7 Restorative Yoga Poses to Calm the Mind and Relax the Body
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, self help, yogaby Vivek Roy
Stress is now have become a part of our daily lives. There are many reasons behind this and that is a very different topic to discuss. Here we want to talk about how to relieve the stress of your day and gain inner peace. People often choose the wrong path to deal with stress like drinking and smoking which is very harmful to health. There are some very healthy ways to keep your mind calm and relaxed.
Yoga is one of the best ways to stay healthy and fit and this helps in lowering the stress and gives you mental peace. Now yoga is something that you can do at your house and at your preferable time of the day. Yoga has no side effects, unlike the pills you take to relieve your stress and depression. So it is worth a shot.
Yoga poses to restore the calmness of your mind and relax the body are:
- Forward Bending (Uttanasana):
To do this yoga asana first you need to stand up straight on your feet keeping 6 inches distance between them. Then start bending in the forward direction keeping the knees straight. Then you need to touch the ground with your hand. Keep the posture for 30 seconds and move back to standing position. Do it 10 times. This will help in stretching your back and release tension from your muscles and help you to relax.
- Legs Upwards (Viparit Karani):
Move your legs upwards using a wall. Place your legs in such a way that your back touches the wall. Initially keep your legs straight and upfront with the help of the wall. After some days of practice, you can lift your legs up with your hands. You need to hold the pose for 20-30 seconds and then slowly fold your legs and lie down on your back like savasana. This posture strengthens your back and put pressure on your shoulder and neck which helps to release the tension. Do this asana for at least 3 times.
- Forward Bending with Widened Legs (Prasarita Padottanasana):
This is kind of similar to forwarding bending. In this posture, you need to widen your legs a little more than forwarding bending and then touch your toes. This is a full-body exercise. In this particular posture the tension of neck, shoulder, back joint releases and make your back flexible. You will feel much fresh after this yogasana. You need to hold the position for 30 seconds and then slowly go back to standing position. Repeat this for minimum 10 times.
- Cobra pose (Bhujangasana):
To do this posture you need to lie on your stomach and then lift your frontal part of your body. Just place your hands under the shoulder and lift up your body. Your elbows should be touching the mat. So lift up the chest up to the pressure you can take. Keep your hair straight and chin up. This put pressure on the abdominal muscles and helps to strengthen the spine. Hold the position for 15-20 seconds and then lie down and again do it for 5-10 times.
- Glutes Bridge (Setu Bandhasana):
This pose is very helpful to cure back pain, stiffness in the back which occurs due to stress and tension. In this posture, you need to lie on your back and then fold your legs keeping the feet flat. Keep some distance between the feet and lift up your hips. Hold your hips with your hands keeping the elbow on the ground. This way you will get support. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and then lie down properly. Repeat this for at least 10 times. This helps in stretching the entire front part of the body putting pressure on the abdominal muscles, back portion and shoulders.
- Seated Forward Bending (Paschimottasana):
To do this pose first you need to seat on the mat keeping your legs open and straight in front of you. Then lift both your hand up straight and bend keeping both hands and your head together. Then you need to touch the feet with your hands without folding your knees. You may not be able to touch the feet on the first time but keep practicing and you will be able to touch it. When you touch your feet with your hand try to touch your knees with the nose. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds and then come back to a seating position. Practice it for 5 times at least. This posture helps in strengthening your back, lightens the hamstrings and helps in losing belly fat.
- Corpse Pose (Savasana):
This is the simplest form of asana and has a high effect on the body. In this asana you need to lie down closing your eyes, relaxing your mind and not stressing about anything. This asana should be done after all the yoga asanas. In this posture, you need to lie on your back keeping the feet open and face the palm upwards. Allow yourself to relax for some time and not stressing. Keep your eyes closed for the whole time. This asana is the ultimate for relaxing and calming down the mind and the body. You should do it for 30 seconds at least. This takes away all the stress away from your body.
These are the seven yoga postures you can do to calm down your mind and body. You need to practice them every day in the morning or night as your preference. But there are some precautions you should take before doing yoga asanas.
You should never force yourself to extend the holding time for any posture.
If you are doing yoga asanas for the first time you will not be flexible enough and will not be able to do many postures properly but never force your body for any asana you do. In any posture, if you feel that you cannot touch the ground or stretch more, you should just stop there. If you forcefully do anything it may cause other harm to your body.
You should do yoga asanas in an empty stomach.
It is preferable and the best to yoga asanas in the morning. If you do not get time then only do it in the night.
Do practice these asanas every day and you should be stress-free.
Vivek Roy is an enthusiastic Yoga blogger and Traveller from India. He has done 300 hour teacher training. He loves to travel and share the knowledge of yoga around the world. For more information about him visit his website Sattva Yoga Academy.
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Filed in: externally authored, self help, yoga
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