Yoga can be used for strengthening also, but there are plenty of programs that use yoga as a relaxing practice to balance the body and the mind. Yoga is used to get past the daily worries of the physical and mental elements. Yoga is sometimes seen as a “feminine” type of exercise, but plenty of men practice yoga as well. It’s great for flexibility, helps with overall athleticism, and can help calm down the mind. In terms of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines, yoga is an exercise that consists largely of postures or asanas.
If you aren’t familiar with yoga, some poses can get the most physical relief for your body. At first, your body may take it slow. You might not be very flexible and that’s okay. The more you practice, the better your body will react, which will translate to better overall health. We highly recommend you give it a try. After a stressful day of work give this workout a try and you will surely be able to relax.
Part 1
These poses are not complex like online poker. Instead, this simple 10-minute yoga workout can help you calm down your nerves. To start, you will sit on your mat and take three deep breaths. You will then lay on your back. Pull one of your legs towards your chest and hug your leg. For each exercise, try and hold for about 10 seconds. After you hug your leg, place your heel on your knee and push your knee outwards. This stretches your knee and your glutes. To end this segment, take one hand at reach through the hole your legs make. Place the other hand on the outside of your leg and pinch your elbows and hug in your legs.
The side stretch is the next stretch that you should do. This can be done standing or sitting and it is a great stretch for the body. Take one hand down towards the floor. The other hand will shoot straight up in the air. Drop your head towards your ear with your upper hand over your head. Gently kick your hip out to the opposite side that you are stretching so that you can stretch out your hips. Repeat on the other side. While conducting this stretch, take deep breaths through the nose and out the mouth. If you have difficulty breathing, adjust your stretch if needed.
Part 2
In the next phase, you are going to flip over on your stomach and you will complete Child’s Pose. This pose is very simple and gets the most stretch for your core muscles. From your back, hips, and upper body, this pose can take the edge off.
Start by kneeling on the floor and then sitting on your heels. Then, take your knees about as wide as your hips can go. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs and comfortably move your buttox if necessary. Take the back of your pelvis and narrow your hips, so they set between your inner thighs. It should almost feel like you are sitting on your heels. As for your upper body, lay the hands on the floor with your palms down. Stretch back your upper body to get a full stretch from the shoulders to the core. You should feel the stretch in your shoulder blades across your back.
Final Phase
The corpse pose is a pose that is saved for the end of a yoga workout. This pose will help reset the body. Either way, this pose is best done in an area where you know you won’t be bothered. The pose starts with laying on your back. If you have a mat or a blanket to lay on that works best. Lay your hands on the floor alongside your body with the palms up. Close your eyes and begin to do a body check. Pretend you are “shutting down” your muscles. Start with the feet, work your way up to your legs, to the core, the upper body, and then your head.
Stay in this pose for 1-3 minutes and try to “fade away.” When you are ready to come out, begin to wiggle your fingers, then your toes, and finally your jaw. Open your eyes and position your body to the side. Gently bring yourself up and begin to wake the body. Once you have calmed down and are complete, you can go enjoy something fun like virtual reality games
Breathing & Visualization
This is an alternative if you are not somebody that wants to participate in stretching. You can find plenty of ASMR videos on YouTube that helps detail what breathing exercises you can do to help you calm the body down. The breathing exercises are practiced in a calm, collective spot so that you can apply the practice outside of your zone. There will be times when you are out and about and something comes up that could trigger your mood. The meditative state that you practice in yoga will help you keep a calm mind at the moment.
As for visualization, this is a great meditation practice to help relax the mind. For many ASMR videos, the narrator asks you to close your eyes and imagine various places. For example, some videos take you to a beach, cabin, or vacation spot in your mind. These are great ways to “get away” without really going anywhere. You may think of this as a silly practice, but even elite athletes practice this technique. They imagine what they want their bodies to do because there are parts of the brain that do not connect to certain muscles. By practicing what you want your body to do in your head, the body is more receptive to doing it.
The practice has given some high achievers superpowers. It helps them create their dream lives. However, when using it to relax, it calms down the body and produces sweet serenity.