Feeling Low? Try These Yoga Poses for Happiness Right Now

When was the last time you had ‘me time’? A specific time dedicated to happiness and space for your body and mind?

Every morning, you wake up, get ready and reach the office. Come home, have dinner, and sleep just so you can repeat the cycle tomorrow morning. 

Just 15 to 30 minutes of yoga is what your body and mind need for happiness. Let's explore the yoga poses that can make you feel ready for the day. 

Why Yoga is the Secret for Happiness

Does yoga make you happier? This question pops up a lot, especially from people who think happiness only comes after achieving a promotion at work.

The answer is a resounding yes. And here's why:

1. Yoga boosts your body's natural mood elevators: Just 20 minutes of yoga stimulates your brain to release chemicals that make you feel good. It's like having an internal DJ that only plays happy tunes.

2. It breaks the stress cycle: When you're stressed, your breathing gets shallow, your muscles tighten, and your mind races. You can practise yoga to break this cycle by doing exactly the opposite. Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and mental focus tell your body, ‘We're safe now. We can relax.’ It's like hitting the reset button on a frozen computer.

3. Yoga gives you a break from your thoughts: Most of us spend our days overthinking everything from work deadlines to why that person in traffic gave us a weird look. You can practise yoga for mindfulness. This creates a mental vacation where you focus only on your breath and movement. It's like telling your thoughts, "Thanks for your input, but I'm busy breathing right now."

4. It creates community: Many people practise yoga in groups, which builds social connections. And as any dog owner at a dog park knows, shared activities create happiness.

5. Yoga improves sleep: Better sleep equals better mood. It's simple math that even backbenchers can appreciate.

Does Yoga Make You Happier? Science Says Yes

When you practise yoga, you're engaging with scientifically proven methods for improving mental health. Researchers have found that regular yoga practise can:

• Reduce symptoms of depression

• Lower anxiety levels significantly after just 8 weeks

• Increase GABA levels by promoting relaxation

• Improve concentration and memory

• Decrease inflammation throughout the body

Think of yoga as your go-to tool for mindfulness just as a gym membership—except you don't have to deal with that one person who never wipes down the equipment.

11 Easy Yoga Poses To Improve Mood

Ready to turn that frown upside down? Here are eleven yoga poses that you can practise to bring joy into your life. 

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Benefits: Grounding and empowering, enhancing mindfulness and presence. It's like plugging yourself into the earth's energy socket.

How to practise:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart

• Engage your core (imagine you're about to be tickled)

• Relax your shoulders away from your ears

• Breathe deeply

• Imagine you're a mighty mountain (not a speed bump)

Mountain pose might look like ‘just standing,’ but it's actually teaching your body what good posture feels like. Your future back will thank you.

2. Wide-Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana I)

Benefits: Reduces stress and quiets the mind. Blood flow to your head means fresh oxygen for your brain cells—they're throwing a little party up there.

How to practise:

• Step feet wide apart (think sumo wrestler stance)

• Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat

• Let your head drop below your heart

• Hold onto your ankles or place your hands on the floor

• If you're feeling brave, let your head dangle like a ragdoll

3. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Benefits: Relieves stress and calms the brain. This pose is literally named after how happy dogs stretch—and have you ever seen an unhappy dog stretching?

How to practise:

• Start in table top position

• Tuck your toes and lift your hips high

• Straighten arms and legs (or keep a slight bend if needed)

• Imagine making an upside-down V shape

• Push the floor away from you

• Try to relax your head and neck

Your first Downward Dog might feel like you're trying to fold a stiff piece of origami, but stick with it. Your body will thank you.

4. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Benefits: Opens the heart, fights fatigue, and boosts mood. Plus, you get to pretend you're a majestic cobra—without the scary fangs.

How to practise:

• Lie on your stomach

• Place palms under shoulders

• Press gently into hands to lift the chest

• Keep elbows slightly bent

• Think ‘open collar bones’ not ‘scrunch shoulders’

Fun fact: This pose helps counteract all that forward hunching we do while texting and scrolling through social media. Your neck is silently cheering.

5. Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Benefits: Reduces anxiety and fatigue. It's like telling your brain, ‘Take a coffee break’

How to practise:

• Stand tall, then hinge at hips

• Let your upper body drape forward

• Knees can be straight or bent (bent is more relaxing)

• Let your head and arms hang heavy

• If your hamstrings are screaming, bend those knees more

This pose is great for when you need a quick reset button during a stressful day. It's like rebooting your computer, but for humans.

6. Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Benefits: Grounding and calming, opens the hips. Great for anyone who sits at a desk all day.

How to Practise:

• Sit with soles of feet together

• Allow knees to fall outward

• Lift your heart (chest up, shoulders back)

• For bonus relaxation, massage your feet while you're there

If your knees are up high, don't worry. You can put cushions under them for support. Your body isn't Amazon Prime—changes don't happen overnight.

7. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

Benefits: Relieves stress and improves circulation. It's like giving your legs a vacation from gravity.

