no matter whether you lean blue or red, the first and second presidential debates were stomach-churning experiences. the decline of civil discourse, the low popularity ratings of both candidates and the general feeling of gloom for u.s. democracy settled over living rooms, bars and facebook comment threads. some viewers deal with debates using drinking games. we suggest a healthier alternative for wednesday<u+2019>s third and final debate : yoga. (follow the journal<u+2019>s live analysis of the final presidential debate.) these poses, designed to keep you facing the tv, will help you cope with every interruption, accusation and revelation. take it slowly, and don<u+2019>t forget to breathe. lie facedown with the tops of your feet on the floor and palms down with bent elbows. push the floor away until your arms are straight and your upper body is off the floor. strike this pose when someone brings up hillary clinton <u+2019>s use of a private email server while secretary of state. it won<u+2019>t remove all traces of anxiety, but it might help. lie facedown with legs side by side. place your forearms on the floor parallel to each other with elbows under your shoulders. hold the position for as long as it takes to explain all the perfectly legal ways to rack up millions of dollars in tax deductions . or until your arms give out. stand upright, arms reaching to the sky, then tilt forward at the waist and extend your right leg backward while balancing on your left leg. strike this pose when someone brings up donald trump <u+2019>s lewd comments about women in a leaked video, which he described as <u+201c>locker-room talk.<u+201d> side benefit of this pose: you can use your arms to cover your ears. from a standing position, raise your arms then exhale and bend your knees until thighs are parallel to the floor. hold this pose as long as possible when someone asks how hillary clinton<u+2019>s paid talks to wall street bankers square with her appeals to the working class. start on your hands and knees with your back flat. as you slowly inhale, let your belly drop while tilting your chest toward the ceiling. exhale, and let your back rise until it<u+2019>s flat again. repeat as many times as donald trump says <u+201c>rigged.<u+201d> start on hands and knees with a flat back. exhale and round your back toward the ceiling, like a frightened halloween cat. this pose is for when democrats remember that hillary clinton, despite leading in the polls, still has one of the lowest favorability ratings in the history of presidential politics. (note: undecided voters can put their heads down and curl up into child<u+2019>s pose .) write to rachel bachman at rachel.bachman@wsj.com
forget drinking games: the final presidential debate calls for yoga - wsj
rachel bachman