5 yoga exercises for more relaxation

At work one deadline follows the next, at home the household is waiting. Sometimes there is little time for your own needs. But if you are under constant tension at work or in your private life and don’t take a break, sooner or later you will also feel the consequences physically: cramped muscles, headaches and sleep disorders are typical consequences of constant stress. How to prevent? Among other things, with yoga exercises.

Yoga for stress management

Yoga is not an invention for stressed city dwellers, but originated in India several thousand years ago. Anyone who regularly practices so-called asanas, special breathing and physical exercises, promotes the interaction of body and mind. Mindfulness plays a crucial role not only in meditation but also in yoga and is one of the reasons why yoga can help with stress reduction. We present five yoga poses for beginners that you can do in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a somewhat soft surface, e.g. B. a yoga mat, and comfortable clothing.

Cat-cow for back pain

This yoga exercise against stress is ideal for anyone who sits at a desk for many hours a day and has back pain as a result. The starting position is on all fours. Here the hands are directly under the shoulders, the knees under the pelvis, the spine is straight, the gaze is directed down to the mat.

As you exhale, pull your head towards your chest, push your back up and round it like a cat’s hump. As you inhale, reverse the pose into cow. To do this, go into a slight hollow back. Raise your head and pull your shoulders back slightly. Now switch back and forth between cat and cow with each inhale and exhale.

Relax your shoulders and neck in the child’s pose

Child pose is one of the most effective stress relief exercises because it stretches and relaxes the shoulders, back, and hips.

Sit in the heel seat and then slowly lower your upper body onto your thighs. Rest your forehead on the floor or a pillow. You can either position your arms palms up next to your body or stretch them forward over your head. Hold this position for a few deep breaths to calm down and relax your muscles.

Downward Dog : the jack of all trades

This yoga exercise is not only one of the classics, but is also a good exercise for relaxation. This is an inversion pose where the heart is above the head. This simplifies the exhalation and calms the whole organism. It is best to start in the push-up position, as this gives you the right distance between your hands and feet.

To do this, bend your legs slightly and push your buttocks backwards and upwards. Make sure your arms are straight and you’re pulling your back toward the mat. If your muscles and tendons allow, straighten your legs and gently try to move your heels toward the floor.

Reduce stress hormones with the stool

Yoga can also help with acute stress. If you can’t calm down because of the adrenaline in your body, a powerful yoga exercise like the chair can help as an anti-stress remedy. The exercise challenges the leg muscles and boosts the metabolism so that stress hormones can be broken down more quickly.

Starting position for this exercise against stress is standing upright, feet hip-width apart. Inhale and stretch your arms overhead. As you exhale, bend your knees and go low, as if about to sit down in a chair. The knees should not protrude beyond the tips of the toes. Shift your weight onto your heels and tilt your pelvis back.

Remain in this position for three to five breaths before returning to upright standing and bringing your hands together in front of your chest. It is best to repeat the exercise a few times.

If you find this yoga exercise difficult, the following tips can help:

• Do the exercise in front of a wall so that when you bend your knees, your buttocks touch the wall slightly.
• At first, stay in the pose for just one breath and slowly increase.

Come to rest in the head-knees position

In this relaxation exercise against stress, the stomach and intestines are massaged and at the same time the backs of the legs and lower back are intensively stretched. The special feature: The calming effect of the yoga exercise intensifies the longer you hold the position. In this way you reduce stress, stimulate digestion and counteract a bloated stomach.

Sit on the floor or your mat and stretch your legs straight out in front of you. Now bring the sole of your left foot to the inside of your right thigh by bending your left leg. On the next inhale, lift your arms up, stretch your back and then slowly bend your whole upper body over the stretched leg. If you are very mobile, you can rest your head on your knee. Hold the pose for one to three minutes and repeat on the other side.