Yes, we all are aware of the endless benefits yoga has on the human body and mind. But in reality, we simply don't have the time to attend a yoga class because college life is too busy and exhausting. So if you are looking for some quick, refreshing stretches to revitalize your body and mind, you clicked on the right article! The following yoga poses can be performed by any level, so don't fret if you have zero flexibility. Yoga is more about you trying to relax your soul than suffering through painful stretches.
1. Reversed Prayer: When you are blasting through those dense readings in the library.
Sitting down hours after hours reading textbooks can be a daunting experience. The reversed prayer is a perfect pose to loosen up your tensed muscles in your shoulders and wrists as well as loosening up the strained neck muscles. Don't worry if your palms do not touch-- stop in a position that you feel the most stretch and really feel that stretch working. Also, remember to BREATH!
2. Legs Up The Wall: After walking endless miles across the campus.
College students walk a lot. Like A LOT. Especially when you have two classes at the far ends of the campus and your campus is enormous. The leg up the wall is a really great pose to relax and ease up the tightened muscles in your legs, relieving the fatigue in your legs caused by due to all that walking. In addition, this pose does an amazing job improving your blood circulation in the lower body.
3. Child Pose: When you're waiting for your midterm grade to be posted.
Waiting for your grades to come out can be nerve-racking. To alleviate the anxiety, we need to focus more on breathing to relax the body and mind. The child pose does just that, as well as stretching the spine, relaxing the back, neck, and arms. If you want an extra stretch, bring the hands three steps to the sides to feel the stretch in your hips and abdominals. The key to this pose is RELAXING. Don't tense up!
4. Pigeon Pose: After carrying your heavy backpack all day long.
The pigeon pose is a simple but wonderful way to slowly open up your hips and stretch your tense lower back. One side may be harder to stretch than the other, and this is completely normal! That means the hip that is harder to stretch tends to tense up more than the other, to support the weight of the upper body and the backpack. So put in the extra effort on the side you're having trouble with to prevent any serious back injuries in the future!
5. Warrior III Pose: After eating three meals and all the other free foods offered on campus. 
The Warrior III pose is one of the challenging poses in yoga that requires your entire body to work out. This pose is an awesome way to stay in shape and avoid gaining freshman 15 as it makes your core work out like crazy. Your leg may not go up as high as the women shown in the picture, and it's totally fine. Just remember to keep your core engaged and really try to lengthen so you can get a really nice stretch while doing this pose.
6. Lotus Pose: When you need to unplug yourself from the rest of the world.
Sometimes, we just need to take a break from the busy, hectic world. The lotus pose is the well-known meditation pose that helps you to relax your body and concentrate on yourself and nothing else. Inhale through your nose and out through your mouth, and forget about cramming for the upcoming exam, at least for a while.
Yoga is a tool to help you reach the most relaxing state of mind in the simplest way possible. Don't hesitate to spend a couple of minutes from your busy schedule for your body and mind, so that they can get a few minutes of rest and regain the energy to work again. Always remember to breathe, release and relax.
