Ground, Restore, Reflect: A 3-Step Yoga Guide to Easing Anxiety

Anxiety often leaves us feeling ungrounded and disconnected. Yoga provides a clear, three-step path to reconnect with ourselves and find stability. This simple guide, featuring three essential poses, is designed to ground your energy, restore your system, and offer a moment for quiet reflection, effectively easing the symptoms of stress.
Step one is to ground yourself with Balasana (Child’s Pose). Kneel on the floor, fold forward, and rest. This posture physically connects you to the earth, creating an immediate sense of stability. The gentle stretch along the spine releases physical tension, while the inward focus of the pose helps to quiet the relentless loop of anxious thoughts, providing a feeling of safety and security.
Step two is to restore your system with Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall). After grounding, this pose helps to reset your body’s equilibrium. By elevating the legs, you support lymphatic drainage and improve circulation, which calms the entire nervous system. It’s a deeply restorative posture that combats fatigue and soothes a frazzled mind, allowing your body to enter a state of healing and rest.
Step three is to reflect with Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend). This final pose is an invitation to turn your awareness inward. The deep forward fold stretches the back of the body, releasing stored tension in the muscles. As you hold the pose, your breath naturally slows down, promoting a state of mental clarity and calm. It’s a powerful moment for introspection and consolidating the peace you’ve cultivated.