Yoga for burnout:12 poses to help you deal with stress

A long day at work can leave you tired. However, when the effects of stress build up over time, with no time to recover, you will experience burnout. It is connected with chronic workplace stress. Just a quick nap will not help you to deal with it. What you need is a good quality sleep to help you recover. You should also try your hand at a relaxing activity. There is yoga for burnout to relieve tension and provide relaxation. Right from Cobra Pose to Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, there are many asanas to help you reduce stress.

What is burnout?

It is not a medical condition, but a syndrome. It results from chronic stress due to work. Burnout is characterised by three dimensions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Exhaustion or having feelings of energy depletion
• Increased mental distance from your work
• Reduced efficacy at work

You basically feel physically exhausted, have an emotional detachment, especially when it comes to work. “Overworking, and lack of work-life balance can lead to burnout,” says yoga expert Dr Hansaji Yogendra. Its prevalence is between 5 and 45 percent of the working population, especially in the health field, according to research published in the Education Research International journal in 2021.

Yoga for burnout: Know if it helps

Yes, yoga can help with burnout. A 2020 study published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal showed that yoga and fitness improved burnout in junior doctors. Another study published in the Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice in 2022, showed that 20 minutes of yoga practice helped to reduce burnout among healthcare workers.

Yoga may also help to reduce the risk of burnout. Regularly practicing yoga can be an effective way to reduce stress levels and lower the risk of burnout, according to research published in Frontiers In Public Health in April 2024. “Yoga for burnout recovery is effective, as there are poses that can calm the mind or relieve physical stress,” says Dr Hansaji.

Yoga for burnout: Poses you should try

1. Hastapadasana or Standing Forward Bend Pose

• Stand with your feet together.
• Raise both your arms overhead, and arch your upper back a little bit.
• Bend forward while keeping both your legs straight. Go low to touch your toes with your fingers, and draw your head toward your knees.
• Go back up and bring down.

“This pose should be part of yoga for burnout recovery plan, as it enhances blood flow to the brain while calming the mind,” says the expert.

2. Vakrasana or Twisted Pose

• Stand on the yoga mat with some distance between your feet.
• Take your hands forward and maintain a distance between them.
• Swing your hands to the right side while twisting your spine.
• Bend your left hand at the elbow, and continue swinging your right hand back with your gaze on your right thumb.
• Return to the first step and repeat on the left side.

It eases tension in the spine and relieves physical stress, making it a great addition to your yoga for burnout recovery plan.

3. Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose

• Lie down on your stomach on the mat with your palms next to your chest.
• Lift up your head along with your shoulders, and chest with the help of your back muscles.
• Hold this pose then to return to the first position.

If you plan to do yoga for burnout then include the cobra pose in your routine. It improves energy levels and relieves mental lethargy.

4. Ardha Matsyendrasana or Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

• Sit with your legs stretched out.
• Fold your left leg, and place your right heel next to your left knee.
• Twist your trunk right, holding your right ankle with your left hand.
• Twist further, and bring your right hand behind your back to your left thigh while turning your neck towards your right shoulder.
• Hold then untwist your trunk and neck, return your right hand to the side, and unfold your feet.
• Repeat on the other side.

“It stimulates the nervous system and helps in detoxification,” says the expert.

5. Bhadrasana or Butterfly Pose

• Sit down with your legs extended.
• Bend your knees outward, and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Press your knees down gently with your hands.
• To release, stretch your legs back out.

Butterly pose should make it to you your yoga for burnout recovery plan, as it promotes relaxation by releasing tension from the hips and inner thighs.

6. Balasana or Child’s Pose

• Sit in vajrasana or the Diamond Pose by kneeling and sitting on your heels.
• Bend forward and place your forehead on the floor.
• Take your hands back with your palms facing up.
• Return to vajrasana.

“Balasana calms the nervous system, reduces stress and helps in relaxing,” says the expert.

7. Marjaryasana-Bitilasana or Cat-Cow Pose

• Start in vajrasana, then move forward, resting your forearms on the floor, and elbows outside your knees.
• Extend your palms forward by one palm’s distance and come onto your knees, raising your torso.
• Align your knees and toes with your palms, with toes pointing out.
• Lift your head up while pressing your lower back down.
• Tuck your chin and arch your back.
• Then go back to the starting position of the Cat-Cow Pose.

It reduces stiffness in the spine, which can happen while working for long hours.

8. Viparita Karani or Legs Up the Wall Pose

• Lie on your back on the mat with your feet together.
• Raise your legs up and press your hands under hips to lift up your trunk using your elbows.
• Hold this position.
• Bend your knees, lower your hips, and return to the starting position.

It improves circulation and relieves exhaustion, making it perfect addition to your yoga for burnout recovery plan.

9. Ustrasana or Camel Pose

• Kneel with your toes curled in, supporting your body on your knees.
• Lean backward, taking your arms behind you and placing your fingertips on the ground.
• Keep your arms straight and eyes fixed on a point.
• Lift your pelvis and arch back while allowing your neck to fall gently backward.
• Maintain this position.
• Bring your upper torso back and straighten your neck.

It opens the chest, helps you breathe easily and relaxes you.

10. Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Bend Pose

• Sit with your legs stretched forward, your feet together, and spine straight.
• Raise your arms to your shoulder level.
• Bend forward, and try to hold your toes.
• Maintain the position then return to the starting position.

As part of yoga for burnout recovery, do Paschimottanasana to reduce stress.

11. Pawanmuktasana or Wind-Relieving Pose

• To do Pawanmuktasana, lie supine with your feet together and hands beside your body.
• Bend both your legs, and bring them towards your chest.
• Clasp below your knees and pull them closer.
• Hold the position then go back to the first step.

“It improves digestion and releases trapped energy,” says Dr Hansaji.

12. Shavasana or Corpse Pose

• Lie on your back.
• Extend your arms about a foot away from your body, with legs slightly away from each other.
• Keep your palms facing upward and relax like a corpse.
• Close your eyes and breathe rhythmically.
• Without moving, focus on vital zones of your body in sequence, starting from your toes and progressing up to your head.

The corpse pose helps to induce deep relaxation.

Yoga for burnout: Know who should avoid it

• Avoid forward bends, twists, or backbends if you have heart or spinal issues, as these may aggravate the condition.
• Skip sitting poses if you have knee problems, as they put pressure on your knee joints.
• Pregnant women should avoid or modify these poses on the basis of their comfort.

You can do yoga for burnout recovery, as it can help to promote relaxation and reduce stress. Make sure you don’t exert yourself and don’t have any health condition, as some of the poses can affect your spine or knees.