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7 Yoga Poses for Anxiety and How to Do Them

Elizabeth Hines

Yoga has long been known for its calming effect and centering ability for both the body and mind. An increasing amount of people in our modern world turn to yoga, stretching, and meditation to calm stress and anxiety symptoms, as well as to combat depression and ‘down days’. Yoga has long been known to centre the body and mind, as well as focus breathing and quiet negative mental thoughts by clearing your head. Here are seven easy beginner poses which have been known to be effective in calming anxiety.

1: The Hero Pose

  • How it Helps: The hero pose is seated, still, and allows you to find your centre. It also helps focus breathing and quiet mental chatter.
  • Muscles it Works: Erector spinae, Quadriceps, Knee muscles, Ankle muscles
  • How to Do it: First, kneel with your knees together and your feet slightly wide. If you are uncomfortable initially, place a cushion underneath you. Put your hands on the top of your thighs. Sit up, open your chest, and straighten your back. Hold for 5 minutes.
  1. Tree Pose
  • How it Helps: As Pam Fletcher, a lifestyle blogger at Via Writing and Academized, noted, “This standing still pose quiets mental thoughts and acts as a centre.”
  • Muscles it Works: Abdominals, Quadriceps, Tibialis Anterior
  • How to Do it: Place all of your weight on your right foot and lift your left off the ground. Turn your sole slightly sideways and place it on the inside of your thigh or calf. Place your hands where they are comfortable. Hold for 2 minutes.
  1. Triangle Pose
  • How it Helps: Can help ease stress and tension in upper neck and back.
  • Muscles it Works: Internal oblique, Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
  • How to Do it: Stand with your feet wider than hips and face your left toes forward while your right toes are at an angle. Extending your arms and facing your palms down, elongate your torso and reach straight forward with your left hand. Extend your other hand upwards and hold for a minute

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  1. Standing Forward Bend
  • How it Helps: This pose helps your body and mind relax and also releases built up stress and tension in your body.
  • Muscles it Works: Spinal Muscles, Piriformis, Hamstrings.
  • How to Do it: Place your feet below your hips and hands on your hips. Exhale, bringing your hands to the floor. Tuck your chin into your upper chest and release tension in your lower back area. Ensure your head and neck is hanging heavy. Hold pose for one minute.
  1. Fish Pose
  • How it Helps: This pose relieves tightness and stressors in the back.
  • Muscles it Works: Intercostals, Hip Flexors, Trapezius, Abdominals.
  • How to Do it: Stretch your legs out in front of you and put your hands under your bum. Expand your chest area and place your elbows together. Lean back onto your forearms and stay as lifted as possible in your chest area. Hang your head back if needed and stay in this pose for up to one minute.
  1. Extended Puppy Pose
  • How it Helps: This pose opens up your chest and elongates your spine.
  • Muscles it Works: Deltoids, Trapezius Erector, Spinae, Triceps
  • How to Do it: Lie like a tabletop, extending your hands a few inches up and lowering your bum a few inches. Press into this position and keep your elbows up. Rest the top of your forehead on the floor and allow your chest muscles to expand. Hold for two minutes.
  1. Child’s Pose
  • How it Helps: As Yolanda Miller, a health writer at Boomessays and Write my essay, said, “This pose eases tension and relaxes the body and mind; assisting with stress levels and overall fatigue.”
  • Muscles it Works: Gluteus Maximus, Rotator Muscles, Hamstrings, Spinal Extensors.
  • How to Do it: Start in a kneeled position and allow your body to sink into the back of your heels. Fold your entire body forward and walk your hands forward out in front of you. Let the bottom of your torso to fall onto your thighs and rest the tip of your forehead on the floor in front of you. Keep your arms extended and hold for 5 minutes.

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About the Author:

Elizabeth Hines is a digital marketer and online content writer for Dissertation writing service and Australian Reviewer. She enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and political issues. She also writes for Resumention blog.

NOTE: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Nannocare. Nannocare is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the author of this article, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.

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