5 Yoga Poses to Help Relieve Stress Now Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Yoga 5 Stress-Reducing Yoga Poses and Why They Help 15 minutes is all you need to ease angst today — and help you achieve a more peaceful, relaxed state of mind and build resilience for the long term. By Jessica MigalaMedically Reviewed by Justin Laube, MDReviewed: September 22, 2020Medically ReviewedThese grounding poses help quiet and calm the mind.Everyday HealthYoga has long been touted for its stress-busting benefits. And research, indeed, backs up that claim. Studies show that yoga can help improve mental health, increase feelings of relaxation, and reduce irritability among people who practice it. The mind-body practice helps regulate the stress response, which triggers physiological changes in the body, like lowering blood pressure, decreasing heart rate, and increasing airflow to the lungs — all of which help us calm down, according to Harvard Medical School. RELATED: 9 Ways Practicing Yoga Benefits Your Health and Well-Being Practicing yoga can help you build resilience to better deal with the challenges that pop up when you’re not practicing — and it can be used in the moment to help dial down stress, says Amber Wallin, founder of Hot Mess Yoga in Chicago and a yoga instructor certified by the Yoga Alliance, the world's largest nonprofit yoga association that certifies teachers and schools. “Yoga can help with stress prevention and flare-ups,” she says. But which postures are best for getting into a state of calm? Grounding poses, specifically, help stop the hamster wheel of mind chatter (read: worry and anxiety), says Wallin. Grounding poses are ones during which you’re supposed to let the mind relax. Whereas other more physically challenging poses, like inversions or balancing poses, may require a lot of focus and physical strength to stay in, poses that can be held for a longer time without making you sweat can be done to help you settle down, Wallin explains. For a stress-relieving practice, Wallin suggests keeping your phone out of reach. (Keep it in another room so there’s no temptation to pick it up, and turn off notifications.) She also recommends making yoga comfortable for you. If that means doing it in sweatpants or underwear, then go for it. A warm room or with the air-conditioning on blast? That’s okay, too. Don’t set expectations for yourself. It’s okay if you can’t touch your toes. It’s okay if you need to modify. Your yoga practice is for you and about releasing anxiety. It doesn’t have to look any certain way. RELATED: Yoga for Beginners — What to Know Ahead of Time Wallin recommends practicing these yoga poses for 15 minutes a day, but she adds that any amount of time you can carve out will help. Pick just one pose and try it when you’re feeling overwhelmed in the moment or at the end of a stressful day to unwind. Focus on your breathing throughout each pose. Taking long, deep breaths slows your heart rate and will help trigger those stress-relieving benefits. What’s more, when you bring your attention to your breath, it’s harder to fixate on what’s stressing you out. Here are five grounding poses to try to ease stress today. Repeat as needed and as feels good: 1 Reclining Bound Angle Pose This is a quieting pose, making it a great place to start. Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place feet flat on the ground. Then drop your knees out wide with the soles of your feet touching so your legs form a diamond. Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. “Feel your heartbeat slow down,” says Wallin. “This takes me out of my mind and what’s giving me anxiety.” Stay in the pose for at least one minute. Repeat as necessary. 2 Seated Forward Bend Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out straight in front of you. Keeping your torso long (don’t curve your back), fold forward and reach for your toes. Reach as far as you can without shaking or being uncomfortable. If your hands can make it to your knees or shins, rest your hands on your legs and stay there for a minute. With time and practice, you’ll eventually be able to reach farther, Wallin says. 3 Sun Salutation A Stand with your feet slightly apart. Keep arms at your sides, with face palms facing forward. Raise arms up above your head toward the sky and then slowly reach your arms back, arching your back and opening up your chest. Each day you do this, you may find that your chest is able to open more and more, says Wallin. Fold forward to reach toward your toes. Hold for a few breaths at the top of the pose and then in the forward bend. Repeat if desired. 4 Half Pigeon Lying Down This pose helps you release tightness in your hamstrings. Lie on your back and bring knees up toward your chest. Fold your right leg, so that your heel rests on the left knee and your right knee sticks out to the side. Reach behind your left leg and pull toward you. You should feel a stretch in your hamstring — that’s when you know you’re in the pose. Hold for about a minute or a few breaths. Repeat on the other side. 5 Legs up the Wall This is a great grounding and calming pose because all it asks you to do is lie with legs elevated up a wall and rest, says Wallin. To do it, sit with your right side against a wall. Lie down, then pivot your body toward the wall and swing your legs up the wall so they’re resting against it. Lie on a mat if that’s more comfortable and feel free to put a pillow or blanket under your head for comfort. Also consider placing a folded blanket under your lower back to support your spine or one under your neck if it makes the position more comfortable. If you’re a beginner, “you may feel your legs shaking in the pose,” says Wallin. “But this pose over time will help create space to sit with your thoughts.” Try putting yourself in this pose for a meditation practice if you have one, she adds. Hold for a few breaths or as long as it feels good. RELATED: 5 Yoga Poses and Exercises for Better Sleep Tonight NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Yoga Yoga 101 Poses Types Health Benefits and How to Get Started on the MatBy Becky UphamJune 24, 2022 Can Frog Pose Really Help With Pain Circulation Digestion Stress and Better Sex Advocates are raving about the magic of this classic yoga pose. An integrative medicine physician weighs in.By Katie RobinsonMarch 21, 2022 7 Myths About Yoga That Shouldn t Stop You From Doing ItYoga is not just for people who are young, flexible, and female. Don’t let one of these misconceptions come between you and your mat.By Karen AspSeptember 24, 2021 Are You Doing Too Much Yoga Here s How to Tell and Why It Can Be Risky Too many days in a row of too-intense practice or classes that are too difficult are both ways you can overdo yoga.By Becky UphamSeptember 16, 2021 3 Big Ways Yoga Can Help With Your Weight Loss GoalsIt’s not just about the calories you burn on the mat. Experts say the stress-busting benefits of a regular yoga practice can help with weight control,...By Carmen ChaiSeptember 1, 2021 5-Minute Back-to-Basics Yoga Flow for BeginnersThis energizing yoga sequence was designed by the Sweat app instructor Phyllicia Bonanno for those new to yoga or those looking to strengthen their foundational...By Moira LawlerMay 4, 2021 A 5-Minute Stress Relief and Calming Yoga FlowYoga instructor Ania Tippkemper’s gentle yoga flow will help you relax your body and mind.By Moira LawlerApril 28, 2021 Can Yoga Lower Your Risk of Getting Sick Science says practicing yoga asanas (poses) and breathing exercises can ease stress and anxiety and may bolster immunity — but there’s no direct proof...By Sari HarrarSeptember 25, 2020 5 Yoga Poses and Exercises for Better Sleep TonightThese postures are designed to help you calm your body down and quiet your mind, so you can relax and get to sleep with ease. Try them just before hitting...By Jessica MigalaSeptember 3, 2020 Does Yoga Count as Exercise By Becky UphamSeptember 11, 2019See AllMORE IN Can Frog Pose Really Help With Pain Circulation Digestion Stress and Better Sex 5-Minute Back-to-Basics Yoga Flow for Beginners A 5-Minute Stress Relief and Calming Yoga Flow