17 Relaxing Yoga Poses for Beginners: Benefits, Practice & Sleep Better

It’s 11 p.m. You’ve finally put your phone down, but your brain hasn’t got the memo. Your shoulders are somewhere near your ears. Your jaw aches a little. You’re tired, yet you can’t switch off. This is exactly the moment relaxing yoga poses are made for.

If that sounds familiar, you’re in large company. In Great Britain, an estimated 964,000 workers reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25, according to the Health and Safety Executive. In the US, CDC analysis of 2014 survey data found that more than one in three adults regularly slept less than the recommended seven hours.

You don’t need a 90-minute class, expensive kit or flexible hamstrings to start. A few gentle postures, held quietly with slow breathing, may help you feel calmer and more settled. Most take less than five minutes and can be done on your bedroom floor, your sofa or even your office chair.

This guide brings together 17 relaxing yoga poses for beginners, grouped by what you need: better wind-down before sleep, relief from desk stiffness, or deep rest after a draining week. For every pose you’ll get:

• clear steps to get in and out safely
• a breathing cue
• why it may help, in plain English
• a beginner tweak using pillows, towels or books
• who should be careful

You’ll also find two timed routines, a printable cheat sheet and an honest look at what the research does and doesn’t show. Take one slow breath before you read on. Nothing here asks you to push.

Top 6 Relaxing Yoga Poses (Quick Guide)

Short on time? Start with these six calming yoga poses. They’re gentle, need little or no equipment, and together make a 15-minute practice. You’ll find fuller instructions, props and cautions for each later in this guide.

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

• How to do it: Kneel with your big toes touching and knees apart. Sit back towards your heels, walk your hands forward and rest your forehead on the floor or a cushion. Stay for 1–3 minutes.
• Why it helps: Folding forward turns your attention inward and gently lengthens the lower back. It’s also an easy place to notice your breath moving into your back ribs, which makes slowing it down feel natural.

2. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

• How to do it: Sit sideways against a wall, then swing your legs up as you lie back. Rest your arms out to the sides, palms up. Stay for 3–10 minutes.
• Why it helps: It takes almost no effort, and many people find it eases the heavy feeling in tired legs. Researchers have proposed that lying down with the legs raised engages the body’s pressure sensors (baroreceptors), which help regulate heart rate. It’s a popular pose before bed.

3. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana / Reclining Butterfly)

• How to do it: Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open. Tuck a cushion under each thigh. Stay for 3–5 minutes.
• Why it helps: It opens the hips and chest without effort. With the thighs supported, there’s nothing to hold, so the legs can soften completely.

4. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

• How to do it: On hands and knees, breathe in as you drop your belly and lift your chest (Cow). Breathe out as you round your back and tuck your chin (Cat). Repeat for 6–10 slow breaths.
• Why it helps: Moving in time with your breath loosens a stiff spine and gives a busy mind something simple to follow. It’s a good warm-up before stiller poses.

5. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

• How to do it: Lie on your back, hug your knees in, then lower both knees to one side with your arms out in a T. Stay for 1–2 minutes, then switch.
• Why it helps: The gentle rotation can ease lower-back and hip stiffness from long hours of sitting. Because the floor holds you, the twist stays soft and passive.

6. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

• How to do it: Lie flat, legs slightly apart, arms away from your sides with palms up. Close your eyes and relax each part of your body from toes to head. Stay for 5–15 minutes.
• Why it helps: Complete stillness is the point. Savasana is the usual position for Yoga Nidra and is widely regarded as the most restful posture in yoga.

What Are Relaxing Yoga Poses?

Relaxing yoga poses are gentle, low-effort postures held still for one to several minutes, usually on the floor and often with props. They aim to reduce muscle effort and give you a comfortable place to slow your breathing. Unlike strength or flow poses, they ask almost nothing of your muscles.

Most fall into five families: forward folds, gentle twists, supported backbends, lying-down shapes and mild inversions such as Legs-Up-the-Wall. In Hatha Yoga teaching, postures such as Shavasana and Makarasana are often described as postures of rest.

How Do Relaxing Yoga Poses Calm Your Nervous System?

The most likely explanation involves your autonomic nervous system, though the evidence is still developing. This system has a “fight-or-flight” branch (sympathetic) and a “rest-and-digest” branch (parasympathetic). Stillness, support and slow breathing are thought to favour the rest side.

Three factors are usually discussed:

• Slow breathing. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis by Sylvain Laborde and colleagues found that slow, deliberate breathing increased heart rate variability measures linked to the vagus nerve, during and shortly after practice (Laborde et al., 2022). This is a useful signal, but a change in heart rate variability doesn’t by itself prove a lasting change in health.
• Body position. Researchers at the University of California have suggested that lying down and gentle inversions stimulate baroreceptors, shifting the balance towards parasympathetic activity (Corey et al., 2014). This is a proposed mechanism rather than a proven outcome.
• Less muscle effort. When the floor, a wall or a pillow carries your weight, you don’t need to hold yourself up.

