Yoga Poses to Relieve Tension

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn a few yoga poses to relieve tension. Stress is a natural part of life. This does not mean that every person deals with stress in the same manner. Those who practice yoga on a regular basis tend not to be as stressed because they are able to handle situations better. While you don't have to practice every day, learning these simple yoga poses to relieve tension will help you relax quickly.

Yoga is a combination of controlled breathing and muscle stretching. It is a true mind, body and soul exercise. The goal of yoga is to help you release negative energy from your mind and body and help you get more in tune with your inner self and the world around you.

Yoga will not only help you get rid of the tension, stress and other negative energy, it will replace it with positive energy. This will help you deal with whatever life has to throw at you on any given day.

The beauty of yoga is that anyone can do it. The key is to listen to your body during yoga. You should never feel strain or pain during yoga. Some moves are designed for beginners and others for those more advanced. Take it slow.

The following are the top three yoga poses to relieve tension that anyone can use.

The basic component of any yoga pose is breathing. This is very true with the neck release. You have to learn how to breathe properly. Your breath should be slow, deep and controlled. When you take a breath in, you want to picture that you are breathing into the tense areas of your body. As you let the breath out, you are letting go of the tension and relaxing the muscles to stretch them.

The neck release poses are done while you are seated on your knees, but you can also do them sitting in chair.

1. Make sure your spine is straight and tall.
2. Now rest your right hand in your lap, dropping the shoulder down as you inhale.
3. Inhale as deep as you can, controlled and slow.
4. As you exhale, turn your head to the right, making sure your chin and head are straight.
5. Now place your left hand in front of your left ear. Add just a bit of pressure, gently, and hold this position for three to five breaths.
6. Come back to center as you exhale and then repeat the process on the other side.

The next pose is called Tadasana, or Mountain Pose, and it is an excellent posture to use to start any yoga session.

1. To do this pose you will stand with your feet a few inches apart, have your hands by your side and look straight ahead.
2. Inhale and then exhale. You should be focusing on your breathing here and the way your body feels.
3. Start at the bottom of the body and work your way up. Begin with the toes, then your ankles; to your knees and legs, you should notice how straight and strong they feel.
4. Make sure that you are standing up straight with your bottom tucked in and your belly not bulging out. You need to have a straight spine.
5. Breathe the entire time making sure to inhale all the way, so that you feel the air moving through your lungs.
6. Then exhale all the way. Let the air out completely but slowly.

As you are breathing in and out, you are thinking about breathing in positive energy and releasing the negative.

For an opening-the-chest move, you want to be near a wall.

1. Clasp your elbows with your hands behind your back. If you are flexible, you may want to join your hands (palm to palm) behind your back with the fingers pointing upward.
2. When you inhale, you should roll your arms back towards the wall. This will open up the chest between the shoulder and the sternum.
3. As you open up the chest, make sure you are keeping your ribs relaxed, you don't want them to jut forward. Remember to stay grounded, your feet should be flat, center the movement below you belly button to the ground.
4. Relax your tongue, your jaw and your eyes. As you exhale, release your arms, change the arms so that the other arm is now on top, and repeat the movements.

While it may be impossible to live a life free of stress, you can use yoga poses to releive tension to help you feel less stressed. You can use these simple yoga poses whenever you are feeling tense. Remember the key to any yoga pose is breathing. Your breathing should be deep, controlled and slow. Inhale the positive energy and exhale the negative. ~Initial Author: Jennifer Shakeel

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