Shift away from “bouncing back”
Getting back onto my yoga mat was not about “bouncing back”. It was about reconnecting with myself. It was about feeling like myself again. About taking ownership of my body. Because carrying and birthing a tiny human takes some of that away from us. And I truly believe that you can love being pregnant and being a mom and still be an individual.
Learning to take it slow
Prior to my son being born, I was a full-time yoga teacher and martial artist. I was teaching up to 16 yoga classes and 5 martial arts classes a week. Movement was part of my everyday; stillness was spent in shavasana or in the two-minute meditations before and after class. Even at 38 weeks pregnant, I was guiding students through class.
The sitting and lying down that my recovery and tiny human now required of me were strange and foreign. Certain movements felt uncomfortable, were difficult, or were medically inadvisable. As frustrating as it was sometimes, I knew that rest was important.
So, I let myself heal and slowly return to movement. I started with 5 – 10 minutes of stretching—while he was napping or during tummy time, sometimes only once a day and sometimes a few times. I added 5-minute walks with him in his wrap carrier outside on the driveway, giving us both our daily dose of sunlight and vitamin D. And as my body healed and adjusted, I added different movements, held poses for longer, took longer walks.
Some days we slept in a little longer. Some days we had naps together. But I stretched a little every day and walked every evening.
The body craves both rest and movement. And finding that balance was part of the process.
Mom & Baby yoga
Guiding mom & baby yoga classes started well before I had my little one, and even before I was pregnant. I was able to be fully present for the other moms and hold a baby if necessary.
Now, with my little one in tow, it’s sometimes more challenging to teach the class.
He climbs all over me. Crawls over to the plant to pull leaves and grab handfuls of dirt. I have to pause my instructions, not just when someone else’s baby is being needy, but because my own demands my attention.
But there is also a new connection to the other moms. A shared history. Before, I was an observer. A learner. Now, I’ve joined the club. The welcoming, inclusive space I hold for moms and littles has not changed. The observations about what the babies need in terms of being held or being on the floor. I’m simply adding my son’s needs into the equation as well.
I hope you and your little yogi will join me too. ~ Stephanie
