Yoga and the occasional glass of chardonnay weren’t
the only remedies HRC says she turned to after the 2016 presidential
election. Her other ritual? Alternate-nostril breathing. Find calm and
focus with the yogi breath exercise Hillary Clinton praises in her
memoir What Happened.
Step 1. Get in position.
Sit comfortably, with your back straight, and rest
your left hand on your lap and right hand on your nose—ring finger or
pinky on the left nostril, thumb on the right.
Step 2. Block and breathe.
Relax
your eyes, close your right nostril and inhale through your left. Next,
close both and hold your breath for a few seconds. Then release your
thumb, and exhale through your right side, keeping your hand in front of
your face.
Step 3. Reverse and repeat.
Begin
again, inhaling through your right, and follow the cycle, which, as New
York City psychologist Belisa Vranich, Psy.D., explains, releases the
calming gas nitric oxide. This will stimulate your brain's vagus nerve
to lower your heart rate—and ease anxiety.
This
article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Women's Health.
For more great advice, pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands now!
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