Friday, 10 May 2013

Best Yoga Poses For Stress Relief


Among yoga's many benefits is being able to stabilize the nervous system and promote a situation of relaxation. Those who participate in a regular yoga practice are usually more adept at handling stressful situations. Yoga postures which are particularly beneficial for stress relief include the ones that involve squatting, strong standing poses and inversions. When practicing yoga poses for stress relief, start with postures that are somewhat stimulating and work toward the ones that are more relaxing. Do not alternate stimulating and relaxing postures, as a result variation provides too much stimulation. You may even find it helpful to hold postures longer to advertise a greater sense of relaxation.

Stimulating Poses

Stimulating poses are the ones that extend the spine, moving it toward a back bend, in addition to arm balances and standing poses that emphasize grounding through both legs. Triangle and warrior I are types of strong standing poses. Triangle pose energizes the abdominal organs, improves digestion helping relieve anxiety. Warrior I contains aspects of a back bend in lengthening the spine and opening the chest area. Bridge pose uses a mild back bend to spread out the chest and calm the mind.

Inversions

Dr. Timothy McCall, internist and medical editor of Yoga Journal, recommends regular inversions for to reduce stress. (Inversions are stimulating postures that increase blood circulation to the head and heart. Additionally they provide improved sleep, focus and digestion along with stress relief. To build the necessary torso strength and flexibility for inversions, train with mild inversions that enhance the heart above the head, for example downward-facing dog or dolphin pose. Then proceed to full inversions such as headstand and shoulder stand.

Relaxing Poses

To advertise maximum stress relief, end your yoga practice having a sequence of relaxing postures. Relaxing postures include poses that flex the hip and spine, forward bends, and restorative postures for example corpse pose, child's pose and legs-up-the-wall pose. Spending some time in relaxing poses enables greater introspection, which can help calm the central nervous system and lower blood pressure. For deeper relaxation, utilizes a bolster or block to prop your face in any forward bends where your face does not reach your legs or even the floor.

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