Looking for Instant Stress Relief? Try These 5 Restorative Yoga Poses
With work deadlines, family responsibilities and everything going on in the world, people are more stressed out than ever. That’s where restorative yoga comes in.
In this type of yoga, you won’t find any downward facing dog, chaturanga or warrior II poses. Instead, the focus of restorative yoga is on stillness and relaxation. The use of props, like bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps, aids in that feeling—so you can work on being calm and clearing your mind instead of worrying about trying to place your body just so in triangle pose.
Research has found that restorative yoga may improve well-being and fatigue, improve quality of life, and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Yoga is also a promising tool for stress management.
This could be because meditative practices, like yoga, help forge a strong connection between mind and body, says Richard Berger, M.D., professor emeritus of urology at University of Washington School of Medicine and a mindfulness-based stress relief teacher.
“You can meditate in any position, and that’s one good thing about it. Stillness of the body can promote stillness of the mind,” he says. And that’s definitely a good thing when you have a million stressful thoughts racing through your head all day long.