Being Present in Motherhood

In honor of the amazing experiences motherhood brings, here are some words of wisdom from yogi-mamas on how yoga has helped them be better mothers. They're all great reminders to be present for all of the wonderful moments with your little ones. Happy Mother's Day!

"Yoga has taught me how to take one more moment to attune myself to my son. When I remember to do this, we both experience a profound connection to each other and to ourselves." Elena Brower

"Because of my practice I know that I won't get any moments of this life back and that makes every moment a precious jewel that I keep close and sacred. My drishti is on my boys, like a laser. And that beam of consciousness, like all drishtis lights the way." Stephanie Snyder

"Yoga grounds me and has helped me learn to stay in the present moment, appreciating the miracles that lie before me. I know that the virtues of patience peace and calm are benefits of my yoga practice that I weave into my everyday life as a parent." Latham Thomas

"Yoga teaches us to trust ourselves, to strengthen in some places, and to soften, heal and open in others, to see ourselves clearly, to know ourselves deeply, and to uncover what is true for us. Over the last 20 years, it has taught me to treat myself with compassion, kindness and patience, to be less reactive and more responsive, to listen well, to breathe deeply, and to tap into that limitless well of love and joy we all possess naturally. I feel I'm able to offer those qualities to my children as a result, and to recognize that these two little beings are the greatest miracles in my life. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm a better mom because of yoga." Ally Hamilton

{More on this and one woman's honest take on motherhood at MindBodyGreen}

Freedom

 images via pinterest

Bikram convert

I've been practicing yoga on and off for many years. But I've struggled to keep a steady practice post-baby. The yoga studio I visit is too far out of the way and their schedule no longer works for me. I'm also feeling uninspired by my home practice. My energy level is low and I feel very out of shape. So when I spotted the nearby Bikram Yoga at the Palisades I became excited but equally hesitant. As much as I love yoga, I had ruled Bikram out a long time ago. I don't fare well in the heat and I have a very sensitive nose! But given that my local options are limited (and I'm not a gym person whatsoever), I figured I would give it a try. And coincidentally, Bikram came up in a conversation with two friends over the weekend. And while they echoed the same sentiments about how tough it was, they also raved about how good they felt afterwards. I was sold. 

So I talked myself into taking a class yesterday. And I kid you not, I literally had to push myself to go. I kept thinking how much I was going to regret sticking myself in a hot room for 90 minutes. I felt nervous and a bit on edge, but I didn't want to walk into the situation already thinking it was going to be a failure. So I cleared my mind and psyched myself up for the challenge. 

My nerves began to unravel upon walking into the room because I didn't expect it to already be that hot. But I put mind over matter and pushed through. And I'm surprised to say that I actually loved it! It really wasn't as hot as I was expecting it to be. I thought the heat was going to make it impossible to breath but it didn't. And my body adjusted pretty quickly. The challenge was super intense, but great. I felt really focused, very connected and accomplished. I'm hooked. Later in the day, I was actually daydreaming about heading over to an evening class. Crazy!

I'm sore today but still feel good. I'm taking two more classes this week as part of my trial membership and will make my membership official next week. I'm excited to get back into a practice and looking forward to the challenge. Any locals willing to join me? Anyone willing to share their Bikram experience?

 image here

'Write' state of mind

To say it's been a tough winter is an understatement. It's been brutal! But over the last week or so we've been getting small glimpses of Spring and it's been fantastic. A great boost for the body and soul (more time outdoors, enjoyable walks, and even runs). But today we're back down to 30 degree weather. My soul is deflated, my body fatigued and my mind is, well, not present (probably because it's frozen!). Not a good combination when you have a ton of writing to get done.

There's hope for warmer temps tomorrow, but that still leaves me stuck indoors today, unable to get into the right headspace.  So I'm just daydreaming about how incredible it would be if this was my home office. Sigh.

Instead, all I've got is my mat, and that will have to do...for now.

  

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