Learning how to deal with anxiety is a personal pursuit. These yoga poses can help you calm down and quiet your mind.
(Photo: Andrew Clark; Design in Canva)
Published September 3, 2026 05:55AM
Figuring out how to deal with anxiety is a personal pursuit. Experiencing symptoms of anxiety—think a racing heart and thoughts, physical tension, shortness of breath, panic attacks—as well as passing anxious thoughts can be overwhelming. We’re all just doing our best in life, and it sucks when our own brains make it more difficult. Â
Yoga isn’t an instant cure-all for anxiety. But your practice, and certain poses in particular, can make moving through those moments a little more manageable. The shape of the poses and the accompanying slow, steady breathing, meditative vibe, and regular practice are proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety. And when you don’t have time for a full practice, a few mindful breaths in the right yoga pose can offer a moment of soothing stillness.
How to Deal with Anxiety: 5 Yoga Poses for a Quick Calm-Down
A balancing pose, heart openers, and shapes of surrender are all ways to support your mind and body when you seek tranquility.
1. Tree Pose
Interrupting your own tornado of thoughts can be the first step in allowing any mental storm to pass. A balancing pose such as Tree Pose challenges you to shift your normal narrative, physically speaking, simply by standing on one foot instead of two. Fix your gaze on a still point straight ahead of you, ground through your planted foot, and stand strong in the present moment.
And don’t worry if you wobble—imperfection is allowed here.
2. Downward-Facing Dog
This inversion is considered by many to be the ultimate pause in any yoga practice. Downward-Facing Dog is well known as the baseline that you return to again and again throughout your sequence, each time finding more grounding, support, and stability in the shape. Plus, going even a little bit upside-down activates the parasympathetic nervous system. That pause is often enough to help clear the thoughts that accompany anxiety. Â
Find a solid stance here, let your head hang heavy, and breathe your way back to yourself.
3. Sphinx Pose
Open your heart and find your calm. Sphinx Pose asks you to simply breathe a little slower and a little more deeply from a stable, almost restful space. The supported shape combines a subtle backbend and chest opening, stretching your front body without adding any stress to the equation, and allowing you to release tension with relative ease.
4. Bridge Pose
Physically broadening the space around your lungs can help make breathing easy a little easier. Bridge Pose opens your upper body, encouraging deep breaths and counteracting any anxiety-induced hunching that may be happening. Its inverted nature also means that the previously mentioned benefits of lifting your heart above your head—including activated parasympathetic nervous system—apply.
5. Child’s Pose
When in doubt (or a moment of extreme overwhelm), take Child’s Pose. This pose is pretty much stillness embodied, yet a slightly more active alternative to Savasana, which may be a bit too still if you’re in an anxious spin. The bow-like shape—and your forehead touching the floor—helps put you in a state of surrender, activating your relaxation response and deactivating your stress response.
