Top 20 'Exhale-and-Unwind' Yoga Poses to do for Shifting from Fight-or-Flight to Rest-and-Digest - Goh Ling Yong
In our hyper-connected, fast-paced world, it’s easy to live in a state of high alert. Deadlines loom, notifications ping, and our to-do lists seem to multiply overnight. This constant pressure keeps our sympathetic nervous system—our "fight-or-flight" response—on overdrive. It’s a primal survival mechanism designed for short-term threats, but when activated chronically, it leaves us feeling anxious, exhausted, and disconnected. We're wired, but tired.
But there’s a built-in antidote: the parasympathetic nervous system, lovingly known as our "rest-and-digest" mode. This is the state where our body can truly heal, repair, and recharge. The shift from high-alert to deep calm isn't automatic, though. It requires a conscious choice to slow down, breathe deeply, and signal to our body that we are safe. This is where the profound practice of yoga comes in, acting as a bridge between these two states.
Here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe in providing practical tools for profound well-being. This isn't about contorting yourself into pretzel-like shapes. It's about using gentle movement and intentional breath to regulate your nervous system. These 20 "exhale-and-unwind" poses are your personal toolkit for telling your body it’s time to let go. They are designed to be accessible, deeply nourishing, and effective at turning down the volume on your stress response.
1. Child's Pose (Balasana)
If there were one universal symbol for "I need a moment," it would be Child's Pose. This quintessential resting posture is a direct invitation to your nervous system to downshift. By folding the body inward, you create a sense of safety and containment, mimicking a protective fetal position. It gently stretches the back, hips, and ankles while quieting the mind and encouraging introspection.
To enter Balasana, start on your hands and knees. Bring your big toes to touch and widen your knees slightly, creating space for your torso. On an exhale, sit your hips back towards your heels and fold your torso forward, resting your forehead on the mat. You can extend your arms forward for a gentle shoulder stretch or rest them alongside your body with palms facing up, which further encourages the shoulders to release.
- Pro-Tip: If your forehead doesn't comfortably reach the mat, place a folded blanket or a yoga block underneath it. This support is crucial for allowing your neck muscles to relax completely. Focus on breathing into your back body, feeling your ribs expand with each inhale and soften with each exhale. Hold for at least one minute.
2. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
This is arguably the most restorative pose in all of yoga. Viparita Karani is a passive, supported inversion that requires minimal effort but delivers maximum benefits for nervous system regulation. By elevating your legs, you reverse the effects of gravity, which helps drain fluid and relieve fatigue from your feet and legs. More importantly, it calms the mind, reduces anxiety, and can even help with insomnia.
To practice, place a folded blanket or a bolster a few inches away from a wall. Sit on one end of the support, with your side against the wall. From here, gently swing your legs up the wall as you lie back onto the mat and your support. Your sitting bones should be close to or touching the wall, and your lower back should feel comfortably supported. Let your arms rest out to your sides, palms facing up.
- Pro-Tip: Don't worry if your hamstrings are tight and your legs can't straighten completely; a gentle bend in the knees is perfectly fine. The goal is relaxation, not a deep stretch. Close your eyes and stay here for 5 to 15 minutes, allowing your body to become heavy and your breath to deepen naturally.
3. Cat-Cow Stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
This gentle, flowing sequence is a balm for a tense spine and a scattered mind. By linking breath to movement, Cat-Cow helps to anchor you in the present moment, interrupting the cycle of anxious thoughts. The movement itself massages the spine, releases tension in the neck and shoulders, and gently stimulates the abdominal organs, which are closely linked to our rest-and-digest response.
Start on all fours in a tabletop position, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. As you inhale, drop your belly, lift your chest and tailbone, and look slightly forward into Cow Pose. As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, tuck your chin to your chest, and press the mat away from you into Cat Pose.
- Pro-Tip: Close your eyes and let your breath guide the pace. Don't rush it. Feel the articulation of each vertebra. This mindful movement is a form of meditation, helping to soothe the fight-or-flight system by focusing your awareness on physical sensation. Repeat for 10-15 rounds.
4. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Twists are the body's natural way of wringing out stress. A supine twist is particularly calming because it’s done lying down, allowing you to release muscular effort and surrender to gravity. This pose helps to neutralize the spine, release tension in the lower back and hips, and gently massage the digestive organs, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Lie on your back and draw both knees into your chest. Extend your arms out to the sides in a "T" shape, palms facing down. On an exhale, let both knees fall gently to one side. You can turn your head to gaze over the opposite shoulder if that feels comfortable for your neck.
- Pro-Tip: Place a pillow or a block under your knees if they don't comfortably reach the floor. The goal is to let your lower back release, not to force a deep twist. With every exhale, imagine you are releasing a layer of tension from your spine and shoulders. Hold for 1-3 minutes on each side.
5. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Forward folds are inherently calming. They turn our awareness inward, away from external stimuli, and have a profound quieting effect on the brain. Paschimottanasana stretches the entire back side of the body, from the heels to the neck, releasing physical tension that often accompanies mental stress. This pose is renowned for its ability to relieve anxiety and fatigue.
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. You might want to sit on the edge of a folded blanket to help tilt your pelvis forward. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and on your exhale, begin to hinge forward from your hips, not your waist. Keep your spine long as you walk your hands forward. Stop when you feel a gentle stretch, and then allow your head to hang heavy.
- Pro-Tip: Forget about touching your toes! The real benefit comes from releasing the spine. Bend your knees generously to take any pressure off your hamstrings and lower back. You can even rest your forehead on a bolster or a stack of pillows placed on your shins.
6. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
While backbends can be stimulating, a gentle, supported Bridge Pose is a fantastic way to open the chest and heart area, a place where we often hold anxiety and grief. This mild inversion brings blood flow to the brain, which can have a calming effect, while also gently stretching the front of the body and strengthening the back.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and close enough to touch with your fingertips. On an inhale, press through your feet to lift your hips off the floor. Interlace your fingers underneath your back and roll your shoulders under you to create more space in your chest.
- Pro-Tip: For a more restorative version, slide a yoga block or a firm bolster under your sacrum (the flat, bony part of your lower back). This allows you to rest in the pose without muscular effort, making it a deeply therapeutic experience for the nervous system. Hold for up to a minute.
7. Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
This is the ultimate pose of surrender. By opening up the hips and chest in a fully supported position, you send a powerful signal of safety to your nervous system. It's a deeply passive posture that allows for total release in the hip flexors and inner thighs—areas that often tighten in response to stress.
Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall out to the sides. You can place your hands on your belly to feel the rise and fall of your breath, or rest them by your sides.
- Pro-Tip: This pose is all about support. Place blocks, pillows, or rolled-up blankets under each of your outer thighs or knees. This will prevent overstretching and allow your inner thighs to relax fully. You can also place a bolster lengthwise under your spine to create a gentle chest-opening sensation. Stay for 5-10 minutes.
8. Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
This asymmetrical forward fold provides a gentle stretch for the hamstrings, hips, and side body while calming the mind. The slight twist involved helps to stimulate the kidneys and liver, aiding in the body's natural detoxification processes, which function optimally in a "rest-and-digest" state.
Sit on the floor and extend one leg straight out. Bend the other knee and bring the sole of that foot to your inner thigh. Inhale to lengthen your spine, then turn your torso slightly to face your extended leg. Exhale and fold forward over the straight leg, hinging from your hips.
- Pro-Tip: Use a strap around the ball of your extended foot if you can't reach it comfortably. This allows you to keep your spine long and avoid rounding your back excessively. Let your head be heavy, and breathe into the space you feel opening in your back and side body. Hold for 1 minute on each side.
9. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
There’s a reason babies love this pose! It’s inherently joyful and releasing. Happy Baby gently stretches the inner groins and the back of the spine while compressing the abdomen, which can aid digestion. It’s a wonderful way to release tension in the lower back and sacrum after a long day of sitting or standing.
Lie on your back and draw your knees toward your armpits. Grab the outsides of your feet with your hands (or use a strap around each foot). Keep your head on the floor and try to stack your ankles directly over your knees, creating a 90-degree angle.
