5 Mood Boosting Yoga Asanas

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

It may look straightforward, but this is one of the most effective asanas of all. It radiates composure, presence and mind/body connection. The balance of grounding through all corners of the feet, lengthening the tail bone and focusing on the breath, calms the nervous system, creating an immediate tranquil awareness.

Give it a go:

- Feet hip width apart, micro bend in the knees

- Push down to ground through all four corners of the feet; ball of the big toe, ball of the little toe, inner and outer edge of the heel

- Lengthen the tailbone and engage the core

- Inhale to lift the arms overhead, exhale to bring them down by the sides, dropping the shoulders and broadening the collarbone

Prasarita Padottonasana I (Wide legged forward fold)

One of my favourite asanas of all time, if you are not quite ready for a full headstand, or just aren’t in the mood for one, but still want to reap the benefits of the head being below the heart, then this one is for you. Having the head lower than the heart has a direct impact on blood flow and the nervous system; therefore, shifting our energy and leaving us feeling vitalised.

Give it a go:

- Facing the long edge of your mat, bring your arms out straight at shoulder height either side of you

- Step the feet apart so that your ankles are roughly underneath your wrists

- Ensure the inner edges of the feet are parallel with each other and outside edge of the feet are parallel with the mat

- Ground though all four corners of the feet and keep a micro bend in the knees, pulling up through the quads

- Bring the hands to the hips, lengthen the tailbone, lift the chest and begin to hinge at the hips

- When you are halfway down bring the hands down to the mat and let the head drop below the heart, option to straighten the knees here

- Bending the elbows, keeping length in both sides of the waist, bring the head to the floor if its available

- Keep pressing into the hands and focus on the breath

Modifications

- Keep the knees bent the entire time, this will help you to keep the spine long and get the head lower to the ground

- Bring the hands to blocks if reaching the ground is unavailable

- Widen the stance if the hamstrings are tight

Adho mukha svanasana variation (Down dog crunch)

Down dog variations are a great gentle alternative to inversions if you don’t fancy being completely upside down, but still deliver many of the same benefits. As well as being a great strengthening pose, down dog stimulates blood circulation and calms the mind. Try this crunch variation for a fiery core alternative, leaving you feeling strong and actively in control.

Give it a go:

- Starting in a tabletop position, knees hip width apart, wrists stacked under shoulders

- Push down through the hands, sliding the shoulders down the back, drawing the navel in and hugging in the upper arm bones

- Broaden the collarbone, tuck the toes and hover the knees and begin to draw the hips up and back into downward facing dog

- Inhale to lift the right leg up behind you and exhale to draw it into your chest

- Come up on to the tip toes of the left foot and round the back to crunch over the knee

Modifications

- Stay in a downward facing dog and take out the added crunch

- Stay in downward facing dog a bend in the knees, focus on keeping the spine long

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Back bends such as cobra also act as heart openers and create more space around the anahata chakra (heart chakra), leaving us more open to giving and receiving love. Back bending asanas are also incredible for boosting the mood as they stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood blow which can leave us feeling as though we just downed an espresso!

Give it a go:

- Lying on the stomach, bring the palms down to just below the shoulders and hug the arm bones in

- Engaging the pelvis, push down through all ten toenails, the top of the feet, thighs and the pubic bone

- Draw the navel in towards the spine and begin to press into the hands as you start to lift the chest

- Extending the arms fully, draw the shoulder blades down the back, broaden the collar bone and breath

Modifications

- Keep the arms bent in baby cobra instead of extending into full expression of cobra

- If wrists are hurting then widen the hands and come on to finger tips

Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall)

For me, this is one of the most satisfying asanas; you can literally feel the goodness happening in real time. This pose encourages venous drainage, ensuring that all of the deoxygenated blood is drained from the tissues and organs which advocates better blood flow back to the heart. The opportunity to lie down in class is very rarely declined; especially with the added benefits of draining lymph fluid which can be a saviour for swollen ankles, and increased blood flow to the head which brings a sense of balance after sitting/standing the usual way up throughout the day – giving us a refreshing boost whenever we need it.

Give it a go:

- Begin by sitting parallel a few inches way from the wall with your legs out stretched

- Slowly swing your legs up against the wall, ensure you have propped yourself up with anything you need around the lower back/tailbone (blanket, bolster, cushion)

- Begin to bring the glutes and backs of the legs as close to the wall as possible, keeping the ankles stacked above the hips

- Allow your body to be heavy and melt into the floor, then breathe

Modifications

- Place a cushion or pillow under the head for extra support

- If holding the legs straight up isn’t available, keep the legs bent with the soles of the feet against the wall