A real-life comparison: think of sinking into a hot bath after a long commute. Your shoulders drop and you let out a long sigh. Relaxing yoga poses aim for a similar feeling on purpose, using position and breath instead of hot water.

What Makes a Yoga Pose Relaxing? The Inteyoga 5-Point Test

Use this quick checklist to tell whether a pose is likely to relax you or simply stretch you:

1. Supported: something other than your muscles holds your weight.
2. Close to the ground: you’re not balancing or worrying about falling.
3. Held, not flowed: you stay still for at least a minute.
4. Mild sensation: about 3 out of 10 on a stretch scale, never sharp.
5. Breath-led: your exhale is slow and a little longer than your inhale.

If a pose ticks four or five of these, it belongs in your relaxation practice.

All 17 Relaxing Yoga Poses for Beginners at a Glance

Pick the group that matches how you feel right now, then go to the full instructions. Hold times are guides, not targets. If a pose feels good, stay longer.

#	Pose (English / Sanskrit)	Group	Often used for	Hold	Household prop
1	Child’s Pose / Balasana	Before bed	Racing thoughts, quick reset	1–3 min	Pillows under chest
2	Legs-Up-the-Wall / Viparita Karani	Before bed	Tired legs, winding down	3–10 min	Folded towel under hips
3	Reclining Bound Angle / Supta Baddha Konasana	Before bed	Tight hips, shallow breathing	3–5 min	Cushions under thighs
4	Corpse Pose / Savasana	Before bed	Whole-body rest	5–15 min	Pillow under knees
5	Cat-Cow (floor or chair) / Marjaryasana-Bitilasana	Desk relief	Stiff spine	6–10 breaths	Office chair or towel
6	Bound Angle / Baddha Konasana	Desk relief	Hips tight from sitting	1–3 min	Folded blanket to sit on
7	Sphinx Pose / Salamba Bhujangasana	Desk relief	Rounded “laptop” posture	1–2 min	Pillow under forearms
8	Thread the Needle / Parsva Balasana	Desk relief	Upper back, shoulders	1 min per side	Cushion under head
9	Ragdoll Forward Fold / Uttanasana variation	Desk relief	Neck and head tension	1 min	Chair seat for hands
10	Easy Pose with breath / Sukhasana	Desk relief	Breathing practice	3–5 min	Cushion under hips
11	Supported Bridge / Setu Bandha (supported)	Deep rest	Feeling flat or tired	3–5 min	Two hardback books
12	Supported Fish / Matsyasana (supported)	Deep rest	Chest, posture	2–5 min	Rolled bath towel
13	Reclining Twist / Supta Matsyendrasana	Deep rest	Lower-back stiffness	2–3 min per side	Pillow under knees
14	Supported Seated Forward Bend / Paschimottanasana	Deep rest	A busy mind	1–3 min	Pillow on thighs
15	Happy Baby / Ananda Balasana	Deep rest	Hips, playful release	1–2 min	None
16	Knees-to-Chest / Apanasana	Deep rest	Lower back	1–2 min	None
17	Crocodile Pose / Makarasana	Deep rest	Learning belly breathing	3–5 min	Thin cushion under hips

Restorative Yoga Sequence for Sleep: Before-Bed Poses

These four poses make a simple restorative yoga sequence for winding down before sleep. Do them in order, on the floor or on your bed, 15–30 minutes before lights out. Dim the lights first and leave your phone in another room if you can.

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Get into it:

1. Kneel with your big toes touching.
2. Open your knees to hip-width or wider.
3. Sit your hips back towards your heels.
4. Walk your hands forward and lower your forehead down.

Breathing cue: Breathe in through your nose and feel your back ribs widen. Breathe out a little longer and let your hips sink heavier.

Come out safely: Walk your hands back towards your knees and roll up slowly as you breathe in, head last.

How it helps: It turns your attention inward and gently lengthens the lower back and hips. Many people find the light pressure on the forehead soothing.

Beginner tweak: Stack two pillows lengthways under your chest. Rest your forehead on a closed book if it doesn’t reach the floor. A rolled towel behind the knees helps if they feel tight.

Take care: If you’re pregnant, take your knees wide to make room for your bump. With a knee injury, choose Knees-to-Chest instead.

2. Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani)

Get into it:

1. Sit sideways with one hip touching a wall or your headboard.
2. Lower your shoulders down as you swing your legs up the wall.
3. Shuffle your hips closer until it feels comfortable.
4. Rest your arms out to the sides, palms up.

