5 Simple Yoga Exercises to Reduce Stress and Calm Your Mind

Stress is not something new; it's a part of life but if left unchecked, then it could steal one's focus, sleep or joy. Yoga is one of the simplest ways to combat stress, as it comes with movements, mindful breathing and gentle stretching that help to calm the nervous system. And an important thing is, you don't require fancy equipment or hours of practice, only a few minutes of the right poses and breathing techniques are enough to lower tension or slow the heart rate and help you feel calm.


This pose is a gentle forward fold, which helps to relax the lower back, soothes the nervous system and breathing that is slow and steady.

How to do it?

• First kneel on the floor with big toes touching and knees should be hip-width (or wider for comfort).
• Then sit back on your heels and slowly fold forward, bringing your forehead to the mat or a cushion.
• Stretch your arms forward slowly with palms down (traditional), or just rest them alongside your body with palms up (more restful).
• Soften your jaw and lengthen your tailbone away from your head to avoid compressing the lower back.

It helps the gentle spinal flexion and extension increases circulation, releases neck and upper-back tightness which is very common in stressed people, and ties movement to breath to calm the mind.

How to do it?

• First start on hands and knees (tabletop), wrists should be under shoulders and knees under hips.
• Then comes cow (inhale): Drop your belly, lift your chest and tailbone, look slightly forward.
• Cat (exhale): Round the back, tuck the chin to chest and draw the navel in.
• Move fluidly between Cow on the in-breath and Cat on the out-breath.

It helps to encourage blood flow to the head, release the back and hamstrings muscles and create an inward, calming orientation that reduces mental chatter.

How to do it?

• First stand with feet hip-width apart then soften your knees slightly.
• Hinge from the hips and fold forward, letting your torso hang over your legs.
• Hold opposite elbows or let hands reach the floor/blocks. Relax your neck and jaw.
• Optionally, bend the knees more to relieve hamstrings and lengthen the spine.

This exercise is good for tired legs. If you also feel sometime swelling in your leg, Viparita Karani helps to reduce that and it activates the parasympathetic nervous sustem. Perfect exercise for deep relaxation and to reduce anxiety.

How to do it?

• First sit sideways next to a wall then lie down and swing your legs up the wall so your heels are resting on the wall and your body forms an L shape.
• Keep your sitting bones close to the wall (a few inches away is fine). Rest arms at your sides, palms up.
• Close your eyes and breathe slowly, allowing your shoulders and jaw to soften.

This exercise balances the nervous system, reduces stress and helps to clear the mind. You can do it seated or just lying down and it is especially useful if you need immediate reset.

How to do it?

• Just sit comfortably with a straight spine or lie on your back and relax your shoulders.
• Use the right hand in Vishnu mudra (index and middle fingers folded, thumb and ring finger free).
• Close the right nostril with the thumb and inhale gently through the left nostril.
• Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb and exhale through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril, close it and exhale through the left. That completes one round.

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