Yoga for Stress Relief: 6 Poses to Unwind After Work
Six simple yoga poses and one breathing technique to release a stressful workday - a 15-minute wind-down routine you can do at home tonight.
Dev
Certified Yoga Trainer, 5+ Years Experience
1 min read
Stress lives in the body long after the workday ends — a tight jaw, shallow breath, shoulders up near your ears. This short routine is designed to move that tension out before it follows you to bed.
You need a mat, a couple of metres of clear floor, and about fifteen minutes.
Start with the breath
Before any pose, sit tall and breathe in for a count of four, then out for a count of six. The longer exhale is what signals your nervous system to stand down. Do this for ten rounds.
A longer exhale than inhale is the single most reliable way to shift out of "fight or flight" — you can use it in a meeting, not just on the mat.
The six poses
- Child's pose — 8 slow breaths. Lets the lower back spread and the forehead rest.
- Cat–cow — 6 rounds, moving with your breath.
- Standing forward fold — 5 breaths, knees soft, head heavy.
- Low lunge — 5 breaths each side, opening the front of the hip where we hold desk tension.
- Seated twist — 5 breaths each side.
- Legs up the wall — 3 to 5 minutes. This is the one that matters most.
Make it stick
The routine works best when it is boring and repeatable. Same time, same order, every evening. Within a fortnight most students tell us they reach for it automatically on a hard day.
When you want a live teacher watching your alignment and adjusting each pose to your body, that is exactly what our classes are for — see the programs and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How long before I feel calmer?
Most people notice their shoulders drop and their breathing slow within the first five minutes. The full effect of a wind-down routine builds over two to three weeks of near-daily practice.
Is this safe if I have never done yoga?
Yes. Every pose here has a gentle range, and you stop the moment anything feels sharp. If you have a specific injury, tell your trainer before class so they can adapt it.
What time of day is best?
Within an hour of finishing work, or just before bed. Practising at the same time each day makes it a habit far faster.
Yoga · Meditation · Chanting
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In a Devine Yoga class your trainer sees you, corrects you by name and adapts every pose to your body — beginners included.