Looking to De-stress, Calm Down, and Revitalize?

Practice these 3 yoga poses to unwind from information overload.

Is your day full of appointments, calls, driving from here to there and back again? Do you find that when you arrive home, you take a huge sigh of relief? Do you have too much stress? If you’re like most of us, the answer is yes or at least a little bit.

Too often our lives are full of information overload, to do lists, and unproductive multitasking. To combat these modern conditions and return to our simple innate sense of peace, contentment and relaxation, make some time to do the following poses. They are all easy and will take up as little or as much time as you desire. They are designed to restore your body, calm your mind, and leave you feeling fresh and revitalized.

Reclining Twist: Often, in the morning, I like to begin my day with a reclining twist. As soon as I wake up, while still lying in bed, I’ll take a big yawn and stretch. Still lying on my back, I’ll pull one knee into my chest and roll to the opposite hip. Then I take a few deep breaths. It feels amazing to twist the spine first thing in the morning and send signals throughout my body that I’m awake and ready to start moving. Of course make sure you do both sides. Spinal twists liven up the body and are a wonderful way to spend the first moments of your day.

Viparita Karani: If you’re one of the many who suffer from anxiety and lack of sleep, Viparita Karani is the perfect pose to do in the evening before bed. Find a wall or you can even use the headboard of your bed. Flip around, lie on your back with your legs vertical against the wall. Make sure your head, back and butt are on the floor and your legs are resting vertically on the wall. Spend at least 2-5 minutes here, more is better here. You will begin to feel all the fluids from your legs drain back toward your heart and your brain. You may feel tingling in your feet and calves, this is normal. Viparita Karani is fantastic for anxiety, digestion, headaches and more.

Savasana (shown above): One of the most important poses in the yoga practice, Savasana is a great way to restore. Simply lie flat on your back with your feet about shoulder distance, make sure your shoulders are away from your ears, and have your arms a bit out to the side. This pose should be wonderfully comfortable for your body. If it hurts your back slightly, you can support your knees by putting a pillow under them. At the end of a full yoga practice Savasana is held for 5-7 minutes. However, you can practice the pose at any point during the day and for as little or as long as you want. 30 seconds or 10 minutes will help with anxiety, help your body relax, and help reduce fatigue. If your mind is in overdrive, make sure to follow your breathing and see if you can fall into the “witness” of your body. A mindfulness technique to simply observe all thoughts and sensations without reacting to them, but simply accepting them with grace.

These are all poses I teach in classes at my studio, 5 point yoga or up at The Ranch: Live Oak Malibu where people are hiking for 4-5 hours a day. So whether you’re a little stressed, fatigued or have anxiety, just take a few minutes each day to help to bring you some rejuvenation!

Photo Credit: flickr.com/Salla