Yoga against stress: 4 simple and relaxing exercises

Yoga is not considered an effective remedy for relaxation for nothing. Regular yoga can relieve tension and build up sustainable stress resistance. In this way, you can also protect yourself from burnout. If you feel like you urgently need relaxation, try our 4 selected anti-stress exercises!

4 Anti-Stress Yoga Exercises

Without any long winded talk, we'll show you directly how you can trick stress with yoga:

Anti-stress exercise 1: The twisted sitting posture

With this exercise you can reactivate your energy and find your centre. Because you also need energy to reduce stress, to strengthen your nerves and to calm yourself in a deeply relaxed way. This is how you achieve and maintain your inner balance:

First position yourself in the heel seat. You can also sit on a chair with your feet firmly on the floor.
Support the sides of the floor with the hands and straighten the pelvis. The spine straightens vertically upwards.
Exhale and gently turn to the left. As you do so, gently place the back of your left hand on your lower back.
Gently take the head into the rotation.
Focus your attention on your breath as you do this.
After a few conscious breaths, come to the centre.
Now practise on the other side as well.

The rotating seat intensifies the rotation in the thoracic spine. This makes the chest more flexible and the muscles of the upper back can be stretched well. This also causes an inner uprightness and centredness.

No wonder our spine is also called the axis of life. Whether our 24 vertebral bodies are flexible or not has a strong influence on us - not only on the physical body, but also on the mental flexibility of the mind.

#Anti-stress exercise 2: The dog looking down

This exercise is ideal if you lack inner clarity. Rebuild your mental strength and fight weak depression. Because this exercise has a calming effect on our brain. The dog looking down therefore helps very well against stress. At the same time, it gives your entire body new energy when signs of fatigue hinder you:

Position yourself with hands and knees on the yoga mat.
Place your hands directly under your shoulders, knees under your hips.

The dog looking down has a calming effect and rebuilds our inner strength. © fizkes - stock.adobe.com

Now stretch your elbows to relieve the strain on your back.

Spread your fingers and then press them into the yoga mat. To note: Your weight should be evenly distributed between the palms and fingers - this way you relieve the strain on your wrists.

Exhale, at the same time tighten the toes and take the knees off the floor. At the same time, slowly stretch your legs. Your hips go up and your buttocks go back. Try not to push yourself up with your feet - they should stay in place.

Now push yourself away slightly with your hands and fingers - this allows your heels to sink towards the mat. In this way you build up the right body tension

Turn your arms or elbows slightly outwards.

Your ears and upper arms are on one level. Your head is relaxed but should not be hanging.

This position is recommended for 1-3 minutes.

Then exhale calmly and finish the yoga exercise. Bend the knees and come to the hands with the feet.

As a beginner, don't be surprised if stiff Achilles tendons or weaker arms make the exercise difficult. With a little patience, you're sure to succeed in the downward dog! It is simply ideal against stress and tension.

#Anti-stress exercise 3: The inclined plane

This yoga exercise is excellent if you are looking for harmony. It also strengthens the arms, legs and lower back. Especially there, you can also release tension with the inclined plane. This yoga exercise promotes your decisiveness and willpower. It helps you to detach yourself from the earthly, i.e. from old habits:

First sit down on the yoga mat.

The inclined plane helps to find harmony and at the same time relaxes the muscles. © fizkes - stock.adobe.com

Place your hands on the floor behind you at your sides. The fingertips point backwards.

Inhale and place your feet so that the soles of your feet are on the floor. Push the pelvis up as far as possible. This forms an "inclined plane".

You can rest your head on the back of your neck. However, if this is uncomfortable for you or you have problems with your cervical spine, then it does not have to be this way.

Then hold this position with a lot of body tension for 5 deep breaths.

Slowly lower the buttocks again and repeat the exercise once more.

However, it is not so easy to do such exercises in the office. That's why we have put together a list of yoga exercises especially for the office.

#Anti-Stress Exercise 4: Pranayama

Stress can lead to unlearning how to breathe properly. While our nervous system actually does this for us unconsciously, we no longer manage to breathe consciously ourselves. However, this is exactly what can actively help us to relax. Through pranayama, relaxed abdominal breathing, you can ignite your prana, or life energy. Move away from shallow breathing and treat your body and mind to blissful calm:

Keep an upright posture Whether sitting or lying down makes no difference.

With Pranayama you can easily ignite your life energy Prana.

Close your eyes and place one hand on your belly.

Breathe in and feel how your abdominal wall moves. When you inhale it rises, when you exhale it lowers again.

Breathe deeply and relaxed into your belly for 3-4 seconds. Then breathe out again for the same amount of time. Feel a deep calm settle over you.

Become more and more relaxed and calm. Do this for about 10-20 minutes

You can find more about pranayama and advanced abdominal breathing here.

Conclusion

Yoga can actively help you relieve stress and regain relaxation and energy. For example, try pranayama, the dog looking down, the inclined plane or the twisted sitting posture. There are many other yoga exercises that promote inner peace. Choose your own personal way out of the hectic.