Health

 Once the biological reaction to stress or anxiety is underway, it can be hard to derail the process. Supercharged by acute alarm or held in vigilance by chronic anxiety, the nervous system commits to a “fight or flight” response. Shallow breath, higher blood pressure and a strong sense of mental distress has the potential to take over without targeted intervention. 

One easy, efficient and often immediately relaxing step is to go into one of three yoga poses designed to shift the nervous system from the sympathetic (high panic) mode, to the parasympathetic (relaxed) state. 

The postures, which include head support, can be done anywhere that you have a little privacy and quiet. For optimal benefits, try to hold them for three to five minutes. In addition to being calming, the postures can be a great preparation for sleep. Try one before bed (or a nap) to unwind and release the day, letting go of expectations and making way for the pleasure and recovery that sleep will bring.