Practicing through Motherhood
How my yoga practice shifted as I became a mother.
During pregnancy, I was fortunate and privileged to have an incredible teacher, Fiona, who was a mother herself, along with guidance from other teachers like Sahrmila, who embraced femininity and motherhood within the practice. They gave me permission to be more gentle, sometimes even urging me to slow down and skip anything that didn’t support or embrace the changes that come with being pregnant.
Your body and soul are expanding, constantly creating; this isn’t the time to engage in mula bandha or create stress through intense workouts. Instead, your practice should include free breathing to allow more space for the baby and give you moments of deep connection with yourself and the life you’re nurturing. My practice began to shift from striving to letting go, modifying and adapting daily as my body and energy fluctuated. I avoided anything that would pressure my pelvic floor or belly, choosing variations that strengthened my back to support the growing weight at the front.
This shift in practice was influenced by my experience with Ashtanga and by how I felt during pregnancy, as it will be different for every woman. Before I became pregnant, I was practicing full intermediate and beginning advanced poses, with about eight years of dedicated daily practice, never skipping a day except for moon days and occasionally the first day of my cycle, as I wasn’t very regular at all! (Things completely shifted after my first baby.) I was on it! Surrendering to slow down was a real challenge—I craved movement. But working with my breath and body awareness prepared me to birth both of my babies at home, as I had chosen, fully trusting the process.
I was again privileged to have a supportive community of wise women and healthcare providers I trusted deeply. What I want to share most is that motherhood will challenge you. It may start even before pregnancy if you’re focusing on fertility, continue through carrying a baby in your womb, becoming a new mother, raising your children, caring for teenagers, or supporting aging parents, friends, or family members. Your priorities will change, as will your body, energy, and hormones, which will fluctuate.
And that’s the lesson: some days, you’ll flow with it, and some days, you’ll feel frustrated. Showing up for yourself without expectations is the big takeaway. You nurture that thread to be there for yourself so you can be there for others. You’re kind and gentle because, in time, more energy will return to you. You’ll become more efficient at managing the energy you have, allowing you to nurture yourself, sit and breathe, and draw from the energy of the community around you.
I believe that having something bigger, something that’s uniquely yours, is essential for sanity, for feeling connected to yourself, and for giving your energy to others. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but in the long run, this practice is how I deeply nurture my body and soul. It provides a sense of purpose to everything I do.
