5 Best Yoga Poses for Anxiety
Effective Poses to Soothe Anxiety- By Beth Rush
Reading time: 4 minutes
People often attend yoga classes and enjoy these yoga poses for anxiety. These moves will calm you while grounding you in your body.
How Does Yoga Help With Anxiety?
Yoga helps with anxiety by engaging the body and mind simultaneously. Research shows that yoga routines effectively manage generalized anxiety disorder by utilizing the muscles while steadying each participant’s breathing. It’s a helpful lifestyle tool if you’re living with anxiety and want to support your well-being in addition to medical or therapeutic approaches.
Best Yoga Poses for Anxiety
Anyone can try the best yoga poses for anxiety at home or during a yoga class. Consider which setting most excites you to start managing your mental health with these simple moves.
1. Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
If you live with an anxiety condition, you likely already have specific mental health tools you use each week. When you’re between acupuncture treatments that stimulate endorphin production by relieving pressure throughout your body, trying the best yoga poses for anxiety might put your body more at ease.
Ustrasana (Camel Pose) releases similar pressure by stretching your spine backward. Start by kneeling on the floor with the top of your feet flat against the ground. Bend backward to look up at the ceiling. As you lean, reach your arms around and touch or grasp the heels of your feet. Your arms should remain straight while you lean back.
Hold this pose for at least five breaths to stretch your back, open your chest and release any tension in your abdominal muscles.Â
2. Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)
When you want a yoga pose for anxiety that doesn’t require balancing, try the Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose). It combines Balasana (Child’s Pose) with Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog).
Get on all fours on the floor, pressing the top of your feet into the ground. Slide your hands away from you until you’re leaning with your forehead to the floor. Your hips should remain over your knees while your back bends slightly to accommodate your extended arms.
Once you’re in this position, press your palms onto the floor. You should feel your back, arms and spine stretching as you take five deep breaths. If you want to stretch your legs, you can lower your thighs to rest on your feet and inch both knees out to either side. This replicates Balasana to stretch your thighs.
3. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose)
No matter which of the nine forms of anxiety affects your daily life, you can find peace of mind through yoga poses like Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose). As you practice this straightforward move, you’ll get more flexible and keep anxiety at bay.
Stand straight and roll your shoulders back to position your spine. Bend forward at your pelvis until you’re leaning as forward as your body comfortably allows. Some people may be able to place their palms on the floor, but that’s not a requirement for this move. Just keep your pelvis vertically in line with your heels while doing at least five breaths to stretch anxiety out of your muscles.
4. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
Ground yourself with the Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) the next time you want more control over your anxiety. Lie face-down on the ground with your legs extended straight behind you. Lift both feet toward the ceiling while propping yourself up on your elbows. Reach around to grasp your ankles or shins before pulling your feet and torso closer together for five slow breaths.
This stretch might feel a bit tight if you’re new to yoga poses for anxiety. The good news is that anyone can do these stretches. Place a folded blanket under your pelvis to prevent your pelvic bones from pushing into the floor. You can also loop a resistance band around your shins and grasp it if you can’t reach your ankles in this pose.Â
5. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Sometimes, all you need to defeat anxiety is a new perspective. Give yourself a literal different perspective on the world with the Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose). Sit against a wall with your legs stretched in front of you. Turn slowly until you rotate left or right, eventually resting with your back on the ground and your legs vertically up against the wall.
Your ankles and the backs of your thighs should make contact with the wall, but it’s okay if your flexibility isn’t there yet. Just keep the heels of your feet or the flat of your feet against the wall.
Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, stretching your arms to either side on the floor. You should come to rest in a T-shape. Enjoy five slow breaths while your anxiety subsides in this pose.
Feel More Positive Every Day
Try these yoga poses for anxiety whenever you need a mental health boost. They’re easy to do at home or during a class with an instructor. You can reclaim power over your mental health while doing what you love by adding some of these poses to your daily routine.
