Clinton: I relied on prayer, yoga 'and Chardonnay'

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'My faith was really holding me together'

NEW YORK (CNN) - Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she was devastated and drained after her loss to Donald Trump in 2016, but regained her strength by relying on a mix of prayer, yoga and "my fair share of Chardonnay."

Clinton, speaking at an event focused on her faith at New York's Riverside Church, said she did not think she was going to lose heading into Election Day and was entirely thrown by the defeat. To get through it, Clinton said, she turned inward, relying on her "internal resources" and the support of her family and friends.

"I relied on several tools, one of which was prayer, and I was lifted up and blessed by a lot of people who sent me prayers, sent me spiritual readings," she said. "I also had the support of my family. ... My friends rallied around and were so supportive. I did some yoga. Tried alternative nostril breathing."

And, in a light moment, Clinton added, "Yes, I had my fair share of Chardonnay."

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Clinton conceded to Trump early in the morning on November 9 and gave her concession speech before a tearful audience later that day in Manhattan.

Clinton said Thursday that she didn't feel the "whole weight" of the loss until she left that last event and was riding in her car with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

"We were in the back seat of our car on the way back to our home," she said. "I couldn't speak, I couldn't really have any internal resources left."

She added: "Through it all, my faith was really holding me together in a very central way. It gave me a lot of courage to get up and keep going."

The former first lady is a deeply spiritual person, writing for decades that her faith is what helped her get through some of the most difficult moments in her life. Though Clinton usually keeps her faith private, during the 2016 campaign she routinely discussed her faith and beliefs.

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