Sunday is a great day of the week to pause, rest, and reset to enter your week calm, cool, and collected. Simply taking a moment to meditate, be present, and focus on yourself are some methods we’ll cover in this series. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), evidence shows that meditation like this can help with stress, anxiety, and even high blood pressure.

Today’s stress-relief activity is yoga! Yoga can be intimidating to get into at first, but we’ll talk you through a good beginner pose.

“ Some studies suggest that yoga can improve heart health ”

Before starting any yoga pose, make sure you’re in comfortable clothes that you find easy to move in. Find a non-slippery surface (a yoga mat is best!) to make sure you have stable footing.

Today, we’ll be trying Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

• Yoga Journal recommends this pose as both a great starting point and a tool to improve posture.
• Here’s how to do it:
1. 1. Stand with your feet forward, big toes touching, and heels slightly apart
2. 2. Lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet briefly, then lay them back down on the floor
3. 3. Wiggle a bit, side to side and back and forth
4. 4. After returning to stillness, imagine an invisible line going all the way up your thighs, through your body, and out the top of your head. Use this line to straighten your posture and lengthen your tailbone
5. 5. Press your shoulder blades into your back and widen your collarbones
6. 6. Balance your head and continue to stand tall
7. 7. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing normally

According to Heart.org, some studies suggest that yoga can can improve heart health. Try Mountain Pose a few times a week. Mindfulness increases with more practice.