Breathing cue: Breathe in for a count of 4 and out for 6. With each exhale, let the backs of your legs grow heavier against the wall.

Come out safely: Bend your knees, roll onto your right side and rest for three breaths. Then use your hands to push up to sitting.

How it helps: It needs almost no effort, and many people find it eases tired, heavy legs after a day on their feet. It’s a comfortable, quiet shape to breathe slowly in before bed.

Beginner tweak: Slide a folded bath towel under your hips. Tight hamstrings? Move your hips a little further from the wall. No wall space? Rest your calves on a sofa or chair seat.

Take care: With glaucoma, uncontrolled high blood pressure or in pregnancy, rest your calves on a chair rather than raising your legs up the wall, or choose a side-lying pose instead. Ask your clinician if unsure.

3. Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together.
2. Let your knees fall open to the sides.
3. Slide a cushion or folded blanket under each thigh.
4. Rest one hand on your belly and one on your chest.

Breathing cue: Breathe into the hand on your belly first, then let the breath rise into your chest. Breathe out slowly and let your inner thighs soften.

Come out safely: Use your hands to press your knees together, then roll onto one side.

How it helps: It opens the hips and chest without effort, giving your breath more room. It’s one of the most familiar restorative yoga poses.

Beginner tweak: Lay two bed pillows lengthways under your spine for a gentle lift. Move your feet further from your hips if your knees complain.

Take care: Ease off at any groin or knee pain. Long periods lying flat on your back aren’t advised in pregnancy, so prop your upper body well up or choose a side-lying pose.

4. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your back with your legs slightly apart.
2. Let your feet fall outward.
3. Rest your arms a little away from your sides, palms up.
4. Close your eyes and let the floor or mattress take all your weight.

Breathing cue: Take three slow breaths with a long, soft exhale. Then stop managing the breath and simply notice it.

Come out safely: Deepen your breath, wiggle your fingers and toes, hug your knees in and roll onto your right side before sitting up. In bed? Just stay where you are.

How it helps: Lying still and fully supported gives you a chance to let go of effort from head to toe. Savasana is also the usual position for Yoga Nidra, a guided relaxation practice.

Beginner tweak: Put a pillow or rolled towel under your knees to ease your lower back. Fold a scarf over your eyes and pull a blanket over you, as you may feel cooler when you’re still.

Take care: If lying flat is uncomfortable, especially in pregnancy, lie on your left side with a pillow between your knees.

Yoga Poses for Stress Relief and Anxiety: Desk-Worker Relief

These six easy calming yoga stretches can ease the stiffness that builds up during long hours at a laptop. Whether you work from a home office in Manchester or a cubicle in Manhattan, the pattern is familiar: rounded shoulders, a tight neck and hips bent for most of the day. Cat-Cow works in your office chair. The rest need a few minutes on the floor at lunch or after work.

5. Cat-Cow, Floor or Seated (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

Get into it:

1. On the floor, come onto hands and knees, wrists under shoulders. In a chair, sit near the front edge with feet flat and hands on your knees.
2. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears.

Breathing cue: Breathe in as you arch your back and lift your chest (Cow). Breathe out as you round your spine and drop your chin (Cat). Repeat for 6–10 slow breaths, letting the breath set the pace.

Come out safely: Return to a flat, neutral back and take two easy breaths before you stand.

How it helps: It loosens a stiff spine and neck, and many people find that moving with the breath feels settling before a busy meeting.

Beginner tweak: On the floor, fold a towel under your knees. In a chair, choose one without wheels and rest your feet on a couple of books if they don’t sit flat.

Take care: Sore wrists? Do the floor version on your forearms, or stick to the chair.

6. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Get into it:

1. Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together.
2. Let your knees drop open.
3. Hold your ankles and sit tall.
4. For a calmer variation, fold forward gently from the hips.

Breathing cue: Breathe in to lengthen your spine. Breathe out to soften your inner thighs and, if you’re folding, ease forward a little. Hold for 1–3 minutes.

Come out safely: Breathe in to sit upright, then use your hands to bring your knees together and stretch your legs out slowly.

How it helps: It gently stretches the hips and inner thighs, which can feel tight after long periods of sitting. The forward-fold version turns your attention inward.

Beginner tweak: Sit on a folded blanket or firm sofa cushion so your hips are higher than your knees. Tuck a pillow under each knee.

Take care: Skip the forward fold with a recent back injury or sciatica.

7. Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your belly, legs hip-width apart.
2. Place your elbows under your shoulders, forearms parallel.
3. Press lightly into your forearms to lift your chest.
4. Keep your neck long and your shoulders down.

Breathing cue: Breathe in and feel your chest broaden. Breathe out and relax your buttocks and legs. Stay for 1–2 minutes.

