Yoga and motherhood, can they really co-exist?

Often when you are trying to convince someone to try yoga, they latch on to the excuse, "Im not flexible enough for yoga." I no longer try to convince those people that is not true, but what about mothers? They almost always reply, "I don't have time." The typical response to that of course is, "If you really wanted it, you'd make time for it." Im not going to argue that this isnt true because unfortunately it is. However, if you really do want to make the time for it and just don't know how because you have a co-sleeping *cough* leech *cough,* I mean, breastfeeding baby, laundry piles taller than your 6foot husband, dishes piling in and around the sink, an emptry fridge begging for a grocery trip, a toddler screaming for crayons, a walk, a nap, story time, for their baby brother to hand over the red block because they want it now, and you can't forget sexy time because hubby thinks you look stunning in your puke stained sweaty t-shirt, messy bun, stinky breath, and hippie legs....*sigh* I get it. All mothers are stretched in a million different directions and now you want me to wake up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in a two hour yoga practice in a peaceful undisturbed room? HA!!!!!!! So can yoga and motherhood really co-exist? A lot of us don't even get the opportunity to take a shit alone, so Im not going to be the classical pitch that makes you feel guilty about not getting your exhausted ass out of bed and sacrifice even more sleep for the sake of a yoga practice, but I do believe yoga and motherhood can co-exist. One of the first things yoga taught me after years of practice was to "let go." Let go of unrealistic expectations, let go of untruthful assumptions, let go of wound up tight ass schedules, let go of spilt milk; seriously! When your a mother yoga isnt going to look like a peaceful, saged, dim lit, calm yoga studio (unless you can afford a sitter plus a yoga class fee, then go get some awesome you time!). So let go of that, not because you dont deserve it, but because holding on to that expectation is going to keep your realistic yoga space from feeling like your yoga space. First, no one way is going to fit everyone, so look at this list as a suggestion rather than the law. Find A Place for your Mat Find a place for your mat where you can leave it unrolled and somewhere that doesn't get a whole lot of traffic, but also some place where you will pass often. For me this was at the foot of my bed. Having it unrolled all the time allows your mat to beg you to get on and do a few yoga poses whenever you pass it. In my case this is anytime I get up from putting the baby down for a nap, wake up, go to bed, etc. Im always passing it, but my friends and family that come over arent, so it isnt crowded with energy.

Let the Kids Join You

I started my yoga practice prior to kids and the hardest lesson I learned once I did was to let the kids join. I viewed it as my sacred time that I needed behind a closed door and once I started practicing Ashtanga, I definitely felt it was important to finish the entire series undisturbed. However, I say let the kids join you! Do you know how great yoga is for kids, even babies? It is incredible for the development, physically and mentally. Do they really get all into it with you? No. Truthfully, my three year old just waits for me to get into chaturanga or cat/cow pose so she can crawl on my back and turn my yoga practice into piggy bag ride time, but if I play her way for a little bit, she will let me do some yoga poses on my own, and then she will also do some of the more basic variations with me. Especially if I ask her to via song. "Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!" I sing this one every single time we do forward fold and we wiggle our fingers and toes, she LOVES it! As for the younger ones, I have definitely broken out into yoga while babywearing or even holding baby. *Look forward to a youtube video of my at home mom practice soon!*

Practice As You Go

This one requires a lit bit of creativity and laughter. There was a time when I had a new baby, an older child that required a lot of doctor visits, house hold chores, meal prep, and school so I truly had to think out of the box to fit in yoga. I started doing yoga poses while I cleaned, cooked, walked to the car, dressed the kids, it really didn't matter if there was a way I could throw a pose in, I did.

Establish a Time When you do Practice Alone

While finding a time to practice alone as a mother is a bit of a challenge, I do encourage you to find at least 1 to 2 times a week when you do. Look into local gyms or studios that offer yoga to get out of the house and If you have a specific style, try to find someone who offers that style. Even asking your partner to watch the children for an hour or two while you get undisturbed yoga time could work as well. If you have older children, you could establish a time with them that you will practice undisturbed except for emergencies. I personally have a gym membership where they have a daycare so I can drop the kids off and grab a yoga class. If anything, yoga and motherhood are the PERFECT combination. Through these simple ways to implement yoga into your day you will find yourself laughing more, spending more time with your kids, surprisingly getting more done than before, and genuinely enjoying your day.