- Pro-Tip: For a more dynamic release, gently rock from side to side. This movement massages the entire length of your spine against the floor, providing a soothing, self-massage effect that is deeply calming for the nervous system.
10. Ragdoll Pose
A variation of the Standing Forward Bend, Ragdoll Pose allows for a complete release of the upper body. By letting your head, neck, and arms hang heavy, you use gravity to decompress the spine and release tension in the shoulders. This mild inversion brings fresh oxygen to the brain, helping to clear mental fog and reduce stress.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart or wider, with a generous bend in your knees. Hinge at your hips and fold forward, letting your torso hang over your legs. Grasp opposite elbows with opposite hands. Let your head be completely heavy, shaking it 'yes' and 'no' to release any lingering neck tension.
- Pro-Tip: Gently sway from side to side to deepen the release in your lower back. The key here is passivity. The more you can let go of muscular control in your upper body, the more effective the pose will be.
11. Garland Pose / Yogi Squat (Malasana)
This primal squat is incredibly grounding. It connects you to the earth, stretches the ankles, groins, and back torso, and tones the belly. For the nervous system, Malasana is fantastic because it stimulates the vagus nerve through gentle abdominal compression, which is a key player in activating the rest-and-digest response.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, toes pointing slightly out. Bend your knees and lower your hips down into a deep squat. If your heels lift, slide a rolled-up blanket under them for support. Bring your palms together at your heart and gently press your elbows against your inner knees to help open your hips.
- Pro-Tip: If squatting this deep is inaccessible, sit on a yoga block (or two). This provides support while still allowing you to reap the hip-opening and grounding benefits of the pose.
12. Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana)
For those who find deep backbends over-stimulating, Sphinx Pose is the perfect alternative. It’s a very gentle backbend that opens the chest and shoulders without taxing the nervous system. It strengthens the spine and firms the buttocks while providing a gentle stretch for the abdomen, which can help relieve stress and fatigue.
Lie on your stomach with your legs extended behind you. Place your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor, parallel to each other. Press down through your forearms and the tops of your feet as you gently lift your head and chest off the floor. Keep your gaze soft and slightly forward.
- Pro-Tip: Be mindful not to crunch your lower back. Keep your pubic bone pressing gently into the mat to maintain length in your spine. Breathe into your chest and feel the gentle opening across your collarbones.
13. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Like its Ragdoll variation, a classic Standing Forward Bend is a powerful tool for calming the mind. With your head below your heart, this pose soothes the nervous system, relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back, and can help alleviate mild depression and anxiety.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. On an exhale, hinge from your hips and fold forward. Bend your knees as much as you need to allow your spine to release fully. Let your hands rest on the floor, on blocks, or on your shins.
- Pro-Tip: The primary goal is to release the spine, not to have straight legs. Prioritize a long torso and a heavy head over touching the floor. A deep bend in the knees will make this pose far more restorative and calming.
14. Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Our hips are notorious for storing emotional tension and stress. Pigeon Pose is a deep hip opener that targets the piriformis and psoas muscles, allowing for a profound physical and emotional release. As you hold the pose, you give your body time to let go of deeply held tension, which can be a game-changer for shifting out of fight-or-flight.
From a tabletop position, bring your right knee forward toward your right wrist. Angle your right shin so your foot is somewhere in front of your left hip. Extend your left leg straight back. Keep your hips square to the front of the mat and, if you feel stable, fold forward over your front leg.
- Pro-Tip: This can be an intense pose. Support is key. Place a folded blanket or block under your right hip to keep your pelvis level. For a gentler version, try "Figure-Four" on your back: lie down, cross your right ankle over your left knee, and draw your left thigh toward you.
15. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
This seated hip opener, also known as Cobbler's Pose, is excellent for calming the nervous system. It stimulates the abdominal organs, improves circulation, and stretches the inner thighs and groins. The act of sitting tall and then gently folding forward can be very grounding and introspective.
Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop out to the sides. Hold onto your feet or ankles. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and if you like, exhale to fold forward with a long back.
- Pro-Tip: Sit on a blanket to elevate your hips, which will make the pose more comfortable, especially if you have tight hips. If your knees are high off the ground, place blocks under them for support.
16. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
It may look simple, but a well-aligned Mountain Pose is a powerful practice in grounding and presence. It teaches you to feel the earth beneath your feet, to align your body with intention, and to stand with a quiet confidence. This act of stable, mindful presence is a direct counter-signal to the scattered energy of an activated fight-or-flight response.
Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart. Press down evenly through all four corners of both feet. Engage your leg muscles without locking your knees. Lengthen your tailbone down, lift your chest, and relax your shoulders away from your ears. Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing forward.
- Pro-Tip: Close your eyes and notice the subtle sways of your body. Feel the connection between your feet and the floor. Imagine roots growing down from your soles, anchoring you to the earth. Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
17. Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Often practiced as a counter-pose to shoulder-stand, a supported Fish Pose is a wonderful heart opener that can help combat anxiety and fatigue. By arching the upper back and opening the throat, it encourages deeper breathing and releases tension in the neck and shoulders.
Lie on your back and slide a yoga block or a firm, rolled blanket under your upper back, just at the base of your shoulder blades. Allow your head to rest back on the mat or on another support, like a lower block or second blanket. Let your arms fall open to the sides.
- Pro-Tip: The support under your back should feel uplifting, not straining. Adjust the height of your prop until you find a position where you can relax completely and breathe deeply into your expanded chest.
18. Supported Child's Pose
Taking the classic Child's Pose and adding a bolster or a stack of firm pillows transforms it from a simple resting pose into a deeply therapeutic experience. The support under your torso allows you to release all muscular effort, while the gentle pressure on your abdomen can be incredibly soothing and help stimulate the vagus nerve.
Place a bolster or a stack of pillows lengthwise in front of you. Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and knees wide apart. Fold forward, laying your entire torso and one cheek on the support. Let your arms drape down on either side of the bolster.
- Pro-Tip: Halfway through the hold (aim for 3-5 minutes), turn your head to rest on the opposite cheek to ensure a balanced release for your neck. This is one of my favorite poses, a practice I, Goh Ling Yong, recommend to nearly everyone seeking deep rest.
19. Easy Pose with a Forward Fold (Sukhasana)
This simple variation on a classic meditative posture adds the calming benefits of a forward fold. It provides a gentle stretch for the hips and back while turning your focus inward. It's an accessible way to signal to your body and mind that it's time to quiet down.
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position (Easy Pose), elevating your hips on a blanket if needed. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and on an exhale, walk your hands forward and fold your torso over your legs.
- Pro-Tip: Rest your forehead on a block or a stack of books. This support for your head is the magic ingredient that allows your nervous system to fully enter a state of rest. Let your back round naturally and breathe into any areas of tightness.
20. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Never underestimate the power of Savasana. This pose of total relaxation is the most important part of any calming yoga practice. It is here that your body integrates the benefits of the previous poses. By consciously relaxing every part of your body, you allow your nervous system to fully shift into its parasympathetic "rest-and-digest" state, promoting deep healing and restoration.
Lie on your back with your feet falling open naturally. Let your arms rest a few inches away from your body, palms facing up. Close your eyes and release control of your breath. Let your body feel heavy and completely supported by the floor.
- Pro-Tip: Get comfortable! Place a bolster under your knees to release your lower back, cover yourself with a blanket for warmth, and use an eye pillow to block out light. Give yourself at least 5-10 minutes in this pose. It’s not about falling asleep; it's about staying consciously present in a state of deep, effortless relaxation.
Your Invitation to Unwind
Shifting from a state of chronic stress to one of calm and ease is not an overnight fix; it's a practice. It's about consistently offering your body and mind moments of intentional rest. You don't need to do all 20 of these poses every day. Start by choosing two or three that resonate with you and commit to practicing them for just five minutes when you feel overwhelmed.
By incorporating these "exhale-and-unwind" poses into your life, you are actively retraining your nervous system. You are teaching your body that it is safe to slow down, that it is okay to rest, and that true strength lies not in constant action, but in the ability to find stillness.
Which of these poses is your go-to for stress relief? Share your favorite in the comments below! And if you found this guide helpful, be sure to subscribe for more practical wellness tips to help you live a more balanced and centered life.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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