Ready to recharge both body and mind? This 30-minute slow-flow yoga sequence is designed to boost flexibility while easing stress and anxiety. Yoga is a holistic practice that balances the body, calms the mind, and helps relieve tension from everyday life.
Combining Your Yoga Routine With Meditation
Hold a brief meditation session before and after your routine. A three- to five-minute meditation session can help mentally prepare you for the workout, build focus, and strengthen your mind-body connection.
Meditating after a workout is great for promoting relaxation and recovery, as well as contemplating on form.
Add breathing exercises. Making breathing exercises a part of your Yoga routine improves relaxation, mindfulness, and form. This could be done before your workout, after the session, or in between sets.
Some great Yoga breathing exercises include Ujjayi Breathing (Victorious Breath), Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath), Bhastrika (Bellows Breath), and so on.
Utilize the mind-muscle connection. This is a mental focus technique that involves concentrating intently on a specific muscle group while performing an exercise or pose, especially when targeting smaller muscles or isolating a muscle in compound movements.
Take pauses between sets. Take short breaks between sets to practice your breathing and meditate as you mentally and physically prepare yourself for the next exercise.
Set up a relaxing space. Your environment has a significant impact on how effective your routine is. Elevate the relaxing atmosphere by using aromatic scents, soft lights, calm music, essential oils, candles, and wind chimes.
Try to fix your session into a quiet time free from distractions. Switch off all electronic devices if possible.
Use mindfulness aids to stay present. A yoga routine is more than just a series of stretches and poses. Staying mentally grounded and present is an important part of your routine.
You can use mindfulness aids like weighted eye masks, meditation cushions, incense, and singing bowls to help you relax and stay present in the moment.
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How Regular Exercise Is Great for Your Mental Health
Exercise has incredible benefits for your mental health, thanks to the way it engages the brain and body. Here a a few examples:
Exercise reduces stress hormones like cortisol and encourages the body to release endorphins, chemicals in the brain that act as natural mood lifters. Therefore, regular exercise lowers stress and anxiety.
Physical activity improves mood and fights depression by triggering the release of mood-lifting neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The effect is often referred to as the runner’s high, but any kind of exercise can produce similar effects.
Exercise boosts your self-esteem and confidence by improving your physical health, strength, and appearance, which contributes to a positive self-image. Meeting your fitness goals can also create a sense of achievement and competence.
Regular exercise has been linked to improved memory, attention, and decision-making abilities, partly due to the stimulation of new brain cell growth and neural connections.
Exercise helps regulate sleep patterns, promoting deeper and more restful sleep. Quality sleep is essential for mental health, as it improves mood, energy levels, and cognitive function.
Certain exercises encourage mindfulness by focusing attention on breathing and movement. Mindful awareness can help clear the mind, reduce mental fatigue, and encourage a positive outlook.
Group activities or classes can foster a sense of community and support, which can be a powerful antidote to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Exercise encourages discipline, focus, and persistence, qualities that can translate to improved resilience in the face of everyday stressors.
Nine Calming Yoga Exercises to Help You Unwind
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1. Child Pose – 60 secs
- Kneel on the mat, bringing your toes together and knees apart.
- Sit back on your heels, extend your arms forward, and rest your forehead on the exercise mat.
- This gentle stretch relaxes the spine, hips, and shoulders, especially if done with a Yoga foam block or bolster pillow.
- Hold this pose for sixty seconds.
2. Cat Cow – 60 secs
- Begin on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Inhale slowly and deeply, arching your back and lifting your chest to enter the Cow Pose.
- Exhale, rounding your spine, and tucking your chin for the Cat Pose.
- Alternate slowly between both poses.
- This sequence loosens the spine, alleviates tension, and enhances flexibility.
- You can try this while balancing your arms on a pair of wobble pods.
- Perform this motion for sixty seconds.
3. Child Pose to Cobra – 60 secs
- Start in the Child Pose, then shift forward to lie on your stomach.
- Place hands under your shoulders, inhale, and push your upper body into the Cobra Pose by lifting your chest and arching your back slightly.
- Alternate slowly between both poses.
