{Q} I am feeling so stressed and hurried in my life right now that I can’t even make myself sit down for a breather. What am I doing wrong?
You’re not doing anything wrong––you’re just being human! Here’s a promise: When you make time to sit in stillness, even for just a few minutes, you’ll begin to approach all the stresses in your life from a more peaceful perspective. Try this: First thing every morning, turn off your cell phone and ask your family not to disturb you for 10–15 minutes. Sit in a comfortable, quiet place, either on the floor or in a chair. Gently close your eyes and bring your awareness to the flow of breath at your nostrils. Notice the cool air on the inhalation and the warm air on the exhalation. As thoughts come, just acknowledge them and allow them to pass as you continuously bring your attention back to the ebb and flow of your breath. Over time, you can increase the duration. Some schools recommend two 20-minute practices each day; others recommend one practice for 30–45 minutes. There are no hard-and-fast rules here; just experiment to see what works best for you.

{Q} I get so nervous before business meetings at work, and I’m afraid it’s affecting my work performance. What can I do a few minutes before meetings to lower stress fast?
A surefire way to lower your stress is to practice slow, deep breathing with a technique called alternate nostril breath. Find a quiet space where you’ll be undisturbed, and take a seat. Tune into your posture: spine tall with shoulders open. Raise your right hand, palm toward the face, and rest the tips of the first two fingers at the bridge of your nose. With your lips sealed, exhale completely, then close the right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left side. Pause at the top of the breath and switch fingers using the ring and pinkie fingers to close the left nostril as you exhale out the right. Add a slight pause at the bottom of the exhalation and then inhale through the right. Switch fingers at the top of the breath and exhale left. This is one round: inhale left/exhale right/inhale right/exhale left. Once you get the gist of it, begin to slow down the breath and soften the belly. Let each inhalation and exhalation feel long and smooth. Practice three to five rounds (up to 10 if you have time) and then drop your hand to your lap and sit in stillness for a few moments. Visualize yourself in the upcoming meeting as if you were in this quiet place, and then slowly open your eyes and flicker a confidant smile across your face as you head out the door.

{Q} I really struggle with hot flashes and night sweats. Are there any breathing techniques that can help me survive the next few years?
There are tons of hilarious jokes about menopausal symptoms, but when you’re in the midst of it, they’re really not so funny. Check with your physician to be sure there are no other underlying conditions, and consider visiting an Ayurvedic practitioner for food recommendations that support your body type. Then try these cooling practices:
• Moon breathing: This is based on alternate nostril breathing (see question No. 2), but you inhale each breath through the left (cooling) side and exhale through the right (heating) side.
• Cooling breath: Curl your tongue up like a straw and inhale through the moistened tongue, bringing cool air into the body.
• Hissing breath: Wet your teeth, then open your lips and inhale through your teeth.  
After inhalation for these practices, you can retain the cool air for a few seconds before exhaling though your nose. Do three to five rounds of these techniques at the onset of your temperature fluctuations. And from the voice of experience: Keep your sense of humor––it gets better!