Yoga for Teachers to Reduce Stress

Yoga for teachers? Heck yeah.

If you are anything like me, you are feeling the stress from our job as educators.We have to make so many split second decisions all day, every day, it’s amazing we make it through the day!

How can we not be stressed? Yoga for teachers might be the answer.

Add to that, all of the meetings that could have been emails, paperwork, grading, trainings, planning, interventions, and more meetings… you have a recipe for major stress and potential burn out! There is no way to get rid of all of our stressors as teachers, but there are ways to help reduce them.

Lately, I have taken up yoga as a way to cope with stress. These are 5 yoga poses that help me a lot, and I wanted to shared them with you today!

“Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life.” BKS Iyengar

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to:

Begin in tabletop position (hands and knees).
Bring your knees to the outside of your mat, big toes touching. You may also keep your knees together.
Slowly draw your hips back to sit on your feet.
Release your forehead to rest on your mat and bring your hands down by your side reaching toward your feet. You may also bring your hands down to rest straight out in front of your head, if this feels comfortable to you.
Hold for 5 breaths.

Benefits: Calming, relieves back and neck pain, stretches hips, thighs, and ankles

Contraindications: knee injury, pregnancy make sure to keep knees wide, digestive issues

2. Standing Forward Fold/Bend (Uttanasana)

How to:

From standing, exhale and hinge forward from the hips, and bend knees enough to bring palms flat to the floor.
Lift up through the body, feel spine stretch in opposite directions, as your head pulls down and in, then press your hips up, straighten legs to deepen the stretch.
It may feel nice to hold onto opposite elbows while in this pose, letting arms sway gently from side to side.
Hold for 4-8 breaths, then bend knees, inhale arms out to sides, and raise arms and torso up and back to standing.

Benefits: Calms brain, helps relieve stress, and mild depression. Stimulates the liver and kidneys. Stretches hamstrings, calves, and hips.

Contraindications: back injury

3. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

How to:

Begin in a tabletop position (hands and knees).
Take your gaze to your naval, tuck your toes under, lifting your hips toward the ceiling.
Make sure your hands are shoulder width apart, press through fingers and palms into the floor and press hips up and back while keeping a straight spine.
Keep feet hip width’s distance apart, with toes facing forward; press heels into or towards the floor.
Let head and neck hang freely, relax your face and jaw.
Gaze stays towards your feet.
Hold pose for 5 breaths, then return to tabletop.

Benefits: Energizing, therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, feet, and sciatica. Calming to the brain, relieves stress.

Contraindications: Carpal tunnel, digestive issues, and headaches.

4. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

How to:

Begin in a comfortable seated position.
Bring the soles of your feet together.
Sit tall, head lifted and shoulders back.
Hinge forward, bring your heart toward your feet (think of bringing your navel to your feet), on an inhale, lengthen your spine, on the exhale, fold toward your legs.
Walk your hands out in front of you if it feels comfortable.

Benefits: Relieves fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Stimulates abdominal organs and heart.

Contraindications: groin, knee injury.

5. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

How to:

Lie flat on your back with your legs together, but not touching and arms by your side with palms facing up.
Keep your eyes closed and face relaxed, breathe deeply.
Bring attention to each part of your body, starting with the top of the head.
Hold pose for 7-10 minutes.

Benefits: Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression, relaxes the body, reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia. Helps to lower blood pressure

Contraindications: back injury

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.” BKS Iyengar

Yoga for teachers hoorrayy!!!

Namaste,