Ease Your Anxiety With These 5 Simple Yet Powerful Yoga Asanas
If you’ve ever woken up feeling mentally clouded, with a tight chest and racing thoughts, you’re not alone. Anxiety often creeps in quietly, long before your day even begins. Yogini Samiksha Shetty, a wellness expert and founder of Rising Loka in Mumbai, shares five foundational yoga poses that can help reset your nervous system and bring emotional balance.
Unlike advanced postures, these calming asanas require no prior experience. All you need is your breath, your body, and a few quiet minutes.
1. Balasana (Child’s Pose)
A gentle forward fold that soothes the spine and relaxes the entire back. This pose gives a sense of deep comfort—like a hug for your nervous system.
How to do it:
- Kneel on the floor, extend arms forward, and rest your forehead on the mat.
- Relax your arms and feel your breath in your belly.
- Hold for 1–3 minutes, surrendering your weight into the floor.
2. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
This deeply restorative pose reverses blood flow, slows your heart rate, and supports emotional regulation.
How to do it:
- Sit sideways near a wall and gently swing your legs up.
- Rest your back on the floor and arms by your side.
- Remain here for 5–10 minutes, focusing on your breath.
3. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
This pose opens the chest and stimulates the thyroid and heart, offering an energy boost and releasing emotional heaviness.
How to do it:
- Lie down, bend your knees, and place feet flat on the ground.
- Lift your hips and interlace your fingers beneath your back.
- Breathe deeply and hold for 5–8 breaths.
4. Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Pose)
Perfect for syncing breath with movement, this flow enhances spinal flexibility and mental clarity.
How to do it:
- Get on all fours.
- Inhale to arch the spine (Cow), exhale to round the spine (Cat).
- Repeat for 1–2 minutes slowly.
5. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)
This calming fold cools the mind and encourages introspection, making it a favorite for stress relief.
How to do it:
- Sit with legs extended.
- Inhale and lengthen your spine; exhale to fold forward.
- Hold for 1–3 minutes while breathing evenly.
Final Thought:
These yoga poses are less about perfection and more about presence. With regular practice, they become powerful tools to navigate anxiety, restlessness, and burnout.
Disclaimer: Always consult with a healthcare professional before beginning any new exercise regimen, especially if you have existing medical conditions.
