It’s not always easy to get into a yoga flow when you’re feeling stressed. In fact, if you’re overwhelmed and anxious, it might be the last thing you want to do. But if there’s one thing we know about yoga, it’s that you should never underestimate its power for relieving worries and creating calm. That’s where these 12 yoga poses for stress relief come in handy. Even if you don’t have the time or motivation for a full flow, hopefully you can take a few minutes to drop into a couple of these yoga poses for stress relief. If you can settle into a Child’s Pose or Pigeon for just a few breaths each, it could make a world of difference. (Or, if you’re stuck somewhere yoga just isn’t possible, consider turning to a breath-work practice instead.)
To make it even easier, we’ve consulted with yoga instructors to find out which yoga poses are most effective for finding calm — read ahead to get their expertise and try out these yoga poses for stress relief for yourself.