The Best Restorative Yoga Poses To Do On A Stressful Day, Says Certified Yoga Teacher

Balancing a busy schedule on the regular can get quite stressful—and real quick. Between juggling meetings, projects, deadlines, work events, and keeping up with social plans, your body and mind are working on overdrive. Even on the busiest of days when you feel like you have zero extra time, it's critical to put your physical and mental well-being first.

Carving out time to roll out your yoga mat, stretch it out, and release any tension you're holding onto is so necessary. We spoke with Thara Prashad, certified yoga teacher and health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition about the best restorative yoga poses that will help calm your mind when you're feeling stressed. (Plus, between being a yoga studio owner and teacher, Karuna Reiki healer and health coach, and mom to two kids, Prashad certainly knows a thing or two about managing a hectic schedule!)

So take a deep breath, and read on to get your namaste on. Next up, be sure to check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Chid's Pose

two women doing child's pose on yoga mats — Shutterstock

If you're a regular yogi, you're very familiar with the restorative, rejuvenating pose that is child's pose. Prashad instructs, "With the knees spread wide, [allow] the torso to melt down to the floor or even to a pillow beneath you." You'll want to stretch through your hips and your back, which will "send fresh blood and oxygen to the brain." Prashad notes that, for extra stress relief, you can lower the space between your eyebrows to the ground, and give it a massage.

Legs Up the Wall

Prashad explains that this pose is perfect to do after hours of sitting at a desk. "It's a nice opportunity to get your legs over your head and send fresh blood and fluid back to your heart," she says. "To take it into an even more relaxing state, place a block under your low back. Watch as your legs become weightless and you feel like your legs are magically floating above your head. You can stay here for 5 to 20 minutes." Prashad says you can stream your favorite meditation music, close your eyelids, and completely relax to make the most of this pose.

Cat and Cow Pose

Last but certainly not least, Prashad says, "Cat and cow are staple yoga poses that you can come back to time and time again. It's a great way to stretch the whole spine as well as the hips and shoulders and neck. This motion will also help increase the fluid flow to the spine." (Exercises such as yoga, walking, and cycling, in addition to stretching, can all aid spinal fluid flow.)