Come out safely: As you breathe out, lower your chest and rest your forehead on your stacked hands, then press back into Child’s Pose.

How it helps: It’s a mild backbend that opens the chest and front body, a gentle counterpose to the rounded posture of laptop work.

Beginner tweak: Put a folded blanket under your hips and a pillow under your forearms. If your lower back feels pinched, slide your elbows forward to lower your chest.

Take care: Skip it during pregnancy.

8. Thread the Needle (Parsva Balasana)

Get into it:

1. Start on hands and knees.
2. Slide your right arm under your left arm, palm up.
3. Lower your right shoulder and the side of your head to the floor.
4. Rest your left hand on the mat or reach it forward.

Breathing cue: Breathe into your upper back. Breathe out and let your shoulder sink. Stay for about a minute, then switch sides.

Come out safely: Press into your top hand, slide your arm back out and return to hands and knees.

How it helps: It releases the upper back and shoulders, an area where many people notice tension.

Beginner tweak: Rest your head on a cushion and fold a towel under your knees.

Take care: With a shoulder injury, keep the twist small.

9. Ragdoll Forward Fold (Uttanasana Variation)

Get into it:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees softly bent.
2. Fold forward and let your torso rest on your thighs.
3. Hold opposite elbows and let your head hang.

Breathing cue: With each exhale, let your head and arms grow heavier. Sway gently if it feels good. Stay for about a minute.

Come out safely: Bend your knees more and roll up slowly as you breathe in, head last, to avoid feeling dizzy.

How it helps: Letting your head hang can release neck and jaw tension after hours looking at a screen.

Beginner tweak: Rest your hands on a chair seat instead of letting them hang.

Take care: Skip it with glaucoma, high blood pressure or if you feel faint with your head low.

10. Easy Pose with Breath (Sukhasana)

Get into it:

1. Sit cross-legged on a cushion so your hips are higher than your knees.
2. Lengthen your spine and soften your shoulders.
3. Rest your hands on your knees.

Breathing cue: Breathe in for 4 and out for 6. Keep going for 3–5 minutes.

Come out safely: Open your eyes slowly, uncross your legs and stretch them out.

How it helps: It’s the simplest seat for breathing practice, and slow breathing here can be a useful pause when you notice your breath getting fast and shallow.

Beginner tweak: Sit on a chair with both feet flat if crossing your legs is uncomfortable.

Take care: If your knees sit higher than your hips, raise your seat.

Restorative Poses for Deep Relaxation

These seven poses are for days when you feel completely drained. Think Sunday evening after a hectic week, or the night after a long-haul flight. Hold each one a little longer and let your props do the work.

11. Supported Bridge Pose (With a Block)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart.
2. Press into your feet and lift your hips.
3. Slide a yoga block on its lowest height under your sacrum, the flat bone at the base of your spine.
4. Lower your weight onto the block and rest your arms by your sides.

Breathing cue: Breathe in and let your chest rise gently. Breathe out and soften your belly over the block. Hold for 3–5 minutes.

Come out safely: Press into your feet, lift your hips, remove the block and lower your spine slowly. Hug your knees in for a few breaths.

How it helps: It opens the chest and front hips passively. Many people describe it as gently uplifting while still restful.

Beginner tweak: No block? Use two hardback books, a firm sofa cushion or a tightly rolled bath towel.

Take care: With a neck injury, keep the support low so your neck stays relaxed.

12. Supported Fish Pose (Matsyasana, Supported)

Get into it:

1. Roll a bath towel or blanket and lay it across your mat.
2. Lie back so the roll sits just below your shoulder blades.
3. Rest your head on a pillow so your chin doesn’t tip back.

Breathing cue: Breathe into your upper chest. Breathe out and let your shoulders melt towards the floor. Stay for 2–5 minutes.

Come out safely: Roll to your side off the towel and rest before sitting up.

How it helps: It’s a gentle counterpose to the rounded posture of phones and laptops, and it gives your ribs more room to move as you breathe.

Beginner tweak: Use a thinner roll if your lower back complains, and keep your knees bent.

Take care: Avoid with a recent neck or upper-back injury.

13. Reclining Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your back and hug your knees towards your chest.
2. Stretch your arms out in a T, palms up.
3. Slowly lower both knees to the right.
4. Turn your head left if your neck is comfortable.

Breathing cue: Breathe into the upper side of your ribs. With each exhale, let your knees and opposite shoulder grow heavier. Hold for 2–3 minutes each side.

Come out safely: As you breathe in, bring your knees back to the centre before lowering them the other way.

How it helps: It can ease lower-back stiffness, and because your knees are supported, the twist stays effortless.

Beginner tweak: Place a pillow under your knees, and another under the opposite shoulder if it lifts off the floor.

Take care: With a disc problem, keep the twist small or skip it. In pregnancy, avoid deep twists.

