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It doesn’t take much time to drastically alter your emotional state. The next 15-minute yoga for stress relief practice doesn’t ask you to do anything overly strenuous or complicated. It’s a slow flow designed specifically to attenuate effort and emphasize stress relief. And it’s short enough in order to not be overwhelming but slightly something you will discover time to return back to day after day, even for those who’ve never practiced yoga before.
The first goal of yoga for stress relief is to chill out and find ease in each body and mind. You’ll utilize easy breathwork exercises to assist soothe the nervous system, and as an alternative of the standard Savasana at the tip, you’ll transition right into a seated meditation to further ground yourself.
15-Minute Yoga for Stress Relief
Sitting still stands out as the most difficult—and useful—a part of the practice. (Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
Discover a seated position that’s comfortable on your hips and lower back, whether cross-legged or otherwise. Find a mild lift along your spine as you roll your shoulders down and away out of your ears. Keep your chin parallel to the mat as you shut your eyes and begin your practice with deep breaths, out and in through your nose. Take a moment to ascertain in with the way you’re feeling in the current moment. Concentrate to any sensations in your body. In case your mind is overactive, simply observe without criticism or the necessity to fix anything. Allow yourself to soak up that information as you concurrently create space inside.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Seated Neck Release
Out of your seated posture, lean your right ear toward your right shoulder. Consider placing your left hand behind your lower back, palm facing away from you, for an added stretch. The further you reach your left hand behind you, the more you’ll feel the stretch toward the highest of your left shoulder. Release your left shoulder down, allowing the load of your arm to create a deep sensation. After just a few breaths here, slowly turn your head to bring your chin over your right shoulder. Take a deep breath into your belly as you’re feeling the change within the stretch. As you exhale, bring your chin back to center and release your arms. Repeat the method on the opposite side.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Seated Hip Stretch
Remain seated as you bring your feet flat on the ground along with your knees bent and pointing toward the ceiling. Place your hands behind your hips and find a mild windshield wiper motion along with your knees, slowly swaying them backward and forward for several breaths. The subsequent time your knees fall to your left, stay here and deal with drawing your right hip down toward the mat. Feel the stretch in your outer right hip. Take a moment to breathe into this stretch. Slowly bring your knees back through center and repeat on the opposite side.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Sure Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Bring the bottoms of your feet together, allowing your knees to disintegrate in Sure Angle Pose (also referred to as Butterfly Pose in yin yoga). Hold onto your big toes along with your peace fingers and pause as you squeeze your shoulder blades together and press your thighs toward the mat, making a subtle backbend.
Inhale deeply through your nose and, as you exhale, bend forward out of your hips. Release your grip in your toes and extend your hands in front of you, allowing your spine to naturally round. Embrace the convenience of this forward fold, letting gravity do the work slightly than pushing or straining.
Give up to the pose and let yourself melt into the stretch for 3 breaths. Release any thoughts that were occupying your mind. Deal with being present with yourself within the moment, which is an integral a part of yoga for stress relief. In case your mind starts to wander, redirect your attention to the rhythm of your breath or the sensations in your body.
After 3 breaths, push your hands onto the ground, step by step curling back up, inch by inch. There’s no must rush this process. Take it at your personal pace.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Seated Pigeon Pose Variation
Straighten your legs in front of you. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, then bend your left knee to a snug extent. Place your hands behind you for support and lift your chest. You may adjust the intensity of the stretch by bringing your left foot closer or further away from you. Be happy to softly sway your leg and hips backward and forward.
Stay here for five deep breaths after which slide your left leg straight again and uncross your legs. Switch to the opposite side, finding a position that suits you best.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Straighten each legs and slowly transition to your hands and knees. Place your palms under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Move right into a Low Lunge from here by stepping your right foot forward to the highest of the mat. Align your knee over your ankle and select whether to maintain your fingertips on the mat or bring your palms to your right thigh.
You may introduce a subtle backbend here by releasing your hips down and specializing in stretching into your left thigh and left hip. Be mindful of your lower back—ensure there’s no discomfort or pinching. If needed, keep your palms down on the mat for added support. Each options offer advantages, so select what feels best for you.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Rag Doll
From Low Lunge, tuck your back toes, lift your back knee off the mat, and step or inch your left foot to the front of the mat and are available right into a Standing Forward Bend. Be happy to take your feet wider than your hips. Should you like, bend your knees generously.
Grab opposite elbows or dangle your upper arms, swaying gently backward and forward. Avoid leaning in your heels or the balls of your feet, establishing a central point of gravity. Ensure your weight is evenly distributed between your feet. Allow your head to develop into even heavier, envisioning it to be like a bowling ball.
From here, transition easily right into a low lunge on the opposite side. Step your right foot all the way in which back and lower your right knee to the mat.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Out of your Low Lunge, tuck your back toes and lift your back knee off the mat. As a substitute of stepping to the highest of the mat, transition into Downward-Facing Dog by stepping your left foot back. Ensure your hands are no less than shoulder-distance apart and your feet are hip-distance apart. Be happy to bend your knees as you reach your chest toward your thighs to search out a snug position.
Engage in any little movements that bring relief or comfort. The goal of this pose is to attain a full-body stretch. Curl your tailbone up, draw your lower belly in, and take a deep breath. As you hold this position, deal with elongating your spine and opening up through your shoulders and hamstrings.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Sphinx Pose
From Downward-Facing Dog, lower your knees to the mat and are available onto your belly. Bring your forearms to the mat, parallel to 1 one other, ensuring your palms are flat on the mat. Lift your chest and roll your shoulders back and down. As you compromise into Sphinx Pose, calmly press the tops of your feet—including each toe—into the mat. Also deal with pushing your pubic bone into the mat while lengthening your tailbone toward your heels. This alignment helps avoid tension in your lower back and redirects the stretch toward your mid and upper back. Stay here for five deep breaths.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
From Sphinx Pose, ease into Child’s Pose by bringing your big toes together, pressing your hips back toward your heels, and letting your knees widen to your required comfort level. The broader your hips, the deeper the stretch. As you release your hips down, walk your hands in front of you and convey your chest toward the mat. Take 5 breaths on this position, allowing yourself to ground and check in along with your body. Let gravity gently pull you deeper into the stretch, embracing the soothing sensation of Child’s Pose.
(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)
Box Respiration
From Child’s Pose, walk your hands beneath your shoulders and lift your chest. Slowly come to a seated position just like the start of the category for a straightforward yet effective respiratory technique called box respiratory, or Sama Vriti Pranayama. “Sama” translates to “equal” and “vriti” refers to “mental fluctuations,” making box respiratory a way that harmonizes breath and reduces mental chatter, providing stress relief.
Visualize a box as you practice this system: Inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for 4, exhale for 4, and hold your breath out for an additional count of 4. Repeat this cycle five times, maintaining a gentle breath out and in through your nose while sitting up tall.
As you finish your 15-minute yoga for stress relief practice, return to a daily breath pattern. Linger here a bit of longer and easily pause before you come back to your day.
About Our Contributor
Kassandra Reinhardt is an Ottawa-based Yin Yoga and vinyasa yoga instructor whose YouTube channel, Yoga With Kassandra, has grown to 2.2 million subscribers and has greater than 230 million views. Kassandra recently released her guided yoga journal, My Yoga Journey: A Guided Journal, her each day affirmation card deck, I Radiate Joy,and her book,Yr of Yoga.