My mantra: practice no matter what! Even with some toys here and there:)
“A jug fills drop by drop.”
-Buddha
“Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity.”
-Bruce Lee
Every yoga mama wants to know what postures to do to get rid of their specific aches and pains. We want yoga to make us feel good, balanced, calm. I have good news and bad news about this. The bad news is that yoga doesn’t always make us feel calm, at least not right off the bat — maybe you feel centered in the poses that come easily and stressed in the ones that you struggle with. The good news is that if you practice consistently and with compassionate attention towards yourself, you’ll be able to assess what you need from your practice and whether or not you feel perfect won’t matter anymore.
One of the meanings of the word yoga is union, and while that word might spark images of a perfect yogi united with Higher Power, I’ve come to realize that union often means union of all aspects of ourselves, including our ‘dark’ sides. That’s the idea behind ‘finding your edge,’ as you may have heard some yoga teachers say in class. “Stay in the posture, find your edge, breathe as you hold it,” they might say. What they mean is, find that point of intensity that falls just sort of finding yourself hating the pose, wishing you were elsewhere, or tensing areas that don’t need to be all in the name of holding a pose.
Of course, if you take my advice that five minutes of yoga daily is better than an hour-long practice once a week, then you will discover that it’s pretty hard to reach that intensity or depth that comes with an hour plus of stretching, sweating, moving, and holding postures that are named after animals or sages but resemble a Picasso painting in how they scramble up the human form.
But believe me, five minutes a day has the potential to add emotional, mental, and spiritual depth to your life. You might not achieve the perfect hanumanasana or nail a handstand, but who cares? You’re a mom, which means you brought new life into the world, and that is one of the most badass, powerful things you could ever do. As comedian Jim Gaffigan (father of five) says, “But truly, women are amazing. Think about it this way: a woman can grow a baby inside her body. Then a woman can deliver the baby through her body. Then, by some miracle, a woman can feed a baby with her body. When you compare that to the male’s contribution to life, it’s kind of embarrassing, really.”
So, Yoga Mamas, know that you are powerful and capable. Five minutes of yoga a day might seem like a piddly attempt, but it has longer lasting, more transformative effects than the occasional killer yoga session that has you floating on cloud nine, but ends up being something that doesn’t fit into your busy life.
I know, I also long for those days when I walked out of a yoga class zenned out, limber as a noodle, and sweating just enough to feel I got a workout. But the kids will grow up, go to school, and need you less over the years and then those days will come when you’ll have time for a longer practice. Until then, your yoga practice doesn’t have to be a blazing fire; just keep that spark alive and that’s all you really need to keep the darkness at bay.
Also, I know that two weeks ago in my post What Does it Mean to Take a Deep Breath, I promised a video on breathing. It’s coming! But for now, consider my reflections above on brief practice on your yoga mat. Do you struggle with choosing a posture or two for a mini session? Comment here so I know how to further guide you in making that choice:)
And of course, when I turn on paid subscriptions in late September, I’ll provide some specific guidance and explorations of yoga poses that can help you go deeper into those short practices.
This is yet another excerpt from my WIP, an inspirational Yoga Mama Manual for busy moms. I wanted to share this to set the stage for my upcoming offerings this fall. Through this newsletter, I’ve been offering real yoga for real busy moms! In that light, most of the postural and breathing practices will be brief and accessible to even the busiest mama!
Such an important message! This idea kept me sane when my son was a baby. And it really works - for body and mind. Look forward to hearing more about it :)