14. Supported Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

Get into it:

1. Sit with your legs stretched forward, knees soft or bent.
2. Place a pillow or two on your thighs.
3. Fold forward from the hips and rest your chest or forehead on the pillows.

Breathing cue: Breathe in to lengthen the front of your body. Breathe out to fold a little deeper, without forcing. Stay for 1–3 minutes.

Come out safely: Breathe in and roll up slowly, head last.

How it helps: Forward folds draw your attention inward, which many people find quietening when their mind won’t stop planning.

Beginner tweak: Sit on a folded blanket to tilt your pelvis forward. Bend your knees as much as you need to.

Take care: Bend your knees generously or skip it with a recent lower-back injury or sciatica.

15. Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your back and draw your knees towards your armpits.
2. Hold the outsides of your feet, ankles or shins.
3. Stack your ankles over your knees, soles to the ceiling.

Breathing cue: Breathe out and let your knees drift towards the floor. Rock gently side to side if it feels good. Stay for 1–2 minutes.

Come out safely: Let go of your feet, hug your knees and lower your feet one at a time.

How it helps: It releases the hips and lower back, and its playful shape tends to make people smile.

Beginner tweak: Hold one leg at a time, or loop a towel around each foot.

Take care: Avoid in pregnancy or with a knee injury.

16. Knees-to-Chest (Apanasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie on your back and hug both knees towards your chest.
2. Hold your shins or the backs of your thighs.

Breathing cue: Breathe out and draw your knees a little closer. Breathe in and let them move slightly away. Stay for 1–2 minutes.

Come out safely: Release your legs one at a time and rest your feet on the floor.

How it helps: It’s a simple, comfortable way to release the lower back after a long day of sitting.

Beginner tweak: Hug one knee at a time with the other leg bent and foot on the floor.

Take care: In pregnancy, widen your knees or skip it.

17. Crocodile Pose (Makarasana)

Get into it:

1. Lie face down with your feet apart.
2. Fold your arms and rest your forehead on your stacked forearms.
3. Close your eyes.

Breathing cue: As you breathe in, feel your belly press into the floor. As you breathe out, feel it soften. Stay for 3–5 minutes.

Come out safely: Slide your hands under your shoulders and press back into Child’s Pose for a few breaths.

How it helps: This traditional Hatha Yoga rest pose is one of the easiest ways to learn belly breathing, because the floor lets you feel each breath. Many popular relaxation lists leave it out.

Beginner tweak: Place a thin cushion under your hips if your lower back feels arched.

Take care: Not suitable in pregnancy or if lying on your front is uncomfortable.

Your 10-Minute Relaxing Yoga Sequence (Plus a Free Cheat Sheet)

This short sequence strings five relaxing yoga poses into one calm flow: gentle movement, a supported fold, a mild backbend, a twist and complete rest. It’s beginner-friendly, needs only a pillow and a wall, and works in the morning or the evening. Breathe through your nose throughout.

Step	Pose	Time	Breathing cue	Moving to the next pose
1	Cat-Cow	1 min	Breathe in to arch, out to round	Sit your hips back to your heels
2	Child’s Pose	2 min	Breathe into your back ribs, exhale longer	Slide forward onto your belly
3	Sphinx Pose	1 min	Breathe in to broaden, out to soften	Lower down and roll onto your back
4	Reclining Twist	2 min (1 per side)	Exhale to let knees and shoulder grow heavy	Shuffle your hips towards the wall
5	Legs-Up-the-Wall, then Savasana	4 min	In for 4, out for 6, then natural breath	Roll to your right side to finish

When you finish, stay on your side for three breaths before sitting up. Notice your jaw, shoulders and breath compared with ten minutes ago. That small check-in helps the habit stick.

Use case: if you work a 9-to-5, try steps 1–3 on your lunch break and save steps 4–5 for bedtime. If you work night shifts, try the whole sequence before your daytime sleep, with the curtains drawn. If you’re pregnant, swap Sphinx and Legs-Up-the-Wall for seated breathing and side-lying rest.

The 20-Minute Deep Relaxation Routine

Time	Pose	Breathing cue
0:00–2:00	Easy Pose	In 4, out 6
2:00–3:00	Cat-Cow	Move with each breath
3:00–4:00	Thread the Needle (30 s per side)	Breathe into the upper back
4:00–6:00	Child’s Pose	Belly against thighs
6:00–8:00	Supported Seated Forward Bend	Lengthen the exhale
8:00–10:00	Supported Bridge	Soft belly
10:00–12:00	Reclining Twist	1 min per side
12:00–15:00	Reclining Bound Angle	Hands on belly and chest
15:00–20:00	Savasana with a body scan	Let the breath move naturally

Free Visual Cheat Sheet: Relaxing Yoga Poses at a Glance

Save or print this table and keep it by your mat or bed.

