5 Yoga Poses to Melt Away Anxiety

When anxious energy builds up in your body, sometimes the best thing you can do is move. Yoga helps calm the nervous system, regulate the breath, and bring you back into your body—in a safe, gentle, and empowering way.

At Port Washington Yoga, we use yoga not only to stretch muscles but to create space in the mind. Below are 5 poses we love for softening stress and creating a sense of peace.

🧘‍♂️ 1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

A deeply grounding posture, Child’s Pose allows your nervous system to settle. Let your forehead rest on the mat, arms outstretched or by your sides, and feel your breath deepen into the belly.

Tip: Add a bolster or folded blanket under your chest for extra comfort.

🌬️ 2. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

This gentle inversion helps regulate the parasympathetic nervous system and eases tired legs, anxious thoughts, and racing hearts. It's like hitting the reset button.

How to do it: Lie on your back with your legs up a wall (or a chair), arms relaxed by your sides, palms up. Stay for 5–10 minutes and just breathe.

💓 3. Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana)

Moving with the breath helps interrupt anxious thought loops. Cat-Cow opens the spine and brings attention to your breath and body in a rhythmic, soothing flow.

Try this: Inhale for Cow (belly drops, heart lifts), exhale for Cat (spine rounds, chin to chest). Repeat for 1–2 minutes.

🤍 4. Reclined Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)

This heart-opening restorative pose helps release tension stored in the chest and hips—places we often hold fear and stress.

Set up: Lie on your back, bring soles of the feet together, knees fall apart. Support your knees with props or cushions, and close your eyes.

🌙 5. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

Forward folds are naturally calming. This pose helps turn your attention inward and encourages surrender.

Modification: Sit on a blanket and bend the knees slightly. Think “restful stretch,” not “reach your toes.” Let your head hang.

🫶 Final Thought

You don’t need to wait for a full class to practice these. Try one or two before bed, in the morning, or anytime your anxiety rises. Even a few minutes can make a world of difference.

Remember: Your mat is always here for you—and so are we.