Do you often feel overwhelmed when you travel?
Do you have a hard time feeling calm when you arrive to a new travel destination?
Feeling anxiety when you arrive to a new country, time zone or have a change from your regular calendar is something that travelers often experience.
In this article, you will find 10 yoga poses that help to relieve anxiety.
And the best part is, you can do these poses from the comfort of your hotel room.
I’ve added YouTube videos from a variety of yoga teachers under each pose so that you can easily learn the pose if it’s your first time doing it or in case you need a refresher.
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1. Kundalini Yoga Pose: Breath of Fire
Begin by sitting in a comfortable cross-legged position. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, forcefully push the breath out through your nose by contracting your abdomen.
Continue this rhythmic breathing, maintaining a steady pace.
Breath of Fire activates your solar plexus, invigorates the nervous system, and helps release stagnant energy, bringing clarity and reducing anxiety.
2. Vinyasa Yoga Pose: Downward Dog
Start on all fours, aligning your wrists beneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips. Press your palms firmly into the ground and lift your hips toward the ceiling, forming an inverted “V” shape with your body.
Relax your head and neck, allowing them to hang freely.
Downward Dog releases tension in the spine, stretches the entire body, and calms the mind, promoting a sense of grounding and tranquility.
3. Yin Yoga Pose: Child’s Pose
Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and your knees wide apart. Sit back on your heels and fold your torso forward, resting your forehead on the mat. Extend your arms in front of you or rest them alongside your body.
This gentle forward bend relaxes the nervous system, releases tension in the back and shoulders, and encourages deep breathing, inducing a profound sense of calm.
4. Kundalini Yoga Pose: Spinal Twist
Sit with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the ground near your left thigh. Place your left hand on your right knee and gently twist your torso to the right.
Keep your spine long and breathe deeply as you gaze over your right shoulder.
Spinal Twist stimulates digestion, relieves tension in the spine, and promotes the flow of prana (vital energy), easing anxiety and enhancing clarity.
5. Vinyasa Yoga Pose: Tree Pose
Stand tall with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Shift your weight onto your left foot and place the sole of your right foot on your inner left thigh or calf, avoiding the knee joint.
Find your balance and bring your palms together at your heart center.
Tree Pose cultivates focus, balance, and stability, grounding the mind and fostering a sense of confidence, thereby reducing anxiety.
6. Yin Yoga Pose: Butterfly Pose
Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to fall open to the sides. Gently fold forward from your hips, keeping your spine long.
Rest your hands on your feet or extend them forward, relaxing your upper body.
Butterfly Pose stimulates the pelvic area, opens the hips, and releases tension from the lower back, providing a soothing effect on the nervous system.
7. Kundalini Yoga Pose: Sat Kriya
Sit in a comfortable position, either on a chair or on the floor. Interlace your fingers and extend your arms above your head. As you chant the mantra “Sat Nam” (meaning “truth is my identity”), vigorously pump your navel point in and out, coordinating the movement with your breath.
Continue for 3-5 minutes.
Sat Kriya increases the flow of energy throughout the body, balances the nervous system, and promotes a sense of inner peace and clarity, making it an excellent practice for anxiety relief.
8. Vinyasa Yoga Pose: Seated Forward Bend
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Inhale deeply and as you exhale, hinge forward from your hips, reaching your hands toward your feet or shins.
Relax your upper body and allow your spine to lengthen with each breath.
Seated Forward Bend calms the mind, stretches the hamstrings and lower back, and stimulates the relaxation response, easing anxiety and stress.
9. Yin Yoga Pose: Supported Bridge Pose
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place a bolster or rolled-up blanket beneath your sacrum, elevating your hips.
Allow your arms to rest alongside your body with palms facing up. Close your eyes and surrender into the pose, focusing on deep belly breathing.
Supported Bridge Pose gently opens the chest, relaxes the spine, and promotes a sense of surrender, alleviating anxiety and promoting inner calmness.
10. Kundalini Yoga Pose: Corpse Pose
Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms relaxed alongside your body, palms facing up. Close your eyes and let go of any tension or effort.
Surrender your body and mind to complete relaxation. Focus on your breath and allow yourself to experience deep peace.
Corpse Pose rejuvenates the body, calms the nervous system, and provides an opportunity for deep rest and rejuvenation, helping to alleviate anxiety and promote overall well-being.
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These ten yoga poses—ranging from Kundalini, Vinyasa, and Yin Yoga styles— can help you to release anxiety and restore balance to your mind and body.
Each pose has unique benefits that contribute to anxiety relief, such as calming the nervous system, releasing tension, promoting deep relaxation, and fostering mental clarity.
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Always remember LIFE IS TO BE LIVED.
YOU ARE LIMITLESS!
Until next time,
Nikki
Xo
