Stress can be good for us and kick us into gear—make us take action.  Then the line gets crossed and it stops motivating us and begins to hinder us in what we need to get done.  That’s when we have to take control and pamper ourselves into a more blissful state.  There are some very simple, highly effective, stress relieving yoga techniques that we can do anywhere and without anything other than the desire to kick our stress to the curb.

Number One:  Namaste
Stand tall and straight, feet firmly planted on the ground and place your arms at your sides, palms up.  Breathing in through your nose as deeply as you can, slowly move your arms upward until your palms meet, lowering them down in front of you (about heart level)—elbows straight out to the side.  Then go in reverse.  Repeat this process about five times and you’ll begin to feel calmness taking over those anxious nerves.  It’s wonderful.

Number Two:  Child’s Pose
This movement feels great!  You will get down on your knees and lean forward, pressing your torso into your legs and extending your arms straight out.  Breathe in and feel the tension releasing in your body.  Try to take three to five deep breaths with slow releases.

Number Three:  Sleeping Pigeon
Lie on your back and raise your legs up to a 45% angle or so.  Place one leg over the other and focus on pressing outward, feeling the tension release in your hip and inner thigh.  Move slowly and gently, doing each side a few times, breathing slowly and deeply the entire time.  You’ll be amazed at how the knots from tension begin to disintegrate with this simple step.

Number Four:  Cobra
Strike balance instead of striking out.  To do the cobra pose, you’ll lie on your stomach and bend your arms, placing your hands by your side, palms down on the floor.  Then you will slowly lift up your body, breathing deeply the entire time and feel yourself opening up and the tension spots from stress releasing.  Try holding a comfortable pose in this for ten seconds at a time or so, repeating three or four times.

Number Five:  Tree Pose
If you are uncertain of what your balance is like, do this pose next to a table or the back of a chair so you have support if you need it.  To do the tree pose, you’ll stand up tall and put your arms up above your head, your hands touching but not pressing against each other with pressure.  Then you will slowly raise your one leg up and rest your foot on the inside of your knee of the opposite leg.  Breathe and relax, feeling your balance becoming stronger and the blood flowing through your body more easily.  Do this several times on both sides, holding it fifteen to twenty seconds each time.

These simple yoga moves are ones that anyone can do—previous experience or not.  When you feel that your stress is getting out of control take a few minutes to try one or a few of them.  You’ll find that you’re giving yourself a welcomed reprieve and gaining a better ability to manage your stress more effectively from the inside out.

To learn more ways to not only relieve stress, but learn to increase happiness in your life, click here: www.LeadingTheSpirit.com.

Namaste