These simple yoga tips for lunch breaks can help keep stress at bay.

Yoga can help you manage stress, and the best part is it does not take a lot of time. You don’t have to spend hours on the mat or invest years in learning complicated postures. Instead, by simply taking out a few minutes every day, you can reduce your stress levels and improve your quality of life. A key component of yoga is that it empowers you to manifest these changes in your breath.

You can calm your nervous system and move your body from a stressed to a relaxed state by changing the speed, pace, and quality of your breath. Namita Piparaiya, Founder of Yoganama and Yoga and Ayurveda Lifestyle Specialist, shares three simple techniques that can help you:

Start with the Palming Technique

Palming is a great way to relieve eye strain and stress from staring at a screen for long periods of time. Rub your palms together to generate heat, and then cup your eyes gently to create a hollow dark space around them. Hold this for a few breaths, relaxing your brow, eyes, and neck.

After that, give yourself a gentle head massage, paying special attention to the brows, temples, and forehead. Then, with your hands in front of you, open your eyes with a few gentle blinks and look directly at your palms. You can also look far into the distance if you’re doing this outside. It is also beneficial to take a few moments to look outside, preferably at some greenery, or to stand by the window and look outside in natural light.

Do some deep breathing

When you are emotional, stressed, or physically tired, your breathing becomes shallow and irregular. The fact that this is a two-way street is a plus. You can reduce your stress levels by consciously relaxing your breath and bringing it to an even pace or rhythm. This is significant because we spend so much of our modern lives stressed and hyper, making it even more important to make time for stress-relieving activities.Deep belly breathing, also known as Diaphragmatic breathing, is the perfect technique for you because it can be done on an empty stomach at any time. Just keep in mind not to become overly conscious of your breathing and begin forcing it to breathe deeply. You will naturally slow down your breathing if you pay attention to it. Immerse yourself in the lovely experience for 3 minutes three times a day.

Practice stillness

The mind naturally calms down after some deep breathing, and this is an excellent time to practise meditation. You can do this by focusing your attention on a deity, a symbol, an affirmation, a mantra, a chant, or even your breath. And try to spend at least 3 minutes observing the nature of your object, introspecting on its meaning, or simply focusing on it. For example, if you’ve chosen the breath as your meditation object, try taking five slow breaths without becoming distracted. If you become distracted, which is natural, begin again at one and repeat until you’ve taken those five breaths with your attention intact.You can incorporate yoga into your daily life in this manner. These techniques are easy to learn, don’t require any special equipment, and can be performed anywhere. They are, however, extremely powerful, and you will notice a difference after just a few weeks of practise.