Pose	Hold	Breathing	Household prop	Often used for
Child’s Pose	1–3 min	Exhale longer	Pillows under chest	Quick reset
Legs-Up-the-Wall	3–10 min	In 4, out 6	Folded towel under hips	Winding down, tired legs
Corpse Pose	5–15 min	Natural breath	Pillow under knees	Deep rest
Seated Cat-Cow	6–10 breaths	In arch, out round	Office chair	Desk stiffness
Bound Angle Pose	1–3 min	Exhale to soften thighs	Cushions under knees	Tight hips
Sphinx Pose	1–2 min	Inhale to broaden chest	Pillow under forearms	Rounded posture
Supported Bridge	3–5 min	Exhale to soften belly	Two hardback books	Feeling flat
Reclining Twist	2–3 min per side	Exhale to let knees sink	Pillow under knees	Lower-back stiffness

Want to learn to guide relaxation, not just practise it? Inteyoga’s Advanced TTC 300-Hour Integrated Restorative Yoga (Including Yoga Nidra, Chakra Sadhana, and Prana Vidya Intensive) is an advanced residential teacher training in South Goa for applicants who have already completed a 200-hour TTC or equivalent.

Tips for a Restorative Practice

A restorative practice works best when your body is fully supported, warm and undisturbed. These ten tips make the difference between lying on a mat and genuinely letting go:

1. Support every joint. If a knee, elbow or the back of your neck is hovering, slide something under it.
2. Hold poses longer. Try 3–10 minutes in floor poses, so you aren’t rushing from shape to shape.
3. Choose fewer poses. Four to six well-supported poses usually feel better than fifteen rushed ones.
4. Stay warm. Wear socks and layers and keep a blanket nearby, as you may feel cooler when you’re still.
5. Dim the room. Low light, or a folded scarf over your eyes, makes it easier to settle.
6. Silence your phone. Do Not Disturb, or better still, another room.
7. Lengthen the exhale. Breathe in for 4 and out for 6. Never force or hold your breath.
8. Aim for ease, not stretch. Keep sensation at about 3 out of 10 or below. Restorative yoga isn’t about flexibility.
9. Move in and out slowly. Roll to your side before sitting up from any lying pose.
10. Be consistent. A short practice most days is easier to sustain than a long one now and then. Mayo Clinic describes relaxation as a skill that improves with practice.

How Should You Breathe in Relaxing Yoga Poses?

Breathe slowly through your nose and make your exhale a little longer than your inhale, for example in for 4 counts and out for 6. Slow breathing is one of the best-studied parts of relaxation practice. The pose gives you a comfortable place to do it.

Three techniques work in almost any pose:

1. 4–6 breathing. Breathe in for 4, out for 6, for 2–5 minutes. If that feels like a strain, try 3 in and 5 out.
2. Belly breathing. In Crocodile Pose or Savasana, feel your belly rise as you breathe in and soften as you breathe out, with your chest fairly still.
3. Bhramari (humming bee breath). Sitting in Easy Pose, breathe in, then hum softly on a long exhale. Many people find the gentle sound calming. Bhramari and Nadi Shodhana (alternate-nostril breathing) are among the classical pranayama practices in Inteyoga’s 300-hour training.

Never strain or hold your breath. If you feel light-headed, go back to breathing naturally.

Are Balancing Asanas Relaxing?

Balancing asanas aren’t restful in the way floor poses are, but they can help a scattered mind settle because they demand focus. It’s hard to stand on one leg while replaying an email. Use them early in a session as a “focus reset”, before you move into stillness.

Balancing asana (English / Sanskrit)	How to do it	Why it may help you relax	Hold
Mountain Pose / Tadasana	Stand tall, feet hip-width, weight even, eyes soft	Builds body awareness before balancing	5–10 breaths
Tree Pose / Vrikshasana	Place one sole on the inner calf or thigh (never the knee), palms together	A steady gaze and breath give the mind one thing to focus on	5–8 breaths per side
Standing Knee Hug / Eka Pada Pavanamuktasana	Hug one knee to your chest while standing tall	Balance plus a gentle hip release	5 breaths per side
Eagle Arms / Garudasana arms	Cross your arms at the elbows and wrap your forearms	Stretches the upper back where many people feel tension	5 breaths per side
Supported Warrior III / Virabhadrasana III	Hinge forward with hands on a chair back, one leg lifted behind	Builds steadiness with support	3–5 breaths per side

How to use them well:

• Do them early, after Cat-Cow and before floor poses, rather than at the very end.
• Keep a wall or chair within reach. Worrying about falling makes relaxing much harder.
• Fix your gaze (drishti) on one point and breathe slowly through your nose.
• Skip them if you feel dizzy, have balance problems or low blood pressure. For more options, see our guide to 15 standing yoga poses.

