Maybe it's just the winter blues. But you feel it: Anxiety. Perhaps it's the first time your heart raced for no reason as you spiral into a panic attack in the middle of the grocery store. What for? What's happening? It likely all boils down to stress.

Stress, say experts, is a normal part of everyday life. Sometimes, however, certain things trigger more severe reactions whether it's an argument with your husband, a worry about your son being picked on by a bully at school, a tight deadline at work, a fear about your public speaking engagement next week, your best friend--- and confidante-moving away, physical exhaustion, or the environment (a cold and icy January). Regardless of the reason, out of nowhere you find yourself dizzy and sweating while trying to pay the cashier at Star Market.

While it's normal, it is still really important to learn how to manage stress because it can have a negative effect on health in the form of high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, and a weakened immune system.

The best and easiest way to take control of the situation is through your breath. Slow, deep breathing while sitting in silence-- otherwise known as meditation. You don't have to be a trained yogi to practice meditation you just need to be mindful of your breath which will help you get through the chaos.

"Breath is fuel," says Katrina Klein, owner of the Bikram Yoga School in Cohasset. "It carries oxygen to the muscles and the brain. The lack of [oxygen] results in fatigue." Fatigue leads to stress, she says.

According to Klein, and Jeff Cohen, a martial artist and owner of Cohasset Training Center, the way to move through a stressful situation--- no matter what it may be-is to stop and pay attention to the air flowing into your body. You can even draw a deep long breath in through your nose and slowly blow the air out of your mouth. Just keep your focus on the act of breathing.

And it shouldn't only be done while in the middle of a panic attack, rather, incorporate breathing exercises into your everyday life to manage stress on an ongoing basis. Cohen suggests setting aside five minutes two times a week-or everyday if you like-to sit in silence.  "No reading, no T.V., no music," he says. "Sit in a chair and just be."  It can change the way you feel.

For a more formal approach to your stress management program, try Bikram Yoga which is a series of postures that includes stretching, balancing, and creating pressure-a tourniquet effect-which when released allows blood to rush through the veins and arteries flushing them out and moving fresh oxygenated blood through the body. The health benefits range from a better cardiovascular, digestive, skeletal, and nervous system, among other things, as well as tranquility, being peace of mind.

Learning how to breathe through the moment is also taught in the Bikram practice.

"When you are feeling anxious, if you can slow yourself down by focusing on slow, deep breathing, it will help calm you," Klein says. "And if you can carry that [capability] out of yoga class into daily life, you are tapping into an empowerment that leads to peace."

So the next time the kids, your spouse, your job, or life in general has you in a panic: Just Breathe!

For more information on Bikram Yoga, go to: www.bikramyogacohasset.com

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil