus them.
Steps:
- Sit on a cushion with your legs straight out and a small bend in your knees.
- Inhale now and raise your arms.
- Slowly raise your hips forward to lengthen your body, while resting your hands wherever on the floor.
- Hold the stance for 1 minute while breathing normally.
Benefits:
- It alleviates minor sadness and tension.
- It relaxes the mind.
- Enhances digestion
- The uterus, kidneys, liver, and ovaries are all stimulated.
- Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, and spine well.
- Aids in the relief of menopausal symptoms
- It alleviates anxiety, headaches, and exhaustion.
Yoga For Anxiety #7: Tree Pose/Vrikshasana
Steps:
- Maintain a straight posture with your arms beside your body.
- Take a few deep breaths and attempt to focus your attention on an object or location in the room. Now, gradually shift your weight to your left leg and lift your right foot off the ground. Align the sole of your right foot with the inner of your left thigh.
- Make sure your toes point down and your pelvis is straight.
- Stretch your arms sideways and straight above your head, towards the ceiling. Your palms should be squeezed together in the shape of an inverted V.
Benefits:
- This stance increases leg stability and balance.
- It strengthens the foot ligaments.
- It strengthens and tones your buttocks and legs.
- It helps to strengthen the hips and bones.
- Assists in the development of self-confidence
- It also aids in achieving equilibrium in other areas of your life.
Wrapping It Up
Follow these 7 yoga for anxiety positions and pay attention to all of the feelings you experience throughout your body as you do each one. If your thoughts begin to race, gently return your attention back to the present now and slowly resume your exercise.
Although studies suggest that yoga for anxiety might help people overcome anxiety and panic attacks, it’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor before beginning any new workout programme or yoga practice. This will be beneficial since your doctor will be able to detect potential hazards and prescribe changes to avoid accidents or health concerns.
Always practise in a location where you feel secure and comfortable. If you ever feel like yoga for anxiety is giving you pain, stop doing it right away.