Understanding Yogasana Benefits for Anxiety & Stress Relief

Reviewed By: Dr. Vadivel Dhatchanamoorthy, BNYS

Do you have a persistent sense of tension in your body and a racing mind? Anxiety may be very bothersome. However, what if there had been a natural solution to reduce the discomfort and tension? Yoga might be your hidden weapon, according to recent studies. According to a study, practicing yogasana considerably improved the symptoms of anxiety. We’ll go into the particular yoga poses and practices in this article that may assist you manage your anxiety and develop inner calm.

Introduction 

Stress, fear, anxiety: if we start counting all those instances in life when we experienced these emotions, we may just lose count! Anxiety about the result of board exams or the reaction of our parents to the report card, nervousness about the first date, or a job interview, we all would have lived through these moments. A little bit of fear is normal, in fact, just like salt in food, it is needed so that we remain disciplined, focused, and dynamic.

The problem starts when this fear becomes persistent and intimidating to start interfering with our everyday lives. Then it becomes an anxiety disorder, a state of excessive uneasiness, worry, or fear of the unknown, which needs to be treated, and this is where Yogasana benefits can help.

It is also good to know that yoga alone should not be considered as the only treatment option. It should complement proper medication after consultation with a doctor or specialist. The doctor would guide you on the condition better and help you understand the type of anxiety disorder you may have: Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, to name a few.

Regular yoga practice/ yogasana benefits can help you stay calm and relaxed in daily life, and can also give you the strength to face events as they come without getting restless. Yoga practice ideally includes the complete package of asanas (body postures), pranayamas (breathing techniques), meditation, and the ancient yoga philosophy, all of which have helped several anxiety patients recover and face life with new positivity and strength.

Simple Yogasana / Asanas

Practicing some of the simple yogasana for stress relief  can be helpful for some people. You do not need a class, special yoga clothes, or athletic wear to perform these poses. All you need is space, dedication, and the fearlessness to implement them. You can do these 5 asanas whenever you are feeling anxious, to help ground you back to the present.

• Shashankasana – Shashanka Pose of yogasana benefits  helps to release tension in the back, neck, and shoulders which are the areas where most people hold a lot of their stress. This pose also helps to promote relaxation by encouraging steady conscious breathing, which is particularly great for anxiety sufferers due to its calming effect on the nervous system.
• Vrikshasana – The tree Poses of yogasana makes the body to handle the anxiety. By implementing basic standing balances, you promote concentration, focus, and awareness, to take your mind away from anxiety and place your attention on your physical self.
• Veerabhadrasana – If you are comfortable with standing leg balances and would like a pose that strengthens, lengthens, and challenges you, Veerabhadrasana is the way to go. This pose enhances your core strength and improves coordination, balance, and posture. It also stimulates your abdominal region, which helps to improve digestion. Proper digestion and overall gut health are imperative in the fight against anxiety, as recent studies have discovered a link between the two. Veerabhadrasana will also help to calm the mind by shifting your attention away from intrinsic thoughts and redirecting your thinking back to yourself.
• Sheershasana – Headstand is one of the best poses to practice of yogasana makes the body strong, especially during the most anxious times. It reverses the blood flow in your body, causing you to focus more attention on your breath, rather than your anxiety or discomfort. By focusing your awareness on your body’s place in space, you begin to evoke calmness and contentment. When we increase and stimulate blood flow to our head, one main benefit is the detoxification of our adrenals, which is also known to decrease depression.
• Sarala Pranayama – Breathing issues affect many people living with anxiety. In some cases, anxiety can be brought on by poor breathing habits, but more commonly anxiety creates poor breathing habits by constantly stimulating the autonomic nervous system, ultimately changing the way you breathe. To control your mind, you have to control your breath and, therefore, it is very important to learn proper breathing techniques of yogasana