There may be a longer-term bonus too. NCCIH reports that in a 2014 review, 11 of 15 studies found improvements in at least one balance measure in healthy people who practised yoga.

What Are the Benefits of Relaxing Yoga Poses?

Research suggests yoga may help with perceived stress and sleep, and relaxation practice generally may ease muscle tension. The evidence is strongest for stress and wellbeing measures. It’s more limited and mixed for specific medical conditions.

• Lower perceived stress. A 2020 review of 12 studies (672 healthy adults), summarised by the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, found benefits of yoga on perceived stress in all the studies included (NCCIH).
• Support for sleep. NCCIH reports that yoga has helped sleep in multiple studies of people with cancer, women with sleep problems and older adults.
• Slower breathing and heart rate variability. Slow-breathing practice increased vagally mediated heart rate variability in a 2022 meta-analysis (Laborde et al., 2022). This shows a short-term physiological change, not proof of lasting health benefits.
• Short guided relaxation. In a randomised controlled trial of 362 German-speaking adults, online 11-minute and 30-minute Yoga Nidra sessions produced small improvements in self-reported stress, anxiety and rumination compared with a waitlist (Moszeik, Rohleder & Renner, 2025).
• Less muscle tension. Mayo Clinic lists easing muscle tension, slowing heart rate and improving sleep quality among the potential benefits of relaxation techniques in general (Mayo Clinic).
• Possible neck and back relief. NCCIH notes that yoga may relieve neck pain and has a slight benefit for low-back pain.
• Mental wellbeing. A 2018 review of 14 studies (1,084 participants) cited by NCCIH found most showed benefits such as improved resilience or general mental wellbeing.

Why this matters right now: stress affects huge numbers of people. Work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 22.1 million working days lost in Great Britain in 2024/25 (HSE). In the US, 69% of adults in the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Stress in America survey said they needed more emotional support in the past year than they received (APA). A ten-minute home practice won’t fix that on its own, but it’s a practical, low-cost place to start.

What Does the Research Not Show?

Relaxing yoga poses are a wellness practice, not a medical treatment. NCCIH notes that there’s little evidence of benefit for people with diagnosed anxiety disorders, and that yoga shouldn’t be used to postpone seeing a health professional.

• Chronic insomnia: cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the usual first-line treatment offered in NHS services (UCLH NHS Insomnia Service). Relaxing yoga can sit alongside it, not replace it.
• Generalised anxiety disorder: the NHS usually advises psychological treatment such as CBT before medication (NHS).

One honest surprise: in the year-long PRYSMS trial, adults with metabolic syndrome who did gentle stretching showed bigger drops in salivary cortisol than those doing restorative yoga (Corey et al., 2014). The practical takeaway: consistency and genuine ease probably matter more than the label on the class. Choose the poses you’ll enjoy and come back to.

Relaxing Yoga Poses vs Restorative Yoga: What’s the Difference?

“Relaxing yoga poses” is a broad term for any gentle, calming posture. Restorative yoga is a specific style in which a few poses are fully supported by props and held for longer, often 5–20 minutes each. Every restorative pose is relaxing, but not every relaxing pose is restorative. Cat-Cow, for example, is calming yet active.

Feature	Relaxing yoga poses	Restorative yoga
What it is	Any gentle, calming posture	A style built on fully supported poses
Typical hold	30 seconds to 5 minutes	Often 5–20 minutes per pose
Props	Optional (pillows, towels, a wall)	Central (bolsters, blankets, blocks)
Muscle effort	Low, sometimes light movement	Very little
Poses per session	5–15	Often 4–6
Session length	5–30 minutes	Classes commonly run 45–90 minutes
Often used for	Daily stress breaks, bedtime, desk resets	Deep rest, recovery days
Where to start	At home, today	A class or guided recording

Formats vary between teachers and studios, so treat these as typical patterns rather than fixed rules. Comparing slower styles? Our guide to Hatha yoga vs Yin yoga explains how Yin’s long, passive holds differ from both. In short, Yin usually involves a mild stretch sensation, while restorative yoga aims to avoid stretch altogether.

Common Mistakes That Stop You Relaxing

The most common mistake is treating a relaxing pose like a stretch you have to push. Effort and relaxation don’t mix well. Watch out for these too:

• Skipping props. If a joint is hovering, support it so you don’t have to hold yourself up.
• Holding too briefly. Rushing from pose to pose leaves little time to settle. Stay a minute or more.
• Over-controlling the breath. Slow is good. Forced is not.
• Practising cold. A chilly room makes it harder to let go. Grab socks and a blanket.
• Checking your phone between poses. Each notification pulls your attention straight back to your to-do list.
• Expecting instant calm. Some evenings you’ll feel the shift quickly, others it takes longer. Both are normal.

