These 3 yoga techniques can help you release anger in a constructive and positive way, and quickly regain your sense of happiness and calm.

We all get angry sometimes – it’s just part of being human. But holding onto your anger can have long-term health consequences, as well as increasing stress, and of course, damaging relationships.

This is why it’s so important to have a way to release your anger in a constructive way. Fortunately, yoga can help, with a practice called “spandana.”

According to Yoga International,

The practice of spandana is intended, through subtle movement, to help release energetic blocks. This includes the inflammatory blockage we know as anger…

There are a number of different exercises and techniques that can be used in spandana to release anger and regain a sense of positive calm, but these 3 are simple and very effective:

1. Jiggling on the back.

Begin in constructive rest position, lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor… Slide up and down on the skin of your back, head to tailbone, with a small jiggling motion that is initiated by gently pushing intermittently with the feet (the amount of movement will differ from person to person). After about a minute of jiggling, rest and enjoy the aftereffects.

2. Rabbit kicks.

While still supine in constructive rest pose, bring one leg up, with knee slightly bent and foot pointing toward the ceiling, and kick it rapidly (you can heel-kick or let the foot flop). Jiggle the leg this way for about a minute, and then release it back to constructive rest. As you release tension from that angry hip, notice the difference between the two sides. Then repeat with the other leg.

3. Shake a big jar of lemonade.

Still resting on your back, extend your arms straight up from your chest, palms parallel, as though you were holding a big jar of lemonade. Then shake as though still holding the jar, creating little shivers in the arms to release all that shoulder tension. Continue this way for one minute…

After completing this sequence, take a few slow, deep breaths, and check in with yourself to see how you feel about the issue that was bothering you. Odds are, you’ll feel a lot calmer and more able to deal with the issue in a  constructive manner!