Making Time for Your Yoga Practice as a Busy Mom
Mom! Maaaaa! Mommy! Mom? Moooooooom! I need…What is a Busy Mom you ask? If you have to ask, you need to keep that to yourself. It is most definitely, “If you Know you Know.” I can empathize and attest with the never ending and growing to do lists, the dirty house, the pick ups, the drop offs, the games, the playdates, the bday parties, sports, clubs, a job on top of being a mom, the constant needs and then add in a picky eater and non sleeper and a thousand more things and you have got a Busy Mom!
(Insert the tone of an infomercial) Have you ever collapsed on a messy couch, with your 100th cup of coffee, dirty hair, stained white t-shirt, dinging phone and felt that this Mom life was overwhelming? Have you ever snapped in rage (unfairly) at your kid when they send back their meals or leave their dirty socks on your pillow? I sure have. Let me suggest you start and/or continue a yoga practice. WAIT. Don’t stop reading. I will share HOW you start one and WHY you need to continue to make time for one, stay motivated and throw in some poses you can literally do on the grocery line or sitting on the toilet. Hey, if you’re a busy mom it’s rarely TMI!
I have always loved the idea that baby steps add up to bigger ones. Take the pressure OFF needing to show up at a studio or taking classes that are more than 30 minutes long. We all have 10 -15 minutes to spare. JUST DO IT. Sounds like a Nike ad? They were on to something. Do not over think it or make a big deal about it. 10 min abs, 10 min upper body, 10 min meditation. Pick one and just do it. Then the next day add another one. There is no thinking involved. Leave the laundry and dirty dishes alone. This is time for YOU.
Busy moms are starving for “me” time. We are always taking care of other tiny humans. They are really needy and it never ends. Well their demands end in the 10-20 minutes you are on your mat. It is all about you. Checking in, breathing, moving, opening, letting go. The focus is on yourSELF.
The benefits of focusing on yourSelf? It is a unique opportunity to recharge, reground, re- stabilize, relax and rejuvenate. I call these the 5 Busy Mom R’s we desperately need in order to go on. It adds a bit of patience, laughter and kindness towards yourself and your tiny humans. Tasks don’t feel as overwhelming. You learn to slow your speed down a bit.
We are Supreme Mulitaskers. Don’t have a mat or time for 10 minutes every single day? You can practice breath and mindfulness in the car or at your local grocery store. I often stand in Tadasana at the cashier line. I ground the 4 corners of my feet. I draw the thighs back as I lengthen the tailbone. I spread the collar bones. I soften my shoulder heads and facial muscles. I take 5 long smoothe Ujayii breaths. If you happen to find yourself alone in the bathroom feel free to take a hip opener and cross your ankle over your knee and open your hips while you are on the toilet. I won’t tell.
I know this much is true: (Happens to be the title of an amazing book I read BEFORE becoming a mom when I actually had time to read) When I don’t find at least 10 minutes a day to dedicate towards myself in these ways I am more likely to become impatient, irritable,and short tempered. I don’t like myself when I behave this way. Knowing that my yoga practice shifts these behaviors is my motivation to JUST DO IT and find those 10-15 minutes a day for my yoga practice. Yoga is my go to and my relationship with it has definitely shifted and evolved over the years. Whether you are brand new to yoga, returning after a long hiatus or still rocking it consistently I ask you to trust it and put it at the top of your to do lists as often as you can. You and your tiny humans will be grateful.
