Take a few minutes to shake off life’s stresses and relax with these 10 awesome yoga poses for stress relief…

Practicing yoga daily is a great way to reduce your stress and calm your mind. However, some yoga poses are better for stress relief than others. Practicing a sequence of the right poses can help you slow down and focus on your breathing. Do these yoga poses for stress relief whenever you need to decompress at the end of the day and clear your mind of all of the day’s problems.

Here are 10 great yoga poses for stress relief that will help you relax, clear your mind, and simply decompress:

(Click each link for more information about each pose.)

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

This pose is one of the most relaxing yoga poses and is commonly done as a rest pose throughout most yoga sequences to rest your body and your mind. Child’s pose also stretches the muscles in your back, hips, arms, and shoulders, and is great for back pain.

2. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Savarngasana)

This pose offers a great stretch for the back and legs while relieving stress and anxiety.

3. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

This standing pose stretches the hips, thighs and hamstrings while helping to relieve stress and overcome fatigue.

4. Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

This pose improves balance, focus, and concentration while it opens the hips, upper back and shoulders. Focused poses like this one take your mind off the day’s stressors and let you find peace in your body.

5. Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

This pose offers a full body stretch to release tension from both your muscles and your mind.

6. Legs-up-the-wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Traditionally this pose is thought to slow aging; it helps to move blood back to the heart and relieve stress. This is also a good one to do before bed to prepare your body and mind for rest and improve your sleep.

7. Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Much like Child’s pose, this pose will help to open up the heart and stretch the back. It improves posture and keeps you from slouching when you are feeling low or very stressed.

8. Cat Pose (Marjaryasana)/Cow Pose (Bitilasana) Flow

These two poses are usually done in an alternating sequence. Together, they help to stretch your entire spine, relieve pain and tension, and release stress through a focused inhale and exhale.

9. Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana)

This is a great stretch for the neck, shoulders, and upper back. It also helps to calm your mind, reduce anxiety and alleviate stress.

10. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

This pose is typically done at the end of any yoga sequence. This supine pose encourages you to relax completely and allow your body and mind to achieve a restful state.

Yoga is a mind-body experience and it works to quiet the mind and relax the body, helping to relieve the stress that you may experience in your everyday life. Job, spouse, kids, keeping calendars, and so much more that goes on in your life can stress you out and keep you from relaxing!

Yoga allows you to slow down, take it easy and unplug from life for a while. And remember, kids can do yoga too – and they need to relax just like you do! If you have kids, involve them in your practice once in a while for some quiet bonding time.

Life gets way too hectic and busy sometimes and taking a few minutes each day to unwind with some relaxing yoga poses can make you a much healthier and happier person. Even if it’s only 10 minutes, your mind and body will thank you!