Your husband forgets to move that box into the attic like you asked, but he remembers to record the NBA finals for two weeks running. Well, you can’t really control that. But you can control how you react to the situation.

“Feeling in control starts on a physical level,” says Jeanmarie Paolillo, a teacher at YogaWorks in New York City. And that’s why yoga works, says Paolillo, who compares what goes on inside our heads to one giant movie that we direct. “Yoga is the quieting of the mind. If you silence the movies and try to project a blank screen, then you can decide what shows on the screen next,” she says. It’s the Zen notion of controlling the mind by controlling the body.

So, how do you turn an episode of anxiety into a scene starring a woman in charge? Practicing the following techniques will help you take control of some of life’s rough moments.

The Scenario
You are in a meeting and getting blistered by the boss.

The Solution
Use a rhythmic activity to deal with tense scenes: Take the thumb and touch it to the pointer finger, then the middle finger, then the ring and pinky fingers. As you touch a different finger, chant in your head—“Sa, Ta, Na, Ma.” Repeating this practice over and over when you are under fire creates the same effect baseball players get while chewing gum—alert to what’s going on yet relaxed under pressure.

This trick, from Edward Vilga’s upcoming book Yoga for Suits, is adapted from the Kriya yogic system. “Kriya techniques are like doing crossword puzzles. They keep you alert enough to pay close attention to the goings on but they are also pacifying,” Vilga says.

The Scenario
You’ve been out running errands; he’s been home practicing lay-ups.

The Solution
“Walk yourself into the closet, bedroom, or bathroom and take your shoes off. Concentrate on your feet feeling the floor and stand in tadasana (Mountain pose) for 10 breaths,” Paolillo says. When you are done you might still be angry but your reaction can be constructive. Approach your man and say firmly but calmly, “I know you had a busy day too but this is a partnership, so let’s talk about why the boxes are still in the living room.”  Discuss what went wrong rather than create a combative situation.

The Scenario
Your once angelic Joey is a poster child for the Terrible Twos Club. You are losing it!

The Solution
Try this variation of Legs Up the Wall: Lie on your back on the floor, butt up against the couch and legs up on the cushions, eyes closed. Or if you’re really Type A, Paolillo says, try Crow pose and see how hard it is to hold it for 10 breaths. This might help you relate to your child’s frustration with controlling his own environment. “This is a time when a mom has to remember her own yoga practice,” Paolillo says. “Did she go up into handstand on day one? She still might not be there. She has to remember that development comes in stages.” The goal is to attain santosha, Sanskrit for “being okay with what is.”

Or try this: Do Sun Salutation and insert Chair pose at the top of the sun salute. “That will help you feel plugged into your power and more than able to handle your child,” Paolillo says. “For the mom who feels her efforts are futile, she should get active and physically challenge herself.”

Applying yoga off the mat is easier said than done—but with practice, it can help you tap into the patience and understanding needed to deal with everyday tough situations.