Namaste Your Stress Away

For many people, yoga is a form of exercise, stress relief, and can even serve as a step away from reality. It's a form of physical activity that uses breathing techniques and focuses on the movements you are making. Through this, your body becomes at peace and can relax.

Weightlifters, runners, and other athletes will tell you about the benefits of working out and why they love doing what they do.

So, what are the benefits of doing yoga?

For starters, those who practice yoga regularly reported better sleep quality than those who do not. This means that yoga practitioners have a more restful night of sleep and wake up feeling rejuvenated. Another benefit of practicing yoga is stress relief. Those who practice yoga also saw a decrease in the amount of stress they have. Lastly, research shows that yoga can help with sleep problems or disorders like insomnia.

So, if you're ready to start sleeping better and reduce your stress, I highly recommend taking up yoga. Here are a few poses to get you started! Make sure to hold each for at least 20 seconds (the longer you hold, the greater the benefit).

	Hero Pose: Hero pose stimulates pressure points on the surface of the feet that promote total relaxation of the body. When executed properly, hero pose helps you feel physically healthy and emotionally stable.
	Child’s Pose: Often seen as a resting pose, child’s pose stretches your thighs, hips, and back. An added benefit is that it can help to relieve back and neck pain.
	Upward Dog Pose: Upward Dog helps to stretch the lower and upper back and hamstrings, opening the entire body. It can help with headaches and anxiety, helping you to sleep better.
	Camel Pose: Camel pose reduces excess stress hormones, making it a perfect addition to your bedtime routine. It’s also a great exercise for your back and can even help to ease stomach problems.
	Bridge Pose: Raising your hips to create a bridge-like stance, this pose helps to stretch your chest, neck, and spine. Chest opening poses such as this help to alleviate stress while also allowing your breath to naturally become less shallow and more even.
	Corpse Pose (Savasana): This total relaxation pose helps to reduce headache, fatigue, and insomnia. Make sure to place your hands a few inches away from your hips with your palms facing up to the ceiling. Close your eyes and free your mind of any thoughts and breathe deeply. You can hold this pose as long as you’d like, so it’s a great way to drift off to sleep.