Last month I focused on the word SHIFT as a theme for October. With the changes of autumn, I was inspired to think of small ways I could shift to improve my lifestyle and I found that taking baby steps in my yoga practice was better than not doing any yoga at all. After all, as moms it can be hard to find time for yoga, but when we let go of that expectation that our yoga practice should look the way it did before motherhood — a long, luxurious hour, uninterrupted — it becomes possible to find 5-10 minutes for a brief session. A lot of times, that’s all it takes to hit the reset button and destress.
For the month of November, I’m going to focus on the word CONNECT as a guiding theme for my yoga practice. Last month I got the gumption to take small moves toward a minimal but consistent yoga practice. This month I intend to slow down and sink into the experience of my practice; to keep things simple and focus less on yoga as a thing on my to-do list and more as a state of mind that helps me to just be present.
So often it seems like I should rush through things a little faster so I can make it to that mirage of a moment when I’ll be able to relax perfectly, without interruptions (is that possible??). But now and then the light goes on in my mind: rushing to get things done doesn’t always bring me to that magical mommy-time where I get to bask in relaxation. Instead, it just makes for a very frazzled, frustrated version of me. These are actually the times I need to slow down, even if just for a moment, and bring a spontaneous moment of yoga practice into the middle of my day. I might have a few moments while I’m waiting for dinner to finish cooking in the instant pot, or while the baby is napping, or before I pick up my daughter at school. Or, on the contrary, I might not be waiting for something, but rushing to get out the door, urge my daughter to get dressed faster, or wrestle with her little brother as he wiggles through his diaper change.
These random moments are, I admit, sometimes boring or annoying. But if I bring the idea of connection into my practice, boredom and frustration become invitations to spontaneously put into practice some simple yoga: feeling my feet on the ground, dropping my tense shoulders away from my ears, deepening my breath. This is the type of practice that matters: the little shifts in perspective, pace, and posture, and that constant commitment to connect to my body, my breath, and the ones I love.
So, how do you connect with yourself and your family? Can we slow down together to bring some appreciation, gratitude, and loving attention to our days and to each other? Sometimes that might be in a spontaneous yoga pose, other times it might be in a breath or two.
Just as I did in October, I’ll continue sharing a series of brief practices twice a week. Every Tuesday, it will be a micropractice that can be fit into random moments of the day or enjoyed at planned yoga sessions. Fridays will be for fun ideas on how to share yoga with your little ones (or, how to just enjoy it more yourself with a more child-like approach!). Stay tuned:)