When life feels chaotic, your nervous system often pays the price. Tension, anxiety, poor sleep — these are all signs your body is stuck in overdrive. The good news? A simple, consistent yoga practice can work wonders for soothing frazzled nerves and bringing you back to balance. You don’t need fancy equipment or years of practice — you just need a few quiet minutes and the willingness to slow down.
Below are six gentle yoga poses that calm your nervous system, reduce stress hormones, and help restore a sense of inner peace. Try them one at a time or string them together for a mini routine whenever you need to reset.
1. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
If you only try one pose for stress relief, make it this one. Legs Up the Wall is exactly what it sounds like: you lie on your back and rest your legs vertically against a wall. This simple inversion helps drain tension from your legs, slows your heart rate, and gently signals your parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” response — to take over.
How to do it:
Sit with one hip close to the wall. Swing your legs up as you lower your back to the floor. Scoot in until your hips are comfortably near the wall. Let your arms relax by your sides, palms up. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for 5–10 minutes.
Why it works:
Inverting your legs helps blood and lymphatic fluid flow back toward your core, which reduces swelling and eases fatigue. It’s one of the simplest ways to shift from fight-or-flight to calm.
2. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Child’s Pose is like pressing pause on the world. This gentle resting posture grounds your body and mind, softens the back, hips, and shoulders, and provides a feeling of safety — all of which calm an anxious nervous system.
How to do it:
Start on your hands and knees. Bring your big toes to touch and sit back on your heels, then lower your torso between your thighs. Stretch your arms forward or let them rest by your sides. Rest your forehead on the mat or a block. Breathe slowly for 1–3 minutes.
Why it works:
The forward fold naturally soothes the brain and quiets the mind. Gentle pressure on the forehead can also activate the vagus nerve, which helps regulate stress.
3. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
This restorative pose opens your hips and chest while putting you into full rest mode. It’s especially helpful if you hold stress in your hips or belly.
How to do it:
Lie on your back and bend your knees. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the sides. Place pillows or yoga blocks under your knees if needed for support. Rest your hands on your belly or by your sides. Stay for 5–10 minutes, breathing gently.
Why it works:
This posture helps your body release stored tension in the hips — an area often tight during stress. The openness of your chest also encourages deeper, slower breaths, which calm the mind.
4. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Forward folds naturally cool the mind and lengthen the spine, making this pose perfect for easing mental chatter and grounding your energy.
How to do it:
Sit with your legs extended straight. Inhale to lengthen your spine, then exhale as you gently fold forward from your hips. Hold your feet, ankles, or shins — wherever you reach without strain. Let your head and neck relax. Stay for 1–3 minutes, breathing slowly.
Why it works:
Forward bends help turn your attention inward. They quiet the nervous system by stretching the spine and encouraging deep exhalations, which activate the calming parasympathetic response.
5. Cat-Cow Stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
This gentle flow between two poses releases tension in the spine and resets your breath. It’s a lovely way to melt away stress at the start or end of your day.
How to do it:
Come to your hands and knees. As you inhale, arch your back and lift your head and tailbone (Cow Pose). As you exhale, round your spine and tuck your chin toward your chest (Cat Pose). Move slowly with your breath for 1–2 minutes.
Why it works:
This simple motion synchronizes breath with movement, bringing awareness back to your body and away from anxious thoughts. It gently massages the spine and encourages circulation.
6. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
No calming yoga sequence is complete without Savasana. This final resting pose integrates all the benefits of your practice, training your body and mind to fully let go.
How to do it:
Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms relaxed at your sides, palms up. Let your feet flop out naturally. Close your eyes and take slow, full breaths. Stay for at least 5–10 minutes.
Why it works:
Savasana gives your nervous system time to reset. It’s when the body deeply rests, allowing your muscles, breath, and mind to soften completely.
Bringing It All Together
You don’t need a fancy yoga studio or an hour-long class to soothe your nervous system. These six simple yoga poses work because they are gentle, accessible, and deeply grounding.
Practice one pose when you have just five minutes, or flow through all six when you need a complete mental reset. Over time, you’ll train your body to tap into calm more easily, making stress management feel less like a chore and more like an act of care.
