Although breathing is a compulsory act, you have to keep doing it to stay alive, you can choose to manage the breath. Just learning to take deep breaths and realizing that this can be a quick way to deal with stressful situations is amazingly effective. Clearing the Mind. Our minds are constantly active, racing from one thought to another, comparing possible scenarios for the future and thinking about the incidents from the past. All this mind work is tiring and stressful. Yoga offers several techniques for managing the monkey mind. One is breath work as mentioned above. Each breath is tied completely to the present moment. You are not breathing in the past or the future, but only right now. Focusing on each inhale and exhale to the exclusion of other thoughts is one way to clear the mind and It is also a basic meditation technique. In addition, the performance of yoga poses or asanas also acts as a form of meditation. The poses are so physical and have to be done with such concentration that all other thoughts and worries are put to the side, giving your brain a much needed break. Relaxation. Each yoga sessions ends with five to ten minutes spent relaxing in corpse pose, savasana. While this relaxation can be difficult at first, in the end itwill serve the purpose of a total release for both body and mind. Savasana transitions take you back to the world of feeling refreshed and equipped with the tools to manage stress in your daily life. Yoga Nidra is a practice that offers an opportunity for a longer and deeper period of relaxation and an introduction to meditation which can also be a great stress reducer