Yoga for Anxiety and Depression: Poses That Calm Your Mind

Anxiety and depression can feel overwhelming—and casual chatter often misses the softer, gentler tools that support healing. Yoga, with its calming rhythms of breath and movement, offers that space. Here are proven poses, insights into why they help, and stories of renowned yoga teachers who’ve harnessed these techniques to transform stress and mental health.

Why Yoga Works for the Mind

Breathing practices like ujjayi (victorious breath) and diaphragmatic breathing consistently lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone, while raising GABA, a neurotransmitter linked to calm. Over time—even a few minutes daily—these practices can retrain your nervous system toward resilience, improved focus, and emotional balance.

Key Poses to Alleviate Anxiety & Depression

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

• A deeply comforting posture—kneeling, torso resting on thighs, forehead on mat.
• Promotes parasympathetic response, easing racing thoughts and tension in the back and shoulders.

2. Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani)

• Lying on your back with legs vertically against a wall—turns out to be an instant stress rewinder.
• Improves circulation, calms overstimulated minds, and even reduces mild insomnia.

3. Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

• Place a yoga block or bolster beneath your sacrum while hips are lifted.
• Opens the heart gently, promotes emotional release, and soothes the nervous system with mild inversion.

4. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

• Hinge at hips, relax head and neck toward the ground.
• A quiet way to relieve mental burden, soothe the brain, and stretch hamstrings without strain.

5. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

• With legs extended, fold over with gentle intent.
• Applies pressure along the spine, signaling to the body that it’s time to “rest and digest.”

How to Practice Mindfully

1. Consistency over Intensity: Even 10 minutes daily is more powerful than weekly marathon sessions.
2. Props Welcome: Blankets, bolsters, blocks—they support comfort, not performance.
3. Breath Before Motion: Let one or two rounds of deep breath settle you before beginning.
4. Close with Stillness: Spend at least 2–5 minutes in Savasana—lying flat and focusing on breath.
5. Embrace Imperfection: Mental health is not linear. Fluctuations are OK. Yoga is a tool, not a remedy.

Real-Life Yoga Advocates & Their Stories

Adriene Mishler – Yoga With Adriene

• Age: 40 (born Sept 29, 1984)
• Family & Origins: From Austin, Texas; born into an artsy, multi-cultural family.
• Career & Reach: A former actress turned empathetic teacher, Adriene launched “Find What Feels Good” in 2012. In 2025, her channel has 13 million+ subscribers and over 1.5 billion views