Besides organizing everything far in advance and preparing as much as possible the night before, yoga can be a great stress reliever that you can do basically anywhere there is open space. I even wrote a blog post explaining how the power of yoga can help anyone survive the holidays! Between sure the ham doesn’t overcook and carefully setting the table with every type of utensil, here are some easy yoga poses that will lower your anxiety and make you as patient as a saint during Easter festivities. Cat/Cow Pose This pose is great because it lowers stress and anxiety, while massaging the spine and digestive organs. Begin on all fours with knees aligned directly under your hips. Start with your head facing the floor. As you inhale, lift your behind towards the sky as you let your belly drop, and lift your head and look forward. Exhale and come back to the tabletop position. Child’s Pose Begin in a kneeling position. Slowly lower your behind onto your feet so that you are sitting on your feet with your knees separated and your big toes together. Taking a deep breath, fold your chest to the ground so that your forehead is resting on the ground. You can extend your arms as well. Downward-Facing Dog This is a great pose for relief from headaches and fatigue. Position yourself on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips. Curling your toes under, exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. Make sure you lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. Continue until your bottom is facing the sky. Straighten your knees, and hold the position for about one minute. Relax your knees and exhale. Head-to-Knee Forward Bend This pose actually massages your liver and kidneys, while also improving digestion. Extend your legs in front of you, bringing the sole of your right foot to the inside of your right thigh. While keeping the spine as long as you can, exhale as you hinge forward from the hips to lie on the right leg. Holding onto the right leg’s ankle, exhale and fold deeper. Hold for about a minute, then repeat on the opposite side. Corpse Pose Studies have actually found that this pose decreases the severity of mild depression! To begin this pose, lie on the floor with your arms and legs slightly separated. Flex your legs and arms muscles, allowing your appendages to lift off the floor. After tensing your body for about 8 seconds, exhale and relax all your muscles at once. Bring your knees into your chest and wrap your arms around your legs, and slowly rock from the left to the right. For more information on yoga and sports conditioning check out Beth Shaw’s YogaFit, published by Human Kinetics. For more yoga and meditation tips visit YogaFit.com. Next up: 100 Quotes to Inspire Your Yoga Practice
