Tanya Beaver, 25

Who: Tanya Beaver
Where: Milwaukee
PAYOFF: Overcame stress and anxiety

After more than 6 months in Kuwait at the beginning of the war in Iraq, she wanted to leave the battle behind. But even when Beaver finished her military commitment and began studying biology at Milwaukee’s Alverno College in 2004, she couldn’t shake the stress that had started overseas. “I was both depressed and so anxious I couldn’t sleep,” she says. “My head would flood with the details of every single little task I had to accomplish, and I’d become so overwhelmed that I couldn’t do anything.”

Beaver signed up for an on-campus Iyengar yoga class to lose weight, but soon found that it helped soothe her frazzled psyche. So she began practicing every morning in her dorm room. “After I finish my poses, I can think about what I have to do logically and not be overwhelmed,” she says.

Concentrating on her breathing, posture, and muscles for a few minutes throughout the day is all it takes to prevent panic attacks. And she got off her meds. “I had been on an antidepressant and taking Benadryl for the sleeplessness,” she says. “I really like the nonchemical approach better.’’

Beaver’s tip: Don’t suffer in silence. “If a pose was painful, I was doing it wrong. If you’re feeling discomfort, ask your teacher to check your positioning.”