THE YOGA POSES FOR ULTIMATE RELAXATION

A little bit of stress is good for us, it keeps us alert, engaged and attentive to what we are working on or doing, it can keep us sharp. But even things that we don’t realise are stressful can in fact be having that effect on us, our daily commute, someone beign unkind, emails coming in thick and fast…they all have an impact our stress hormones. When we are consistently in this state we get sick, are unable to sleep well, digest food well, and we fatigue easily. 

So, when we are on the yoga mat winding down, stretching can help to release the collagen and cortisol stored in the muscles during periods of stress, which explains why you can sometimes have an emotional response during a workout or yoga session.

1/ GENTLE BACKBEND

To stretch off stress, start with a gentle backbend. Your adrenal glands are next to the kidneys in the middle of your back, underneath the back of the ribcage. Coming into a sphinx pose by lying on your front, elbows underneath shoulders with your forearms parallel to each other.

Press forearms and hands into the floor and curl the tailbone in towards the pubis so that you lower abdominals lift and support your spine as it lengthens up to the crown of the head. This will release the kidneys help them to recalibrate.

You can stay as long as you are comfortable, but make sure there is no pain here.

2/ CHILD'S POSE

Next come into Child's Pose with hands under the forehead and  the knees wide and big toes together so that your spine is less curved and more lengthening.

This will help to soothe your nervous system and calm down any further production of adrenaline for the time being. Again stay as long as you are comfortable.

3/ FORWARD FOLD

Finally stretch the backs of the legs, the hamstrings are prime receivers for the collagen and adrenaline mix as they would be your power houses if you were to do some intense running.

Most of us get stressed and then go and sit down, which impacts their ability to release the stress mix.

So stretch your legs out in front of you and bounce the knees so that the backs of the legs are tapping the floor. Then fold yourself forwards over your legs keeping a bend in the knees, let your hands slide in under your legs wherever they come. And r-e-l-a-x.

Source: womenshealthmag.co.uk/fitness/yoga/2897/stretch-off-stress-the-ultimate-yoga-poses-for-relaxation#ixzz3dDVwd5zS