Who Should Be Careful With Relaxing Yoga Poses?

Most healthy people can practise relaxing yoga poses safely, but some should modify them or check with a doctor first. NCCIH advises pregnant women, older adults and people with health conditions to talk to their healthcare provider and yoga teacher about their individual needs.

If you have…	Take care with	Safer option
Pregnancy	Long periods lying on your back, deep twists, lying on your belly, hot yoga	Side-lying rest, wide-knee Child’s Pose, seated breathing
Glaucoma or uncontrolled high blood pressure	Head-below-heart poses and raised-leg inversions	Calves resting on a chair, seated poses
Knee or hip injury	Child’s Pose, Happy Baby, deep Bound Angle	Extra cushions, Knees-to-Chest with knees wide
Recent surgery or disc problems	Twists and forward folds	Clinician-approved positions, breathing only
Acid reflux	Lying flat soon after eating	Practise two hours after meals, prop up your upper body
Low blood pressure or dizziness	Standing balances, quick changes of level	Floor poses, rolling to the side before sitting up
History of trauma	Long periods of eyes-closed stillness	Keep eyes open, shorten holds, stop if distressed

Mayo Clinic notes that a small number of people, especially those with serious mental health conditions or a history of trauma, may feel emotional discomfort during relaxation practices.

Mild restlessness or an urge to fidget is common when you first slow down. Flashbacks, panic, or feeling detached from your body or surroundings are different: stop the practice and speak to a health professional. In the UK, your GP is a good first port of call. In the US, start with your primary care provider.

How We Teach Relaxation at Inteyoga

At Inteyoga, relaxation is treated as a discipline to study and practise, not an add-on at the end of class. Inteyoga (Swami Krishnananda Yoga Vidyapeeth) in Sernabatim, Colva, South Goa, is registered with Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga School (RYS 200, RYS 300 and RYS 500).

That approach shaped this guide in a few ways:

• Restorative practice at the core. Our advanced 300-hour programme is built around integrated restorative yoga, with Yoga Nidra, Chakra Sadhana and Prana Vidya as its specialities.
• From movement to stillness. The training moves gradually from physical practice towards stillness and inner awareness. That’s why this guide starts with movement and ends with rest.
• Props and safety first. Safe use of props, modifications and contraindications are part of how we teach relaxation, which is why every pose here comes with a “Take care” note.
• No medical claims. Yoga practices are not medical treatment or a substitute for professional healthcare. This article is held to the same standard.

Founder-Director: Dr. Ashutosh, MBBS, M.Sc. (Yoga), Yoga Master Level 6 (Yoga Certification Board, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India), Swami Krishnananda Yoga Vidyapeeth and Inteyoga, Colva, South Goa. Meet the teacher →

Our Editorial Standards

• Sources: we rely on government health bodies (NCCIH, NHS, CDC, HSE), Mayo Clinic, the American Psychological Association and peer-reviewed research, and link to each so you can check them.
• Cautious health language: we separate proposed mechanisms from proven outcomes, and we say where evidence is limited.
• No product recommendations: this guide recommends no paid props; household items work fine.
• Corrections: spotted something out of date? Email info@inteyoga.org.

Conclusion: Start With Three Relaxing Yoga Poses Tonight

You don’t need flexibility, special kit or a spare hour to try relaxing yoga poses. Tonight, try just three: Child’s Pose for two minutes, a Reclining Twist on each side, and five minutes of Legs-Up-the-Wall or Savasana. Breathe in for four and out for six.

Do that for two weeks, then add poses from this list as you get curious. Notice what changes, whether that’s your shoulders, your evenings or how easily you settle.

If you’d like to study restorative practice in depth and learn to guide others safely, Inteyoga’s advanced 300-hour programme in South Goa brings together Yoga Nidra, Chakra Sadhana and Prana Vidya in a 43+2-day residential training taught in English. No payment is required to apply or participate. After completing the programme, participants may choose to support the Gift-it-Forward initiative to help future aspirants, with no obligation to contribute.

• 2026–27 batches: 13 Dec 2026 – 26 Jan 2027 · 5 Feb – 21 Mar 2027 · 24 May – 7 Jul 2027 · 16 Jul – 29 Aug 2027 · 7 Sep – 21 Oct 2027 · 1 Nov – 15 Dec 2027
• Eligibility: applicants aged 21–60 who have completed a 200-hour TTC or an equivalent yoga teacher training qualification
• New to yoga teacher training? Inteyoga’s planned 200-hour programme is expected around mid-2027

Apply for the 300-hour programme ↗ · Read the FAQ · WhatsApp +91 935-473-7240 · info@inteyoga.org

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)