8 Effective Yoga Poses to Reduce Anxiety and Depression
In today’s fast-paced world, stress, anxiety, and depression can take a toll on mental health. Practicing yoga for anxiety and depression offers a natural way to calm the mind, release tension, and restore emotional balance. These eight simple yet effective yoga poses help soothe the nervous system, improve focus, and promote inner peace.
1. Child’s Pose (Balasana) – Find Comfort and Calm
Child’s Pose provides a gentle stretch for the hips, thighs, and lower back while encouraging deep, mindful breathing. This restful posture activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping reduce stress and anxiety. By creating a safe, grounding space, Balasana allows emotional release and fosters a sense of inner calm.
2. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) – Flow to Ease Tension
Switching between Cat and Cow poses gently massages the spine, improves blood circulation, and synchronises breath with movement. This flowing sequence relieves mental fatigue, releases tension, and encourages present-moment awareness, making it an ideal practice to ease anxious thoughts and create mental clarity.
3. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) – Gentle Inversion for Relaxation
Lying down with legs elevated against a wall reduces stress, improves circulation, and soothes the nervous system. Viparita Karani promotes deep relaxation, alleviates fatigue, and supports emotional release, making it a perfect restorative pose to calm anxiety and uplift mood.
4. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) – Stretch and Reset
Uttanasana stretches the hamstrings and spine while the head-down position gently calms the nervous system. This mild inversion lowers heart rate, eases physical tension, and encourages introspection, helping release anxious energy and mild depressive feelings.
5. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) – Open Your Heart, Lift Your Spirits
Bridge Pose strengthens the back, opens the chest, and stimulates the thyroid for better hormonal balance. Elevating the heart towards the sky encourages energy flow and optimism, helping combat mental fatigue and lift low moods naturally.
6. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) – Quiet the Mind
Paschimottanasana stretches the spine, shoulders, and hamstrings while promoting slow, deep breathing. This calming posture quiets the mind, improves concentration, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, making it excellent for easing anxiety and releasing emotional tension.
7. Corpse Pose (Savasana) – The Ultimate Relaxation
Savasana allows full surrender of body and mind, shifting the nervous system into a restorative state. Lying still and focusing on the breath reduces stress, slows racing thoughts, and nurtures a profound sense of mental clarity and peace.
8. Legs-on-Chair Pose – Restorative Calm
Supported by a chair or props, Legs-on-Chair Pose gently elevates the legs while opening the chest, encouraging deep relaxation. This restorative posture releases physical tension, soothes the nervous system, and enhances mindfulness, making it ideal for managing anxiety and lifting low mood.
Incorporating these yoga poses for anxiety and depression into your daily routine can provide lasting mental and emotional benefits. Even a few minutes of mindful practice each day helps reduce stress, balance your nervous system, and foster a calmer, more centred mind.
1. Child’s Pose (Balasana) – Find Comfort and Calm
Child’s Pose provides a gentle stretch for the hips, thighs, and lower back while encouraging deep, mindful breathing. This restful posture activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping reduce stress and anxiety. By creating a safe, grounding space, Balasana allows emotional release and fosters a sense of inner calm.
2. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) – Flow to Ease Tension
Switching between Cat and Cow poses gently massages the spine, improves blood circulation, and synchronises breath with movement. This flowing sequence relieves mental fatigue, releases tension, and encourages present-moment awareness, making it an ideal practice to ease anxious thoughts and create mental clarity.
3. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) – Gentle Inversion for Relaxation
Lying down with legs elevated against a wall reduces stress, improves circulation, and soothes the nervous system. Viparita Karani promotes deep relaxation, alleviates fatigue, and supports emotional release, making it a perfect restorative pose to calm anxiety and uplift mood.
4. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) – Stretch and Reset
Uttanasana stretches the hamstrings and spine while the head-down position gently calms the nervous system. This mild inversion lowers heart rate, eases physical tension, and encourages introspection, helping release anxious energy and mild depressive feelings.
5. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) – Open Your Heart, Lift Your Spirits
Bridge Pose strengthens the back, opens the chest, and stimulates the thyroid for better hormonal balance. Elevating the heart towards the sky encourages energy flow and optimism, helping combat mental fatigue and lift low moods naturally.
6. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) – Quiet the Mind
Paschimottanasana stretches the spine, shoulders, and hamstrings while promoting slow, deep breathing. This calming posture quiets the mind, improves concentration, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, making it excellent for easing anxiety and releasing emotional tension.
7. Corpse Pose (Savasana) – The Ultimate Relaxation
Savasana allows full surrender of body and mind, shifting the nervous system into a restorative state. Lying still and focusing on the breath reduces stress, slows racing thoughts, and nurtures a profound sense of mental clarity and peace.
8. Legs-on-Chair Pose – Restorative Calm
Supported by a chair or props, Legs-on-Chair Pose gently elevates the legs while opening the chest, encouraging deep relaxation. This restorative posture releases physical tension, soothes the nervous system, and enhances mindfulness, making it ideal for managing anxiety and lifting low mood.
Incorporating these yoga poses for anxiety and depression into your daily routine can provide lasting mental and emotional benefits. Even a few minutes of mindful practice each day helps reduce stress, balance your nervous system, and foster a calmer, more centred mind.
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