Are the Upcoming Holidays causing you to feel stressed? Try these 6 Yoga Poses to help release the stresses of your Holiday.
While the holidays are a time to celebrate, eat delicious food, and spend time with those you love, they can also bring in a little bit of holiday stress. Luckily, yoga for holiday stress can help even during this crazy time of year.
To get the most out of this holiday season and avoid overwhelm and the dreaded holiday stress, it’s important to make joy and self-care a priority. These are a few simple "yoga for stress relief" postures you can do to relax during this stressful time of year. Close your bedroom door, sit on on your mat, and take some time for yourself to breathe and be grateful this holiday season. 1. Cat and Cow Poses (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana) Alternating between Cat and Cow Poses is such an easy and effective way to get some energy flowing in the body. These two poses are perfect for warming up the body, stretching through the back, and bringing flexibility to the spine. Link all your movements with deep, slow breaths. How to do it:
Begin on your hands and knees in a table-top position on your mat
Align your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders
Keep your neck neutral and your gaze downward
Starting with Cow Pose, inhale as you lower your belly toward the floor and lift your head until your gaze is forward
Exhale and lift your belly upward as you spread your shoulder blades apart and lower your chin down for Cat Pose
Inhale back into Cow Pose and then exhale into Cat Pose, always flowing with your breath
Repeat each pose five to ten times
2. Child’s Pose (Balasana) Child’s Pose is a well-known and loved pose for relaxation! It’s a great pose to jump into when you’re feeling overwhelmed by holiday stress with all the demands on your time and energy. All you have to do is take a seat, put your head down, tune out the external chatter, and bring your focus inward. Simply bring attention to the rhythm of your breath. This pose will help calm your mind and relieve tension in your back and neck.
How to do it:
Come to your knees on your mat
Bring your big toes together and sit back on your heels
Separate your knees to the width of your hips or the edges of your mat – whichever feels better for you
Exhale as you bend your torso down toward the mat and bring your arms straight in front of you with your hands facing down on the mat
Hold for at least five breaths
3. Rabbit Pose (Sasangasana) This pose feels amazing on the upper back and shoulders. Rabbit Pose helps to maintain flexibility and mobility through your spine. Recommend warming up with at least Cat and Cow Poses (see above) before doing this pose.
How to do it:
Begin in a tabletop position with your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders
Walk your hands back until your fingertips are underneath your shoulder blades, creating a smaller tabletop shape
Draw your lower belly in and up as your upper back naturally beings to round
Press your hands into the mat to spread your shoulder blades and lift your chest
Keep the rounding through your upper back as you begin to walk your hands back toward your heels and bring the crown of your head down to the mat by tucking your chin in toward your chest
Bring your head as close to your knees as you can
You can keep your hands by your heels with your palms facing up, or hold onto your heels
Keep lifting through your hips and rounding your upper back
Hold for five breaths and then slowly come up on an inhale and rest on your heels
4. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) A simple Seated Forward Fold is a great yoga for holiday stress relief pose. This pose calms your mind and stretches the entire back side of your body from your feet to your neck.
How to do it:
Start seated on your mat with your legs straight in front of you
Engage the soles of your feet and create a slight inner rotation through your legs
Inhale as you draw in your abdomen to protect your spine
Exhale and lengthen your spine and then fold forward to grab your big toes or rest your hands by the sides of your legs
Keep pulling your abdomen in and fold a little bit deeper with each exhale
Hold for five breaths and then inhale as you sit back up
5. Reclined Twist Pose (Jathara Parivartanasana) Sometimes you need a gentle twist to both squeeze and stretch the torso.
How to do it:
Lay on your back and hug your knees into your chest
Straighten your arms out to the sides in-line with your shoulders with your palms facing up
Exhale as you lower your knees to the left and upward slightly toward your left elbow
Keep your gaze straight up and your right arm and shoulder blade on the ground to counter the twist
After five breaths, inhale the knees back up to the chest and then exhale to the right side
6. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) This pose releases tension in the hips and really allows you to get connected to the rhythm of your breath, as your hands rise and fall with each inhale and exhale. This pose can even be done right in bed as you’re waking up for the day or trying to unwind and regroup after that awesome holiday party.
How to do it:
Lay on your back
Bend your knees and bring the bottoms of your feet together. You can place pillows or blocks underneath each knee for some additional support
Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly to connect to the rhythm of your breath
Lay here for anywhere from five breaths to five minutes and then slowly inhale to sit up
We hope these simple yoga poses help you de-stress during this holiday season. Taking a moment for YOU in moving your body, being present, and practicing gratitude will go such a long way to making this time of year fun for you and your loved ones. May you have a joyous season full of deep breaths and big hugs. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
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