5 Calming Yoga Poses to Soothe a Busy Nervous System

Gentle practices for stress relief, anxiety, and mental overload

If you’re a busy, high-achieving woman, chances are your nervous system spends a lot of time in “go mode.” Even when your body finally stops moving, your mind may keep racing — replaying conversations, planning the week ahead, or bracing for what’s next.

When stress becomes chronic, the body forgets how to fully settle. Tight shoulders, shallow breathing, restlessness, and mental fatigue can start to feel normal.

The good news?You don’t need a long or intense yoga practice to feel calmer.

Gentle, grounding yoga poses can help soothe the nervous system, release built-up tension, and signal safety to the body — even in just a few minutes.

Below are five calming yoga poses I regularly teach to help busy women downshift, regulate their nervous systems, and feel more at ease.

Why Gentle Yoga Helps Calm the Nervous System

From a nervous-system perspective, stress isn’t just “in your head.” It’s a physiological state. When the body perceives pressure, urgency, or overwhelm, it activates the sympathetic nervous system — the fight-or-flight response.

Calming yoga poses work because they:

• encourage slower, deeper breathing

• reduce muscular guarding (especially in the neck, shoulders, and hips)

• activate the parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and restore”)

• help the body feel supported and grounded

These poses are not about flexibility or strength. They’re about regulation.

1.  Supported Child’s Pose

Best for: anxiety, overwhelm, emotional exhaustionKeywords: restorative yoga, calming yoga poses, nervous system regulation

From hands and knees, lower your hips back toward your heels. Use pillows, bolsters, or blocks under your torso or hips so the pose feels fully supported.

Let your forehead rest on a prop or the floor.

Why it helps:This posture gently flexes the spine and brings the body into a contained, supported shape — a position that many nervous systems find deeply calming.

2. Neck Release (Seated or Standing)

Best for: tension headaches, jaw tightness, screen fatigueKeywords: yoga for anxiety, neck tension relief, gentle yoga stretches

Slowly tilt one ear toward one shoulder, allowing the opposite shoulder to soften. Avoid pulling or forcing. Stay for a few slow breaths, then switch sides.

You can add a gentle nod or small circles if that feels supportive.

Why it helps:The neck holds stress from mental effort and vigilance. Slow, mindful neck movements help release habitual tension and signal safety to the brain.

3. Reclined Twist (Supine Spinal Twist)

Best for: stress digestion, lower-back tension, nervous system settlingKeywords: gentle yoga poses, yoga to relax, stress relief yoga

Lie on your back and draw one knee into your chest. Let it cross over your body while keeping your shoulders heavy on the floor. Support the knee with a pillow if needed.

Breathe slowly and switch sides after several breaths.

Why it helps:Reclined twists gently massage the organs and encourage relaxation without effort. They’re grounding, accessible, and ideal when energy is low.

4. Legs Up the Wall (or Chair Version)

Best for: nervous system fatigue, end-of-day stress, restless legsKeywords: calming yoga, restorative yoga poses, yoga for busy women

Lie on your back and extend your legs up a wall, chair, or couch. Let your arms rest by your sides or on your belly. Close your eyes and breathe slowly.

Stay for 2–5 minutes.

Why it helps:This pose supports circulation and encourages the body to fully rest. It’s especially helpful when your nervous system feels overstimulated or depleted.

5. Seated Side Bend

Best for: shoulder tension, shallow breathing, mental fatigueKeywords: calming yoga pose, yoga for stress relief, gentle yoga

Sit comfortably with your feet grounded. Inhale as you reach one arm overhead, then gently lean to the opposite side. Keep both sitting bones rooted and breathe slowly into the side ribs.

Take several breaths before switching sides.

Why it helps:Stress often restricts the ribcage, limiting breath capacity. Gentle side bends create space for fuller breathing and help the nervous system slow down naturally.