If you are feeling overwhelmed, try spending just 15 minutes with these five grounding postures. You can do the full sequence or just pick one to use as an immediate stress-reliever.
1. Reclining Bound Angle (The Heart Opener)
This is a quiet pose that helps you reconnect with your body.
- How to do it: Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees drop wide into a diamond shape. Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
- The Benefit: As you feel your heartbeat slow down under your palm, it pulls you out of your thoughts and back into the present moment.
2. Seated Forward Bend (The Introspective Stretch)
This pose is about patience, not reaching a destination.
- How to do it: Sit with your legs straight. Keep your spine long and fold forward at the hips. Don’t worry if you can only reach your shins or knees.
- The Benefit: By folding inward, you are literally creating a “shield” against the outside world, encouraging a sense of internal focus.
3. The Modified Sun Salutation (The Expansion)
This is not about the full “flow,” but the opening of the chest.
- How to do it: Stand tall with your palms facing forward. Raise your arms to the sky, arch your back slightly, and open your chest wide. Then, slowly fold forward toward your toes.
- The Benefit: Opening the chest helps counteract the “slouching” we do over computers and phones, which can physically trap tension in the ribcage.
4. Reclining Half Pigeon (The Tension Release)
We carry an incredible amount of stress in our hips and hamstrings.
- How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees up. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and gently pull your left leg toward your chest.
- The Benefit: This deep stretch un-spins the tight muscles of the lower body, which are often locked tight during periods of high anxiety.
5. Legs Up the Wall (The Ultimate Reset)
Wallin considers this the gold standard for calming the nervous system.
- How to do it: Sit sideways against a wall, lie back, and swing your legs up so they are resting vertically against the wall. Use a pillow or folded blanket under your head or lower back for support.
- The Benefit: This pose reverses the blood flow and allows your heart to rest. It creates a space where you can simply sit with your thoughts without the pressure to do anything.
Summary: Yoga as a Necessity
Just like the medication or the Wegovy we discussed for physical health, yoga is a remedy for your mental well-being. By dedicating even a few minutes to these grounding movements, you help your body navigate its “tectonic shifts” with much more ease.