- This dynamic stretch lengthens the spine and opens the chest.
- Placing a foam roller under your chest helps with a smooth transition from one pose to another.
- Perform this motion for sixty seconds.
4. Side to Side Neck Stretch – 60 secs
- Sit or stand comfortably.
- Tilt your head toward one shoulder, holding for a few breaths, then switch to the other side.
- This gentle stretch targets neck and shoulder tension.
- Perform this motion for sixty seconds.
5. Shoulder Circles – 60 secs
- Stand or sit up straight.
- Roll your shoulders up, back, and down in a circular motion, then reverse direction.
- You can try this exercise while holding a pair of light dumbbells for more activation.
- Perform this motion for sixty seconds.
6. Front to Back Neck Stretch – 60 secs
- Sit upright with a tall posture, and interlock your fingers behind your head while spreading your elbows wide to the side.
- Reach forward with your elbows and bring them close together in front of you while bending your neck forward.
- Return to the starting position.
- This dual-direction stretch lengthens the back and chest, improves posture, and provides a satisfying release for the spine.
- Perform this motion for sixty seconds.
7. Lying Tummy Stretch – 60 secs
- Lie on your stomach with your arms stretched out behind you.
- Engage your back muscles gently to lift your chest slightly off the exercise mat, keeping your pelvis grounded.
- This subtle stretch releases tension in the lower back and promotes gentle spinal extension, enhancing mobility.
- It’s also a great exercise to perform on an inflatable half exercise ball.
- Hold this pose for sixty seconds.
8. Downward Dog – 60 secs
- Begin on all fours, then lift your hips toward the ceiling, forming an inverted “V” shape.
- Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and feet hip-width apart, pressing your heels downward.
- This stretch lengthens the spine, hamstrings, and calves.
- This is a great exercise to perform with an adjustable balance board placed under your feet or hands.
- Hold this pose for sixty seconds.
9. Lying Knee Hug – 60 secs
- Lie on your back, draw both knees into your chest, and hug them gently.
- This pose releases tension in the lower back, massages the spine, and provides a gentle stretch for the hips.
- You can also try this exercise with a pelvic rocker balance disc under your lower.
- Hold this pose for sixty seconds.
For more visuals, be sure to check out this video by Jess Yoga.
What You Need to Know About Slow-Flow Yoga
- Can yoga relieve stress, depression, and anxiety?
Yes, yoga is great for relieving stress, depression, and anxiety. Yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, which can reduce cortisol, boost mood, and promote relaxation.
The focus on mindfulness and the connection between mind and body also helps manage symptoms of anxiety and depression, making yoga a holistic approach to mental well-being.
- How often should I practice yoga to relieve stress and anxiety?
Practicing yoga three to five times a week is ideal for managing stress and anxiety. Even a short daily practice can be beneficial.
Consistency is key, so creating a yoga routine that fits into your life is more effective than inconsistent bouts of hyperactivity and dedication.
- Should I practice yoga in the morning or evening for effective results?
This depends on what you plan on achieving with your yoga routine. Morning yoga sessions can energize you for the day, while evening yoga helps you unwind and de-stress before bed.
- Can I lose weight and gain muscles with yoga?
Yes. Certain types of yoga, like power yoga, vinyasa, and Ashtanga, are physically challenging and can support weight loss and building muscle tone.
While yoga may not build muscle as intensively as weight training, it increases strength, flexibility, and lean muscle, especially in the core, arms, and legs.
- What is the difference between yoga and Pilates?
Yoga focuses on flexibility, mindfulness, and a combination of breathing and movement. Pilates emphasizes core strength, alignment, and controlled movements, focusing on posture and stability rather than flexibility.
Both improve strength and posture, but Pilates is more centered on muscle toning, while yoga is holistic, addressing physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Rest, Relax, Unwind
With this yoga flow, you’re doing more than just a workout; you’re nurturing your mental well-being and setting the stage for a balanced day. So unroll your mat, focus on your breathing, and enjoy the lasting benefits of your practice.
You are welcome to pin and share this workout to your Pinterest board for future workouts.
