Admittedly, this is sort of silly because I really think all yoga poses can zap stress (except for, say, locust pose, which arguably may cause more stress than it zaps, haha). However, these four picks are variations of popular yoga poses, which I like because let's be honest, every once in a while we can benefit from switching things up in our practice.
So the first post is a variation of tree pose. Regular tree pose tests balance, and this variation adds a core strengthening element do it. Focus on pushing the hips out to the side rather than just leaning to one side.
Child's pose variation
Up next is a child's pose variation. Normally, the arms are straight out in front, but in the variation we'll take the arms over to one side. Keep pressing the hips back toward the feet as the arms come over to the side and a good stretch will appear along the side body.
Gomukhasana variation
I'm not going to try to figure out how the English translation of Gomukhasana is cow face pose, so let's just focus on something else. Like how great this pose feels in the hips. The hip stretch comes from stacking the knees. If you're not able to stack the knees, don't force them! Just stay wherever you are, breathe, and then take it to the other side. Eventually, as you practice more, the knees will come into alignment. The regular version of this pose at the chest facing forward, so by adding a twist we're getting detoxifying benefits.
Pigeon pose
I find in class that people are passionate about pigeon pose. They either love it with a passion or hate it with a passion. :) Generally for me, it's a stretch I'm drawn to, especially in this variation with the arms lifted, because it feels so good on the hip flexors and whole front body.
Did I miss your favorite stress-zapping pose? Tell me what it is in the comments section below.