The last two weeks of my life have been a living hell. Problems have been flying at me from every direction. And yet, aside from one tiny meltdown (which amounted to about 1 hour of feeling sorry for myself) I remained calm!

If you're wondering how, lean in and I'll share the secret ... It's yoga. I have been studying yoga and the yoga sutras for 13 years, and I have cultivated the teachings in my life in a very real and tangible way. It is the gift of these sutras that has kept me clear-headed, grounded and drama-free during a time of tremendous stress and anxiety.

Yoga is not just a physical discipline. It is a mental one to be sure. It teaches you to calm your breath, even when your body is wanting to breath hard. It teaches you to calm the chatter in your head and be still when you want to break out screaming from the stresses in your life. It allows you the clarity to shift your thinking in times of incredible chaos.

The art of yoga literally can transform your life. In more Western terms it is STRESS- FREE living! Imagine that when your world is turning upside down, your kids are fighting, the dog just peed on the carpet and you're running 10 minutes late for an appointment, and appointment to which you have also lost the directions, you the ability to calmly take a deep breath in and move forward without your blood pressure spiking, your voice going hoarse from screaming at your children or arriving to your appointment looking pathetic and frazzled ... When practiced consistently, yoga empowers you to find the calm in any storm.

P.S. You do not have to be blessed with Gumby-like flexibility in order to enjoy the discipline of yoga. Regardless of your stretching capabilities, you can use a few very simple postures, breathing techniques and meditation to get you going on your way.

Here is an eight-minute routine that you can practice everyday:

Meditation: 2 minutes
  • Find a simple seated position, and cross your legs (or don’t! Sit in a chair upright if necessary!) close your eyes and begin to take deep breaths slowly in and out. Visualize something calming to you, the ocean at sunset, or a meadow on a warm spring day, or perhaps visualize your kid-self looking up at the clouds and finding their shapes! But just breath and continue this positive, calming visualization for 2 minutes.
Poses: 5 minutes
  • From there come onto your stomach and some up on your elbows (or hands if flexibility allows) and stretch the front of your body with spinal flexion hold for 15 seconds and then rest (bring your head to rest on the floor for 20 seconds) and repeat 3 times.
  • Come to a standing position and try out the triangle position. If that feels too challenging then put your hand on a chair for stability! Hold for 20 seconds and then switch sides. Repeat 2 times.
  • Move on to a balancing posture. Start balancing on one leg bringing your foot to your inner thigh, and hold for 20 seconds working up to eventually 1 minute. Stretch your arms up high.



Finish: 1 or more minutes
  • Finish in a seated simple cross-legged position for a few minutes to finish your practice!
Do this daily and allow the calm to permeate your life.