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Being a mom has always required the ability to juggle many balls in the air at once. With today’s busy schedules and myriad of pressures, never was this truer. As a mom, you must wear many hats, sometimes cook, maid, laundress, chauffeur or therapist, but at all times you are the hub of the family wheel. This is why many believe that “a happy mommy equals a happy family”. The responsibility of being mom can sometimes leave a woman feeling overburdened, overwhelmed and stressed out. I’m not implying that it’s not a wonderful, treasured experience that can be joyful and fulfilling, but to give up all other aspects of you, in the pursuit of being a great mom, will, in the long run, benefit no one. You are a multi-faceted being who, like your children, need nurturing. As an adult, it is your responsibility to ensure that you receive this care. It is not selfish to take time out for yourself, pursue personal interests or have separate activities from your family. In fact, relaxation does not only profit you, but benefits the entire family.
So, now that you’ve decided to take time for yourself, what to do? One suggestion that will give you a lot of bang for your buck is yoga. Yoga originated in ancient India and the word itself means “union”. It is a wonderful, healthy way to nourish your body, mind and spirit. In the west the term “yoga” is used synonymously with “asana”, or the physical postures or poses practiced during a yoga class. Asana is a great way to improve strength, muscle tone, flexibility, and bring an overall balance to the body.
There is no fitness level that is required to begin an asana practice; you can start wherever you are. Your practice and relationship to the poses will advance and change over time, just as your mind and spirit evolve over the course of your lifetime. Another benefit to an asana practice is that it forces the mind to focus on the present moment. We as a culture spend a great deal of our time reliving the past or worrying about the future. While performing a challenging balance or strength pose, there is no room in you consciousness for thinking about your shopping list or the difficulty your child is having at school. In other words, the incessant mind chatter that we all live with daily will be turned off. If you’ve never experience this quieting of the mind, you will be amazed at the relaxing results.
 As mentioned earlier, asana is just one component of a comprehensive yoga class. Depending on the teacher’s background and approach, a class might also consist of call and response chanting, conscious breathing, meditation and an inspirational reading or theme. All of these methods bring us back to an awareness of ourselves and our mind/ body/ spirit connection. For example, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Listen to the breath as it flows into your lungs, filling your body with prana, or life force energy. As you exhale, imagine all the stress and tension of the day being released with the breath. Do this mindful breathing ten times and see if you notice a difference in how your body feels or your overall stress level. Combine this breathing with asana, chanting and meditation and you have the recipe for a very nurturing and rewarding experience.
Yoga classes can be found in most towns at local gyms, yoga studios and wellness centers. Yoga is not a one size fits all practice and there are many different types of yoga and styles of teaching. Try a few different approaches to see which one resonates with you. And, remember, this is not a competition, but a personal practice that will fortify your body/mind/spirit and enable you to engage in life and those you love from a more centered and connected space.
Namaste
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