Your Happiest You. Judy Woodburn

do things feel now?

      Take

      a

      slow,

      deep

      breath

      in

      through

      your

      nose.

      Let

      your

      belly

      swell

      as

      you

      breathe

      in.

      Then,

      as

      you

      let

      the

      air

      out

      through

      your

      mouth,

      picture

      y

      our

      se

      lf

      gently

      blowing

      on

      a

      dandelion.

      Imagine

      the

      seeds

      floating

      lazily

      on

      a

      soft

      bre

      eze.

      Moving Past a Storm

      Powerful emotions like anger and

      worry do more than rev up your

      breathing. They make your muscles

      clench up, too. And when muscles

      stay tense, they can even start to

      hurt—which means a headache,

      stomach ache, or backache might

      not be far behind. (As if you weren’t

      stressed enough already!)

      The exercises here let your body calm

      itself by helping those tense muscles

      unclench. Tuning in to how your body

      feels when you do these movements

      doesn’t just help your body feel

      better. It can also settle your mind

      and even boost a gloomy mood.

      Find Your Balance

      This is a great way to practice feeling steady, inside and out. Start by standing

      on two feet. Then carefully lift one foot up to rest on the inside of the other

      leg. You can rest your foot low on your calf, or higher up, above your knee.

      Do what’s comfortable, and feel free to use your arms to steady yourself.

      When you’re ready, try raising your arms over your head. Don’t worry if you

      tip. Finding your balance again is part of the exercise!

      Shake It Off

      When a latch is stuck tight, sometimes the only way to loosen it is to jiggle it.

      And sometimes, when strong feelings are making your muscles tense, a little

      jiggling will loosen them up, too. Try it! Stand with your knees slightly bent,

      and start bouncing lightly. Let your arms and hands bounce along. Bounce

      slowly at first, then faster and faster. Feel the jiggle in your arms, legs, belly,

      and even your cheeks and lips. When you’re ready to stop, let the jiggling get

      slower and slower—as if you’re a wind-up toy that’s winding down.

      The One-Girl Hug

      A warm hug can feel comforting when you’re

      stressed—even if it comes from yourself! Wrap

      your arms around your body and give yourself a

      friendly squeeze. If you like, add on a soothing

      mini-massage: Briskly rub your hands together

      until they’re warm, and then gently massage your

      forehead, temples, and neck. Mmmmm.

      Stretch for the Sun

      If you’re feeling down, moving your body can lift you back up! In this exer-

      cise, imagine yourself as a tree in springtime, growing toward the warm sun.

      Start by standing with

      your feet a bit apart.

      Bend forward, starting with your head . . .

      then your shoulders . . .

      then your waist.

      Let your head and arms dangle

      loosely for a few seconds.

      Now, slowly straighten back up,

      letting your arms hang down.

      Once you’re standing straight,

      begin lifting your arms slowly out to your

      sides, as if they’re branches of a tree.

      Reach your arms high overhead and

      look up, as if the sun is shining on your

      face. Feel yourself growing inside.

      Just Rest

      In yoga, there’s a relaxing position that’s called “the child” because little

      kids often sleep this way. To try it, kneel on a rug or mat and bend for-

      ward, letting your forehead or cheek rest on the floor. Let your arms

      relax down along your sides. Breathe deeply and feel the floor under-

      neath your body, stable and firm.

      After any exercise, check in with your body and breathing.

      How are they feeling right this moment?

      Peaceful Inside

      How do you relax when you’re feeling stressed out or

      wound up? What helps you settle yourself?

      I try to calm down

      by reading a book and

      organizing my room.

      —Molly

      My favorite place to

      go when I need time

      to think is a nice hot

      bath! It is soothing and

      relaxing, and I can think

      about