Yoga for Emotional Exhaustion: A List of Yoga Asanas to Help Alleviate Feeling Worn-out

Emotional exhaustion:

Emotional exhaustion is known to be a mental, and sometimes physical, state of depletion. This kind of exhaustion is caused by prolonged exposure to stress, whether at work, school, home, or environmental stresses. The stress that causes emotional exhaustion can be anything from workloads and physical demands to personal stresses.

Those that are emotionally exhausted can often feel detached, cynical, irritable, and completely depleted. Working so hard that these symptoms become prevalent is often known as burnout. This is an uncomfortable state to be in and can lead to other physical and mental health problems. The most important thing to do when feeling emotionally exhausted is to take care of yourself with some form of relaxation and exercise.

How yoga can help with emotional exhaustion:

Practicing yoga in all its forms helps a person to relax and recharge their bodies. Doing easy and mindful poses can help to alleviate symptoms of stress, which is a large cause of emotional exhaustion. Through yoga, individuals can also become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, which can help them manage emotional exhaustion. Overall, doing gentle yoga poses and getting the blood flowing helps to reduce stress and emotional exhaustion. Here are four specific yoga poses for exhaustion...

A list of yoga poses to help alleviate feeling worn-out:

Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Posture:  Create a cactus shape with your arms whilst twisting first to the right side. Hold the pose for two deep breaths before doing the same on the left side and returning to a neutral laying position.

Benefits:  Supine Twist is a relaxing posture that allows the body to settle into the mat. There is no work that the body has to do in this pose, which alleviates stress and calms the mind. An additional benefit of the Supine Twist is that it opens and stretches the chest area and spine.

Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Posture:  Place a block or pillow beneath your glutes (if needed) while raising your feet to the sky against a wall or door. Keep the legs straight and allow the hands to rest next to your sides for three deep breaths before releasing to a laying position.

Benefits:  Legs Up the Wall Pose allows the blood to circulate throughout your body, which can decrease stress. It’s a relaxing and releasing posture, which calms the body and mind. An additional benefit of Legs Up the Wall is that it stretches your hamstrings and increases flexibility.

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Posture:  Spread the knees and reach the arms to the front of the mat while letting your forehead rest on the mat. Hold the pose for three deep breaths before returning to a seated position.

Benefits:  Child’s Pose is a gentle pose that requires focus on the breath. This helps to promote relaxation and calm the mind. An additional benefit of Child’s Pose is that it stretches and opens the hips.

Knees to Chest Pose (Apanasana)

Posture:  Bring your knees in towards your chest and hold onto them with your hands. You can rock side to side or stay still for two deep breaths before releasing to Savasana (Corpse Pose).

Benefits:  Knees to Chest Pose is a relaxing pose that improves circulation throughout the body, which decreases stress. An additional benefit of Knees to Chest Pose is that it eases tension in the lower back and stomach.

Authored by: Kate Viljoen.  Katé is a qualified yoga instructor and freelance writer. She is passionate about copy-writing, the earth, and movement of any kind. In her free time, she focuses on improving her writing skills. You can find her on Upwork.