One thing I remember vividly about the grades 6-8 days was my love for all things yoga. My 12 year old self loved everything Lululemon and anything with the words “upward-facing” or “downward-facing” in it, even if sometimes I had to manage with Costco yoga wear as opposed to the real thing. I owned/rented from the library every “Yoga 4 Teenz” book I could find and did “Basic Yoga for Dummies” whenever I could.
Although I really never knew what I was doing and only really practised to look cute in my fancy yoga gear, yoga held a special place in my heart. Recently, I took it up again and it’s been really beneficial! I have loads more energy and can relax more easily. So, lovely readers, I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite yoga poses, which help me relieve stress.
1- Mountain Pose
For this pose, you’ll need to stand with your feet hip width apart with a straight spine and relaxed shoulders. Although this pose seems pretty boring and really just involves standing in one spot for a few minutes, it can really help relieve stress. The key to this one is to tighten all your muscles for about 30 seconds, and then let them relax for another 30 seconds, and repeat 3 times. By tightening your muscles and then releasing them, in a way you’re activating the stress in your body, and then releasing it physically. This pose is also good if you want to think about nice calming things, like kittens and palm trees (and lots of wine).
2-Upward Hand Pose:
For this pose, you’ll need to stand in the same way as mountain pose, but instead of relaxing your shoulders, raise your arms over your head with your hands facing each other. Hold this pose for a minute, relax, and repeat 3 times. This pose releases tension in the shoulder area, as well as the upper chest and back area. For me, my shoulders really start to hurt if I’ve been sitting for too long huddling over a textbook or laptop, so I like this one since it focuses on my stressed areas.
3- Downward-facing Dog
This pose is a little funny looking, but very effective! Here are the steps!
1. Place palms on floor in front of you.
2. Step legs back one at a time.
3. Feet should be in line with hands.
4. Spread fingers and press palms down.
5. Stretch arms forward, keep elbows straight.
6. Raise your butt up to sky and move thighs up and back.
7. Lower heels to the floor, feet point straight.
8. Relax your head and back of the neck
For me, this pose is relaxing because I close my eyes and focus on my breathing and on what my body is doing. This pose is good to do if your body has been aching. It helps with the mind and the body!
4- Upward-facing Dog
This pose is really good because it opens your chest up and eases your breathing. It also helps alleviate stress in your shoulders and gives you energy. I try to do this pose before I leave the house in the morning to get me energized for the day. To be honest you may see me doing this in Morisset because it helps me focus so much!
5- Child pose (My personal fav!)
I’d be lying if I said I haven’t fallen asleep doing this pose!
The steps for this one are:
1. Get on hands and knees.
2. Knees hip distance apart. Feet together
3. Lean back and sit on heels.
4. Extend arms and torso forward.
5. Rest your forehead on the floor.
6. Stretch arms out in front of you.
7. Press palms into floor and butt into heels
I like this pose because it REALLY calms me down and makes me want to sleep. This is a good one for you if you’re still feeling wired after just finishing an exam or ending a long study session. Sometimes I like to put my arms by my sides instead of out front, but it’s really a personal preference.
So there you have it my dears! Some poses which could help you relieve stress. Please comment if you have any other poses which work for you and you wish to share with your fellow collegiettes! So dust off that yoga mat, break out a towel, fill your water bottle, and stretch those muscles!
Namaste!
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