How to Practise:

• Lie on your back with buttocks near a wall

• Extend legs up against the wall

• Rest arms at sides, palms up

• Close eyes and breathe deeply

• Pretend you're a bug that's been flipped over (but cuter)

This pose is perfect for people who spend all day on their feet. Your legs will send you a thank-you card.

8. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Benefits: Promotes balance and inner calm. Also helps you practise laughing at yourself when you wobble.

How to Practise:

• Stand on one leg (near a wall for beginners)

• Place the other foot on the inner thigh or calf (not on knee)

• Bring hands to heart or overhead

• Fix gaze on a non-moving point

• Try not to topple over like a lumberjacked tree

Remember: Even actual trees sway in the wind. Wobbling is part of the process.

9. Horse Pose (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

Benefits: Grounding and empowering, releases stress in hips and thighs. Makes you feel like a mighty warrior (even if you're in pyjamas).

How to Practise:

• Stand with feet wide apart

• Turn toes slightly outward

• Bend knees deeply, keeping them over ankles

• Bring arms to a ‘goal post’ position

• Imagine you're a powerful horse (not the tired kind at the end of a parade)

This pose builds heat quickly—nature's own space heater.

10. Child's Pose (Balasana)

Benefits: Calming and restorative. The yoga equivalent of a warm cup of tea and a cosy blanket.

How to Practise:

• Kneel on the mat

• Sit back onto your heels

• Stretch arms forward or rest them alongside body

• Rest forehead on the mat

• Breathe into your back like you're inflating a balloon

When in doubt, Child's Pose it out. This is your yoga safety blanket.

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11. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Benefits: Deep relaxation, reduces anxiety, and restores energy. This is the ultimate ‘do nothing’ pose—yet somehow, it’s the hardest one.

How to Practise:

• Lie flat on your back with legs stretched out naturally

• Let arms rest by your sides, palms facing up

• Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths

• Relax every muscle in your body, from your toes to your forehead

• If thoughts pop up, acknowledge them and let them drift away like clouds

At first, it might feel like just lying on the floor and waiting, but give it time. Savasana is where the magic of yoga poses truly settles in.

Yoga for Happiness: Small Changes, Big Mood Boosts

Now that you have these mood-boosting poses in your happiness toolkit let's talk about creating a routine that sticks. We've all downloaded fitness apps that became digital dust collectors.

Morning Sunshine Sequence (10 minutes)

Start your day with these energizing poses to wake up your body and mind:

1. Mountain Pose (1 minute)

2. Forward Fold (1 minute)

3. Downward Dog (2 minutes)

4. Cobra Pose (1 minute)

5. Horse Pose (2 minutes)

6. Tree Pose (1 minute on each side)

7. Mountain Pose (1 minute)

Morning yoga is like coffee for your body—except you won't get the jitters or coffee breath.

Evening Wind-Down (15 minutes)

Prepare your body and mind for restful sleep:

1. Butterfly Pose (2 minutes)

2. Child's Pose (3 minutes)

3. Legs Up the Wall (5 minutes)

4. Savasana (5 minutes lying flat on your back)

This sequence tells your body, ‘Sleep mode activated.’

Stay Consistent with Your Yoga Practise for Mindfulness 

Consistency is key when it comes to experiencing the full benefits of yoga. Here's how to make your practise stick better than that gum someone left on the sidewalk:

1. Start small: Begin with just 5 minutes daily.

2. Same time, same place: Create a yoga habit by practising at the same time each day. 

3. Make it comfy: You don't need fancy equipment, but a non-slip mat and comfortable clothes help.

4. Be kind to yourself: Some days you'll feel like a graceful swan, other days more like a newborn giraffe. Both are perfectly okay.

5. Buddy up: Find a friend to join you, either in person or virtually. 

6. Track your mood: Keep a simple journal to note how you feel before and after yoga. 

7. Mix it up: Try different poses to keep things interesting. Even your favorite song gets boring on repeat.

​The Ripple Effect of Yoga Poses for Happiness

You must practise yoga to stay happy daily. The benefits extend beyond your yoga mat. You might notice:

• You respond more calmly in traffic (fewer hand gestures toward other drivers)

• Your patience with family members increases

• You sleep more soundly

• Your posture improves

• You make healthier food choices

• You find yourself taking deeper breaths during stressful moments

Does yoga make you happier? Ask anyone who's been practising regularly, and they'll probably answer with an enthusiastic yes—while standing in Tree Pose.

A Simple Routine for a Happier Life

Remember, happiness isn't a destination—it's a practise. By incorporating yoga to become joyful, you're making a commitment to your mental and physical well-being.

Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. Your yoga practise doesn't need to be perfect—it just needs to be yours.

So unroll that yoga mat (or use a towel if you don't have a mat yet), take a deep breath, and give yourself permission to find joy in movement. Your happier self is just a few stretches away.

Disclaimer: This information provided is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice or guidance. For personalised recommendations or specific concerns, please consult a certified professional.

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