Bust Anxiety with Four Yoga Poses for Beginners

Quarantine anxiety is real, we get it. Time has stopped, life has come to an impasse with uncertainty driving us to the very edge of our sanity.  But the silver lining is – since there is always one – that we always have the capacity within us to tame our anxious thoughts. And there is one profound way of doing that! Yoga postures called asanas play a key role in alleviating discomfort from your body caused by anxiety. The asanas relax your body by stretching, soothing and lengthening the muscles, putting it at ease. 

Don’t feel intimidated by a series of poses you see experts practicing and begin with the ones best suited for beginners that we have compiled for you below. 

 The Mountain Pose 

It acts as the base for most standing poses and provides you a sense of how to feel the ground beneath your feet. It may appear to be a simple standing posture but it is definitely more than that. 

Practice it: Stretch a yoga mat on the surface and stand still with your feet together. Exert slight pressure down on all ten toes as you spread them open. Draw your quadriceps to elevate your kneecaps and lift up through the inner thighs. Take in your abdominals and stretch up as you lift your chest and press the tops of the shoulders down.

You will feel your shoulder blades jutting and your chest widening. Keep your palms pressed inwards. Inhale and exhale 6 to 8 times. 

The Plank 

By practicing plank, you teach your body to balance itself on your hands while supporting it. This pose strengthens your abdomen and stretches your muscles.  

Practice it: Go down on all fours, tucking your toes and lifting your legs up from the mat. Slide your heels back and feel the energy pulse from your head to feet. As you feel your abdominals stretch, draw your shoulders down and breathe deeply counting to 15. 

 The Triangle 

This asana makes you stretch the sides of your waist, helps regulate your breathing and strengthens your legs whilst toning the body.  

Practice it: Stand with your feet apart. Stretch out your arms to the sides at shoulder’s height, turning your right foot out 90 degrees and left at 45 degrees. Get your quadriceps and abdominals to engage as you move your right leg. Touch your ankle or knee, as you lift your left arm towards the top.  Turn your face towards the top hand and hold your breath for six minutes. Stand, realign your body and repeat on the other side.

The Tree 

This posture helps build your balance and challenges your body to balance on one foot. 

Practice it: Begin with your feet together on the ground and place your right foot on your inner left upper thigh. Bring the palms of your hands together in a prayer and stare solidly in front of you. Hold your breath, realign the body and practice on the other side. Make sure to keep your abdomen engaged and shoulders relaxed.