Stress is practically inevitable in college. And the perfect stress reliever? For some people, that may be going to the gym. However, once you become a sophomore and an ARC membership is no longer “free,” it can be out of the question to pay for a gym membership. That’s where the second best option for stress relief comes into play: yoga.
I grew up playing sports, but amazing flexibility is one thing I never had, so I always overlooked yoga because I thought it would be too difficult. This summer, while I was bored and alone in my apartment, I decided to get on Youtube and search for some beginners yoga because I was feeling a little too lazy to walk to the gym and figured yoga would be a peaceful workout. This is when I discovered that there is yoga for everything: stress relief, digestion, core strength and plenty more.
But, back to yoga for stress. I’ve discovered that these yoga poses listed below can do wonders for relieving stress (well, at least for a little while).
1. Corpse Pose: Who knew that laying on the ground is actually a yoga pose? As long as you have your body in the right position, this can prove to be the best body relaxer.
2. Extended Puppy Pose: Essential for stretching your full back.
3. Standing Forward Bend: This is the one stretch I do every morning because I can feel it fully stretching and waking up my legs.
4. Supported Shoulderstand: I used to do this before I even knew it was a yoga pose. It’s a great stretch for shoulders and the neck.
5. Seated Forward Bend: This stretch is beautiful because it stretches your back AND your hamstrings.
Happy stretching!