Stressed AF: 5 Yoga Poses to Get You Through Your 9-to-5

This isn't a "pose" per se, but it's key if you want to de-stress — and it works! Your breath is your life force, you unconsciously do it to survive. Break your unconscious breathing pattern and bring awareness to your breath to help shift stressful energy: Take deep, smooth breaths to slow down your racing mind and find a sense of calm.

Awareness of your breath also helps draw you into the present moment. A lot of stressful thoughts in life can come from living in the past or fretting about the future, but when you allow yourself to be in the present, you may find that your mind is more free. I like to tell my yoga students that: The present moment is the only thing we can control, because the past is the past and the future doesn't exists yet, the present moment is where we're the most open up to joy.

Try this: Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath)

Benefits

● Helps calm your mind

● Promotes clarity and focus

● Helps slow down your heart rate

Directions

● Take a deep inhale through your nose. Fill up your lungs and feel your ribs expand.

● Seal your lips and lightly constrict the back of your throat. (Think of the sensation in your throat when you're fogging up a window with your breath)

● Take a long exhale out of your nose creating an ocean sound with your breath. (Think Darth Vader from "Star Wars.")

Image via @nicoleacardoza