2019-04-01 Women's Health

104 / WOMEN’S HEALTH APRIL 2019

sometimes—and we can’t always drop

what we’re doing and go for a run or

book a massage. So it’s essential to have

tools we can turn to in the moment.

As a student and teacher of kundalini yoga

(a type that incorporates meditation,

mantras, and breathing techniques), I rely

on these tactics to calm down fast.

finally to your pinkie on “me.”

Repeat for about one minute.

This quiets the mind and

reminds you that you’re

capable of creating serenity

anywhere, anytime.

THE TENSION

RELEASER

Sit on a chair with

both feet on the floor. With your

tongue, trace a circle around

the inside of your mouth,

following your teeth. Do this

for 30 to 90 seconds. Repeat,

reversing direction. Focusing

on movement grounds

you in your body, which helps

dissolve anxious thoughts.

on your wrist, and when you

notice a negative thought,

snap it. This helps you stop the

spiral so you can reverse

your mental momentum. Let’s

say you have a fear of losing

your job, and one day your

boss comes into the office in

a bad mood. As soon as you

start thinking I’ve done some-

thing wrong!, snap the band

and talk yourself down: It’s

probably her own stuff. I know

I’m a great worker.

M

AR

Y^

K

AT

E^

M

CD

EV

IT

T^

(T

Y

PO

G

RA

PH

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2

Gabby Bernstein, our monthly columnist on mental well-being, is the author of six books, including

Judgment Detox and the New York Times number one best seller The Universe Has Your Back.

She is an international speaker and cohosted the Guinness World Records largest guided meditation.

THOUGHT GURU