3 Yoga Poses to Reduce Anxiety

Feb 04, 2019

Yoga postures (asanas) help cultivate a sturdy body, a steady mind and balanced emotions. Anxiety, for example, is an “out of body” experience. It’s like a turtle without its shell. It is not possible to have both full body awareness and anxiety. Practicing Yoga makes one more aware of the body and thereby less anxious.

Try these three Yoga poses with a child in your life to help reduce anxiety, a scattered mind or frenetic energy.

1) Triangle (Trikonasana)

This is one of the best all-around Yoga poses. The wide stance, straight arms and legs and slight rotation in the spine help create balance on all levels. Triangles are sturdy structures. Think of the Eiffel Tower, rooftops and tepees.

2) Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

The back leg is straight, and front knee bent creating a wide base and lots of muscle engagement. When the muscles are working, it’s easier for the mind to perceive where the body is in space. This is called “body awareness” or “proprioception.” The arms reaching along the horizon add more muscle engagement. Kids can shout out “I am brave! I am strong!” while holding this posture.

3) Tree (Vrksasana)

Children often love balancing poses. This one has roots so as they balance, they can feel their roots growing into the ground, just like a tree, and their leaves (fingers) fluttering in the breeze. Ask, “What kind of a tree are you?”

These three poses, practiced in just five minutes, can help a child feel stable in body, steady in mind and balanced in mood and emotions. They can be done nearly anywhere and at any time and can give a child the roots needed to blossom in life.