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No matter how hard you try, you’re never going to get rid of all the things that annoy you. In fact, trying to do that pretty much guarantees frustration.

But there is one tiny, silent hero on the harried horizon. Yoga can help you handle any anxiety-ridden scenarios. “There’s no question: Yoga practiced appropriately will have an impact on relaxing the mind,’’ says Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of behavioral science and director of the integrative medicine program at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “With enough practice of breathing and meditation, one can call on that peaceful state at any given time.”  Like what given times? Here are our readers' top three stressful situations—traffic, toddler tantrums, and the boss’ demands—and the techniques to keep yourself calm and centered in all of them.

YOUR TODDLER IS TORMENTING YOU
When little Lucy loses it over her “Dora the Explorer” video being turned off, you need to focus on your own behavior, not try to make the child be still, suggests Mary Griffin Wirick, a certified yoga therapist with a private practice called Yoga Support in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Just like when you’re practicing yoga, “making yourself be still is the whole point.” She suggests doing an aptly named pose called Letting Go: Plant your feet and reach up as high as you can—first one arm, then the other, then both together. Take a huge breath in, then on the exhale fold at your hips; collapse forward, letting your shoulders, arms, and neck relax. Hang loosely, with your knees bent. “Not only will this make you feel more relaxed, but it’s guaranteed to stop your screaming daughter in her tracks,” laughs Wirick.

Alternately, you can stand up tall, take a deep breath, and say a mantra such as “Children act like children, children act like children.” Rest assured, Wirick says, “If you’ve been practicing yoga, a sense of calmness can happen quickly. The more you practice, the more concisely you can do it.”


YOU’RE TRAPPED IN THE MOTHER OF ALL TRAFFIC JAMS
Rather than fuming as you inhale traffic fumes, cope with the gridlock by practicing the calming, balancing breathing techniques you do in yoga class, says Cyndi Lee, founder of OM Yoga in New York City. Focus on your breath coming in and going out, and make each inhalation and exhalation the same length. As you breathe in, count silently to 5, for example, then exhale for 5 seconds. Think of the inhalation as energizing, whereas the exhalation should be more relaxing. (You can even say to yourself: energy in, stress out.)  “Balancing those two energies—active and energizing versus tranquil and calming—will make you feel more balanced, especially when you are over-stimulated,” says Lee. “Plus, it gives you something to concentrate on instead of the bumper in front of you, and you can do it with your eyes open!”

Okay, so you’ve accepted the traffic. What about the rage you feel when that selfish creep drives past you on the shoulder? Keep calm by changing the ratio of your breathing: Make the exhalation twice as long as the inhalation. For example, inhale for a silent count of 4 and exhale for 8, breathing in and out through your nose. “Make the exhales letting-go breaths, surrendering to what is, to tip the balance in that direction,” says Lee. Other scenarios in which these yogic breathing exercises work: waiting in a long line or riding through turbulence on a plane.

YOU’RE FACING FACE TIME WITH THE CEO
Randy Flora, a yoga instructor and mind-body specialist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, suggests finding a secluded space before your presentation and doing a few quick poses, then bringing the resulting calmness into the room with you. He uses an Ayurvedic term to describe the type of people who particularly need help before cueing up the PowerPoint: “Pitta” personalities—fiery, perfectionist, type-A types—are more freaked by work stress because they try to control everything. Pittas need to cool down, and forward-folding poses squelch the flames (and pre-presentation jitters).

Flora’s recommended asanas: Child’s pose (bow down with your head on the floor and your butt on top of your heels) or a modified Cobbler’s pose. In the second, sit down with the soles of your feet touching each other and your legs on the ground, or as close as you can get. Slowly fold your upper body forward over your crossed legs. (“You don’t want to do backbends—that increases the fire,” cautions Flora.) Hold for 1 minute.

If you start to feel uncertain or nervous when you’re actually standing in front of the client or the top brass, a Mountain pose can ground you, suggests Flora. He describes the pose as perfect posture: Stand up incredibly straight, head erect, breathe gently, spread your toes in your shoes to make fuller contact with the earth and ground yourself into it.



For more quick fixes that help you curb your spending or stave off diet saboteurs, as well as conduct your own “2-Minute Yoga Class,” see the Spring issue of YogaLife. Click Here to subscribe today