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One of the ways I have overcome my anxiety is by participating in yoga
But which type of yoga is best for stress relief?
It depends on what you are looking to feel, but Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra are great choices
Stress is awful for your body and can destroy your health
But once you are in that fight or flight mode, it can be hard to get better
Over time with my anxiety, I have discovered that I need something that required a little focus, but nothing crazy or difficult
Yoga is a great option because it does require you to focus on movement and breathing,
But not so difficult that starting when you have anxiety is impossible
What are the ways that yoga can reduce stress?
Stress and overthinking are very connected
Yoga can help reduce stress because it encouraged mental and physical relaxation, peace, and focus
Yoga is a great way to get those stresses calmed so that you can think clearly as you face your problem
Doing yoga outside is great for stress too, as long as you are worried about the neighbors!
A huge part of yoga is breath work and awareness, which is highly effective for reducing stress
Which type of yoga is best for stress relief?
In short… It depends!
I know, I know!
I hate getting that answer too, but I won’t leave you hanging
There are two ways to reduce stress with exercise
- Calming and relaxing exercise
- Fast and sweaty exercise
Most yoga won’t be fast, but will work out your body greatly
But I am going to zoom in on four yoga types that are calming for your mind, body, or both
Hatha Yoga: Reducing stress levels through slow movement
Hatha Yoga is a branch of yoga that uses physical movement to channel energy.
It can help you with:
- Better sleep
- Improved depression symptoms
- Strengthening core muscles
- And helping with stress management
This is a yoga that emphasizes holding poses for long periods of time
And can be a great introduction to body postures, breathing techniques, and meditation
One thing that is special about Hatha Yoga is that it has you do enough to have to focus, but not so much that you continue being stressed and overwhelmed
It helps you pull those intense thoughts in and focus on centering yourself and your emotions
It is considered a gentle yoga, but it can still be challenging
So test out different levels and classes until you find one that is challenging for you, but not too challenging
Some common poses for beginners are:
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
- Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing dog pose)
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- Halasana (Plough Pose)
- Sirsasana (Head Stand)
- Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
- Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand)
- Dhandurasana (Bow Pose)
To learn more about each and how to do them, tap here
Yin Yoga: Calming stressed and tight muscles
Yin Yoga is another slow-paced style of yoga that incorporates traditional Chinese medicine
This one also has you holding poses for a long time
Maybe even five minutes or more if you are advanced!
Some of the benefits of Yin Yoga are:
- Calms and balances mind and body
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Increases circulation
- Improves flexibility
- Improves joint mobility
- Helps manage stress
The focus on Yin Yoga is to calm stressed and tight muscles, which has a great effect on your stress levels!
You sit in the poses and observe your thoughts and emotions
It is a great reset for your mind and body!
Some great beginner poses are:
- Child’s Post
- Cat/Cow
- Ragdoll
- Gecko
- Half split
- Head to knee forward bend
- Wide legged Straddle
- Butterfly
- Pigeon
- Sphinx
If you want to learn more about these and more poses, tap here
Restorative yoga: Mental overwhelm or physical injury
Restorative Yoga is one of my personal favorites!
It is relaxing and really does help with my stress and mood
It is a restful practice all about slowing down and opening up through passive stretches
Which just means that you are not using force to stretch
You just go into the pose and let outside forces, like gravity, pull you deeper
Some benefits of Restorative Yoga are:
- Relaxing your mind and body
- Soothes the nervous system
- Betters your mood
- Reduces chronic pain
- Improves sleep
- Improves well-being
- Gentle on your body
- Helps manage your stress
This is a great style of Yoga to start in
When I finished my surrogacy journey, I was really struggling with strength of mind and body
Restorative Yoga was so powerful for me
It was easy enough where I could do it in my weakened state,
But powerful enough to make a huge difference in my life!
Some beginner poses are:
- Child’s pose
- Seated Cat/Cow
- Supported Bridge Pose
- Reclining Bound Angle Pose
- Thread the Needle Pose
- Supported Forward Fold
- Sleeping Pigeon
- Supine Spinal Twist
- Supported Fish Pose
- Legs Up the Wall
If you want to know more about these poses, tap here
Yoga Nidra: Regulating the body and emotions
Yoga Nidra is a great combination of yoga and meditation
The difference is that meditation puts all effort and awareness on a single focus
But Yoga Nidra guides you through layers to reach something deeper
I find that it is more helpful than meditation when I don’t know how I am feeling or understand my thoughts
If my brain is in stress chaos, Yoga Nidra is very powerful
Some benefits of Yoga Nidra are:
- One of the easiest Yoga styles
- You cannot practice incorrectly
- It is easy to add into daily life (self care anyone???)
- Gives you a chance to learn more about yourself
- Simple way to reduce stress
If you are unsure about being able to do poses physically, then Yoga Nidra is a great option for you
There are so many guided videos on YouTube!
Just get started and see what you like!
So, which type of yoga is best for stress relief?
Well, it depends on your needs!
There are so many other options for yoga
My biggest advice is to try them and see what you like
I started testing different yoga styles and quickly figured out what I like and what I don’t like
It is normal to have some Yoga styles that you enjoy and others that you just don’t like
No stress! Just keep experimenting
Just give each one a week to try out