Yoga Poses That Soothe Anxiety and Calm the Mind

Anxiety is a common experience in our modern lives. It manifests not just mentally, but also physically — in shallow breath, racing thoughts, muscle tension, and restlessness. Fortunately, yoga offers a powerful toolkit for self-soothing and emotional regulation.

Yoga Poses for Anxiety Relief gently guide the body and mind into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. These postures, especially when combined with conscious breathing, help lower cortisol levels, calm the nervous system, and reconnect you with the present moment.

During a Yoga Teacher Training in Bali, students explore how specific asanas, breathwork, and meditation support emotional balance and mental wellness.

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? Why Yoga Works for Anxiety

Yoga is unique in its holistic approach — it treats the root of anxiety, not just the symptoms. By bringing awareness to the body and breath, yoga creates a sacred pause, interrupting the cycle of worry and fear.

Key benefits of yoga for anxiety include:

• Reduces stress hormones like cortisol

• Improves heart rate variability and breathing patterns

• Activates the vagus nerve (calming response)

• Encourages present-moment awareness

• Cultivates compassion, grounding, and self-trust

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?‍♂️ 7 Yoga Poses to Soothe Anxiety and Calm the Mind

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1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Kneel on the mat, fold forward, and rest your forehead down.

Benefits: Calms the brain, slows the heartbeat, and creates a sense of safety and surrender.

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2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

From standing, fold forward, letting your head and arms hang freely.

Benefits: Releases tension in the spine, soothes the nervous system, and reduces overthinking.

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3. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

Move gently between arching and rounding your spine.

Benefits: Promotes spinal fluidity, regulates breath, and helps you reconnect to your body.

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4. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

Lie on your back with your legs resting vertically against a wall.

Benefits: Slows the mind, reduces anxiety, and lowers blood pressure.

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5. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

Sit with legs extended and fold forward over your legs.

Benefits: Encourages introspection, slows mental chatter, and stretches the spine and hamstrings.

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6. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Lie on your back and drop your knees to one side while looking over the opposite shoulder.

Benefits: Releases trapped tension, massages internal organs, and encourages relaxation.

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7. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Lie flat on your back, arms relaxed, eyes closed. Let go.

Benefits: Integrates the benefits of the entire practice, promoting deep rest and emotional release.

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? Breath and Stillness: The True Anti-Anxiety Medicine

Pair these poses with calming breathwork like Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) or Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath) to further reduce anxiety. Meditation or simple mindfulness during these poses deepens their impact.

In our Yoga Teacher Training in India, students learn not only how to practice these tools, but how to guide others through anxiety-relieving yoga sequences with compassion and care.

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? Gentle Practice, Powerful Results

The beauty of yoga for anxiety is that you don’t need to push or strive. Gentleness, slowness, and breath awareness are more effective than intensity. Even 10–15 minutes a day can reset your emotional baseline.

If anxiety surfaces during practice, simply notice it without judgment. Yoga gives you permission to be with your feelings — not fix them, but feel and free them.

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? Ready to Go Deeper?

Learn how yoga can support mental and emotional well-being on every level. Our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali teaches you to understand the body-mind connection deeply and share the healing power of yoga with others.