Yoga Postures to Ease Anxiety

By Amy Morrison

In these uncertain times, it’s pretty common to feel anxious. And it can be really hard to pull yourself out of that place when so much is still unknown. While not a cure-all, this simple yoga sequence can help calm your busy mind so you can find a moment of peace.

POSE 1: Child’s Pose

How to do it: Bring your big toes together to touch behind you. Sink your hips back toward your heels (you can use blocks, blankets or even a pillow beneath your seat if this is at all uncomfortable). Allow your belly to rest on your thighs and stretch your arms out in front of you. Rest your forehead on your mat and take 10, slow, steady breaths.

Benefits: Child’s pose is very grounding and a great place to start just about any yoga sequence. It signals the mind and body that it is time to focus and slow down.

POSE 2: Seated Forward Fold

How to do it: Stretch your legs out long in front of you. Inhale, reach your arms overhead. Exhale, bend forward at your hips. Allow your hands to rest somewhere on your legs (doesn’t have to be your feet!) Maintain length in your side bodies, so imagine you’re pressing your heart toward your big toes.

Benefits: Forward folds calm the central nervous system, which is in overdrive when you feel anxious. Seated forward fold also stretches the entire back side of your body, which in our culture tends to be very rounded.

POSE 3: Bridge Pose

How to do it: Lay on your back. Bring the soles of your feet onto the earth so that your knees are directly over your ankles. Inhale, lift your hips away from your mat. Maintain space between your chin and your chest, so imagine lifting your gaze straight upward and slightly back behind you.

Benefits: Bridge pose opens the entire front side of your body, so it’s an excellent counter to seated forward fold. It stretches the chest, abdomen and hip flexors, which tend to be closed off if you work at a desk or spend a lot of time looking at screens. Heart openers like bridge pose help release stress and even mild symptoms of depression.

POSE 4: Legs Up the Wall

How to do it: Place a block or a pillow or a blanket directly beneath your sacrum. (Everybody is different here, so find what placement works best for you!) Rest your shoulders and upper back on your mat and extend your legs up an imaginary wall. Release engagement in your legs and simply allow gravity to do the work.

Benefits: This is a wonderful pose to do anytime, but especially after long periods of standing or sitting. Legs up the wall directs blood flow toward your upper body and head, which can lead to clearer thinking, more energy and an overall boost in your mood.

POSE 5: Savasana

How to do it: While savasana can take any shape you like, we enjoy it done this way… Lay flat on your back with your legs outstretched in front of you. Rest your arms easy at your sides and allow your palms to face upward to receive or down to ground (whatever works best for you!) Blink your eyes closed and allow your thoughts to float away. Stay and breathe for as long or as little time as you like. Ahhhhhh!

Benefits: Savasana calms the brain and helps relieve stress. It relaxes the body, and we all know a relaxed body leads to a peaceful mind. Practicing savasana can also reduce bouts of insomnia, which is often linked to anxiety and depression.

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About Kirk: 

Kirk was working 80-hour weeks and wearing his shoulders as earrings when he found yoga in 2005. Forever the competitive athlete, he loved the physicality of yoga. When the spiritual and philosophical side of yoga were exposed to him, Kirk was hooked. Yoga provided him with what other activities couldn’t -- the ability to foster the benefits of practice both on and off of the mat. Yoga was something that Kirk could bring into all aspects of his life. 

Kirk knows that yoga can be intimidating, so he crafts a class that is playful and inviting, while still being challenging and safe. His creatively planned classes build strength and flexibility in your body and mind while establishing clarity, giving you more confidence to overcome obstacles in your life, and keeping you injury-free. His classes are themed with a message that is relatable and will inspire you to take it with you off your mat. Kirk has been teaching yoga since 2008 and lead his first teacher training in 2012. Where Kirk truly shines is in coaching, developing and bringing out the best in others.  

Kirk enjoys traveling (40+ countries to date!), snowboarding, and cherishes time with his wife and two daughters. 

About Christen: 

Christen Bakken’s yoga journey began in 1998 in a Bikram studio that provided a safe and secure place to practice. She saw the yoga mat as a place to remember her purpose and a place to play. As she continued her studies and began her journey to teaching in 2006, Christen infused yoga classes with devotion and the yoga mat became a place of personal transformation and healing. Her classes are filled with laughter, song, sweat, and usually heart openers. In 2013, Christen began training yoga teachers. This is the place where she finds the most joy - in community with folks looking to grow and be of greater service in their homes, on their mats, and in the world. Over the years, she has led trainings in Denver, the Midwest, Florida, and now abroad. She has trained in continuing education modules, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour programs. Beyond the mat, Christen is a passionate adventure seeker - she loves to bike, snowboard, and spend time with her husband and pups. She sees each day as a blessing and hopes to remind all who interact with her of this truth.  

Two Light Studio Parking Information

We validate parking for THREE garages in the area!

  • Two Light garage located directly north of the studio. Please bring your ticket inside for validation.

  • Three Light garage at Main and Truman. Garage entrance on Truman. Please bring your ticket inside for a validation sticker.

  • Power & Light garage at 13th and Grand. Please ask for a parking pass at the studio front desk. (Hot tip: the Power & Light garage has a ton of space! But be sure to give yourself a little extra time to walk to the studio.)

If you find that you are running a couple minutes late due to parking, please call the studio to let the instructor know to wait for you before locking the doors.

Blackstone Studio Parking

  • We have partnered with our friends at Greenslate to provide 1 hour and 15 minute validated parking for Power Life students in the lot at 36th and Harney (just south of the Cottonwood Hotel). Read below to learn how to take advantage of this perk:

    • Step 1: Scan the QR code located in the lot.

    • Step 2: Select your destination (i.e. “yoga studio”).

    • Step 3: Ask for the validation code at the Blackstone studio front desk and enter it on your phone.

    • Step 4: You are all set! Have fun at class!

    Please note:

    • The validation provided by Power Life and Greenslate is for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Need to add additional time to your parking space? You can do that conveniently from your phone!

    • This option is valid once per day per license plate.

    • Please do NOT park in the Crescent Moon lot − you will be towed!

East Village Studio Amenities

  • There is a paved lot and gravel lot on the West side of the building.

  • Meters on Court and 4th (by Peace Tree) for $0.25/hour, 9am-9pm Mon. – Sat. 12-hour max*

  • Meters on 4th (to the North) for $1.25/hour. Mon – Sat. 4-hour max.

  • All meters are free on Sundays and major holidays.

*Starting July 8, 4th Street will temporarily become a one-way. Students will only be able to enter our parking lot from the North via Court Ave. and exit it going south. Thank you for understanding!

Yoga Postures to Ease Anxiety Info