Stay-at-Home Yoga Tips

The holidays are a stressful time for everyone. There are presents to buy, family obligations to attend and work that needs to get finished before the year wraps up. To make matters worse, it's entirely possible that as your stress factors pile up, you won't have time to hit the gym or yoga studio for a workout, which is always one of the best ways for a pick-me-up.

The good people at Women's Health understand all this, and they've helpfully posted some advice for yoga moves you can do at home for some quick stress relief. It might not be a great as what you'd get a yoga studio, but it'll do when you're pinched for time.

1. Mountain Pose (tadasana)

Stand with your arms hanging straight at your sides, feet together. Close your eyes and take five to 10 slow breaths. Inhale and bring your palms together overhead.

2. Standing Forward Bend (uttanasana)

Exhale and bend forward at the hips, placing your fingertips or, if possible, your palms on the floor in uttanasana (standing forward bend).

3. Four-limbed Staff Pose (chaturanga dandasana)

Inhale and step your feet back into plank position, then exhale and bend your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor in chaturanga dandasana (four-limbed staff pose).

4. Upward-facing Dog (urdva mukha svanasana)

Inhale and push your chest forward while pressing the tops of your feet into the floor and straightening your arms in urdva mukha svanasana (upward-facing dog).

5. Downward-Facing Dog (adho mukha svanasana)

Tilt your head back. Exhale and use your arms and abs to lift your hips toward the ceiling until you're in adho mukha svanasana (downward-facing dog).

Push your heels toward the floor. Hold for three breaths. Step forward to return to uttanasana, the standing forward bend position. Inhale and come back to standing, sweeping your arms up over your head and pressing your palms together. Exhale, bringing your hands down into anjali mudra (prayer pose).

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