Updated: Jun 18, 2021
How to use pranayama to help release negative emotions and move on: Basic breathwork
Sit cross-legged with a tall spine and your hands resting on your knees
Ground down through the sits bones as you extend up through the crown of your head
With your eyes closed, deepen your breath and fill your belly with oxygen
Pause for a few seconds
Then slowly exhale all of the air from your belly
Repeat this practice for 2 – 3 minutes
Practice these 8 yoga poses to help release negative emotions and move on:
1. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) We tend to hold much of our trauma and emotional energy in our hips. Bound Angle Pose will gently release your hips and help move blocked energy through and out of the body. Let’s try it:
Begin seated on your mat
Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet to touch
Keep your feet on the mat and gently open the soles of your feet with your hands as though you are opening a book
Inhale and lengthen your spine
Exhale and gently allow the knees to relax toward the ground
Repeat for a few breaths
2. Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) To release trapped emotions, we need to be able to communicate effectively. Upward Facing Dog relieves tension in the throat and helps balance and unblock the throat chakra. Let’s try it:
Begin on your stomach with your legs extended and the tops of your feet pushing into the ground
Plant your palms on the mat directly beneath your shoulders
As you inhale, push into your hands and lift your body off the mat. Keep your feet grounded
Keep the sternum lifted to avoid compressing the lower spine
Stay here for a few breaths
3. Plank Pose (Kumbhakasana) Plank Pose benefits the nervous system and helps strengthen your core. When we’re strong physically, we feel stronger and more confident mentally and emotionally too, so a strong core can help you cope with any challenges you face. Let’s try it:
Begin in Table Top Pose with your fingers spread widely
Keep your shoulders active and your gaze in between your hands
Step both feet back, tuck your toes, and lift your knees off the mat
Reach the crown of the head forward and your heels back
Press down actively through each fingertip to protect your wrists
Activate your core to keep your hips lifted
Hold for a few breaths
4. Lion Pose (Simhasana) Lion Pose releases tension held in the jaw joint (which is either the result of or can subconsciously cause us to grit our teeth – and in either case, can create a place of stress and fatigue within the jaw). When we’re able to soften the body physically, we can then soften our anxiety about the past to help release negative emotions. Let’s try it:
Begin kneeling with your hands resting on your knees
Sit up tall and take a deep inhalation through the nose
As you exhale, open your mouth very wide and reach your tongue toward your chin
Direct your gaze to your third eye or to the tip of your nose
As the breath releases, make a soft “haaa” sound
Be sure not to roar – let the breath do the work, not the vocal chords
Repeat a few times
5. Tree Pose (Vrksasana) Tree Pose is the perfect balancing posture to help you focus on the present instead of feeling stuck in the past. Focusing on the present, even for a few moments, will help the mind and body release the stagnant energy holding you back. Let’s try it
Begin in Mountain Pose
Bring your body weight into your left foot and find a focal point to set your gaze on (this is called your Drishti)
Come onto the ball of the right foot and open your right knee toward the right side of the room
Rest the sole of your right foot on your left calf or left inner thigh (option for full lotus variation if that’s part of your practice)
Bring your palms to touch at heart center
Focus on engaging the entire body and standing tall through the spine
Hold for a few breaths, and repeat on the other side
6. Standing Pigeon Pose (Standing Figure Four) Standing Pigeon Pose requires your full focus in order to remain balanced, which keeps you in the present moment. Standing Pigeon Pose, or Standing Figure Four, also works on opening your hips, which in turn helps release negative energy and emotions. Let’s try it:
Begin in Mountain Pose
Bring your body weight into your left foot and find a focal point in the room
Rest your right ankle on your left thigh and flex the right foot
Bend the left knee and keep the inner thighs and core engaged
Bring your palms to touch in front of your chest
Hold for a few breaths, and repeat on the other side
7. Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana) To be done with an instructor Headstand invites you to literally see the world from a different perspective. Inversions move the energy within your body and helps you let go of stagnant energy and emotion. Headstands are also called the King of Asanas due to their stress- and anxiety-relieving benefits so you emerge feeling calm, relieved, and in control of your emotions. Let’s try it:
Begin in Table Top Pose
Place your forearms on the floor with your elbows shoulder-width apart
Interlace your fingers
Place the crown of your head on the mat and the back of your head into your palms
Slowly lift your knees and walk your feet towards your head
Press into your forearms to protect your neck
Once your hips are stacked over your shoulders, lift your right leg
If you feel strong here, activate your core and bring the left knee into your chest or your left leg to meet your right leg
Keep your legs, core and shoulders active
Practice against a wall if you feel more comfortable
Hold for a few breaths
8. Corpse Pose (Savasana) Savasana is the ultimate opportunity to allow yourself to release and let go. In the silence and stillness of Savasana you can become more aware of what is holding you back, so use this opportunity to let go of any negative energy and emotion. Let’s try it:
Begin reclined on your yoga mat with your legs extended and your arms relaxed by your side
Notice any areas of the body that may be holding tension such as your forehead or jaw, and with each exhale release the tension
Explore using yoga props like a blanket or eye pillow to help you find more comfort
Relax your breath
Rest and restore for 5 – 10 minutes
When you hold grudges, when you can’t release things or negative energy from your past, you only cause yourself and others more pain. The present moment is all you have, so don’t waste it on negative energy. Move on, love yourself and know that all is well. Namaste. Take This Yoga Class to Move On
https://youtu.be/RwjytsN5l5Q
