6 Best Yoga Poses to Boost Your Mental Health

Feeling stressed? Feel like you're running on fumes and need some relief? If so, you may want to consider incorporating yoga into your day.

When you say “yoga,” most people think that it's just a bunch of stretching. While this is one of the benefits of yoga, there are many more. These benefits may be hard to pinpoint when you're a beginner.

But once you practice for a while and distill what feels good to you, you'll start to notice how different sensations affect your body and mind. Yoga has the ability to take you from being stressed out to relaxing in a matter of minutes. You will be amazed at how quickly it can help relieve anxiety.

Here Are the Top Six Yoga Poses You Can Do Daily

#1 Butterfly Pose

Butterly Pose is a simple position that might help you ground yourself in the present moment when you're feeling worried.

It also incorporates the therapeutic benefits of meditation, since it encourages you to reach a meditative state.

How to do the Butterfly Pose:

• Begin by sitting in a comfortable place (at your house or nearby park).

• Cross your legs gently and press the soles of your feet together.

• Place your hands on your ankles.

• Pull your shoulders back and down.

#2 Eagle Pose

The eagle pose is also known as 'Garudasana'. You must breathe while keeping your body balanced in this yoga pose. It helps in the prevention of anxiety attacks while also boosting focus.

How to do the Eagle Pose:

• Take a deep breath and shift your weight to one leg.

• Wrap one leg around the other.

• Lower your hips and bend your knees.

• Maintain a steady breathing pattern.

• At the elbows and wrists, wrap one arm over each other.

#3 Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose is a powerful inversion believed by yogis to open up space around the heart.

It is said that by doing so, you would be able to focus and think more clearly.

How to do the bridge pose:

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and heels flat on the ground.

• Adjust your arms and legs so that they are comfortable.

• Lift your hips, then slowly lower them to the floor again.

• Release your muscles, then repeat.

#4 Legs up the wall pose

There aren't many postures as effective as the Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose for calming a racing mind.

It is a good posture for anxious people since it can help you regain a sense of serenity after a hectic day.

How to do Legs up the wall:

• Place yourself on a flat surface. Position yourself so that your tailbone is pointing towards the wall's base.

• Scoot your hips as close to the wall as possible, then walk your feet up the wall until your body forms an L.

• Use a pillow under your head or a towel at the base of your back to make the position seem more comfortable.

#5 Cat Pose

The Cat Pose involves relaxing your spine by adopting a cat-like stance... As we begin to gently open up the back body and engage the core, this practice provides us with a sense of grounding.

How to perform the cat's pose:

• To do this pose, start by kneeling on a mat.

• Your knees should be directly over your hips, and your hands should be shoulder distance apart and slightly ahead of your shoulders.

• Next, press down firmly through your hands, exhale, and round your spine toward the ceiling.

• Drop the crown of your head and your tailbone, draw your lower belly in and up, and extend your arms straight with a slight bend in the elbows.

#6 Half Moon Pose

Half Moon Pose, while challenging, has numerous benefits when it comes to adopting yoga to improve mental health.

The position is cooling, allowing a quiet and calming energy to enter your body and aid in relaxation. When we are depressed, we have a tendency to slouch.

Half Moon Pose helps to open your body, promoting better posture and self-esteem.

How to do the Half Moon Pose:

• Facing the front of your mat, bring both hands to your waist.

• Step your right foot forward.

•Hinge forward, bringing your right hand beside your right foot on the floor.

• Extend your back leg towards the sky. Lift your left arm and stretch.

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Takeaway

Yoga is one of the most popular alternative treatments for anxiety. People have been using it for thousands of years to help them cope with their daily lives.

Your brain will thank you for making time to practice yoga every day. Yoga can also work as a great exercise program to increase flexibility and overall health. It is a great way to start your morning with some positive energy in your body. It's also a fun way to destress from a busy day.