Twist Away Stress

Where can you turn when you're stressed out? Yoga. This twisting asana (posture) relaxes muscles and helps focus the mind, especially when practiced daily with deep breathing.

Parsva Sukasana
(Twisting in the happy pose)
1. Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position, resting your hands on your knees. If you need to, place a folded blanket under your buttocks for additional height.

2. Begin by listening to your breath for three rounds. (One round is an inhalation followed by an exhalation.)

3. Put your left hand on your outer right thigh and your right hand on the floor behind your right hip. (If you need to, put a block behind and parallel to your sacrum and place your right hand on the block.) Listen to your breath and feel your sitting bones become grounded on the exhalation and your spine rising up on the inhalation.

4. Press down with your right palm and widen your collarbones as you gently rotate to the right. Listen to your breath for three rounds.

5. Repeat the asana on the other side.

—Joan Cheikes