Studies show that yoga can help improve mental health, increase feelings of relaxation, and reduce irritability among people who practice it. The mind-body practice helps regulate the stress response, which triggers physiological changes in the body, like lowering blood pressure, decreasing heart rate, and increasing airflow to the lungs — all of which help us calm down, according to Harvard Medical School. RELATED: 9 Ways Practicing Yoga Benefits Your Health and Well-Being Practicing yoga can help you build resilience to better deal with the challenges that pop up when you’re not practicing — and it can be used in the moment to help dial down stress, says Amber Wallin, founder of Hot Mess Yoga in Chicago and a yoga instructor certified by the Yoga Alliance, the world’s largest nonprofit yoga association that certifies teachers and schools. “Yoga can help with stress prevention and flare-ups,” she says. But which postures are best for getting into a state of calm? Grounding poses, specifically, help stop the hamster wheel of mind chatter (read: worry and anxiety), says Wallin. Grounding poses are ones during which you’re supposed to let the mind relax. Whereas other more physically challenging poses, like inversions or balancing poses, may require a lot of focus and physical strength to stay in, poses that can be held for a longer time without making you sweat can be done to help you settle down, Wallin explains. For a stress-relieving practice, Wallin suggests keeping your phone out of reach. (Keep it in another room so there’s no temptation to pick it up, and turn off notifications.) She also recommends making yoga comfortable for you. If that means doing it in sweatpants or underwear, then go for it. A warm room or with the air-conditioning on blast? That’s okay, too. Don’t set expectations for yourself. It’s okay if you can’t touch your toes. It’s okay if you need to modify. Your yoga practice is for you and about releasing anxiety. It doesn’t have to look any certain way. RELATED: Yoga for Beginners — What to Know Ahead of Time Wallin recommends practicing these yoga poses for 15 minutes a day, but she adds that any amount of time you can carve out will help. Pick just one pose and try it when you’re feeling overwhelmed in the moment or at the end of a stressful day to unwind. Focus on your breathing throughout each pose. Taking long, deep breaths slows your heart rate and will help trigger those stress-relieving benefits. What’s more, when you bring your attention to your breath, it’s harder to fixate on what’s stressing you out. Here are five grounding poses to try to ease stress today. Repeat as needed and as feels good: If you’re a beginner, “you may feel your legs shaking in the pose,” says Wallin. “But this pose over time will help create space to sit with your thoughts.” Try putting yourself in this pose for a meditation practice if you have one, she adds. Hold for a few breaths or as long as it feels good. RELATED: 5 Yoga Poses and Exercises for Better Sleep Tonight
