By Erin Hesselink
Assignments are piling up and deadlines are looming over your head. Between work, school, internships, sleep and a social life, your schedule is crammed and you just don’t have time for it all.
Don’t worry, there is a simple way to conquer this stress — practicing yoga.
Below are three positions that will help you calm down when the stress kicks in.
Downward dog pose
Get into a pushup position with your hands and feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly lift your hips and press your chest down so your body becomes an inverted V.
Keep your back straight and press your heels toward the floor. Try to straighten your legs and you’ll feel a nice stretch along your calves and hamstrings. Hold the pose for as long as you can.
Eagle pose
Balance poses are fantastic for stress relief because they take a lot of focus and your mind doesn’t have time to think about anything else.
For the eagle pose, stand up and bend your knees. Balance on one foot and cross one leg over the other. Mimic the position with your arms, giving yourself a twisted high-five, and raise the elbows as high as you can. If you want a challenge, try going up on your toes. Hold for as long as you can (up to one minute), then switch legs and repeat.
Child’s pose
Get down on your knees, sit on your heels and bend forward, reaching your arms out as far as you can. Almost anyone can do this pose and it’s one of the best to just completely relax your body and mind.
Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get a position perfectly. Yoga is a practice, not a performance.
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