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!
