As many of you are aware I am a yoga teacher and practicing yoga, meditation and self care are a big part of my life. Over the last few months I have been through some major life changes and along the way I have had to adapt my yoga and meditation practice to suit my new lifestyle. This started the moment I became pregnant and even to today I am still adapting my practice with each day. Being a new mum has meant that I have had to let go of that regular morning/ evening routine. Instead I am working with the natural rhythms of my baby and her requirements then adapting my needs to work around us both.
What I love about yoga though is that you can adapt it to suit you and your lifestyle. At the moment when Vanaya is napping I am usually running around doing all the chores, cooking cleaning, responding to messages, emails etc. Sometimes before I know it she wakes up and there is no time to practice yoga. Therefore I find myself practicing in the middle of the night. Yes you heard me in the middle of the night! Vanaya tends to wake up at 2 / 3am. After her feed I put her back down to sleep and find myself wondering downstairs rolling out my yoga mat and doing a 20 minute practice. It sounds crazy because yes I just want to crawl back into bed but there is a sense of peace in the middle of the night which feels good and feels right for me at this point in my life. To choose yoga over getting back into bed is pretty challenging but I know that yoga, just like sleep, refreshes and recharges me in a great way.
Likewise my meditation practice has also changed and I usually find my morning feeds with Vanaya are a great time to practice. While I am breast feeding I will work on breathing, affirmations and meditation techniques. Ok its not perfect as I’m not sitting in sukasana on the ground and I am multitasking but mentally making the space and time to meditate while feeding feels right, enjoyable and creates a beautiful energy and space for myself and Vanaya to connect. As well as this before I go to bed at night I will sit on my bed and practice a short 3 to 5 minute meditation. I’ll admit though sometimes I am so tired I close my eyes to meditate and I find myself nodding off to sleep instead!
Yoga and meditation as you are probably well aware have great benefits for the body, mind and soul. However when practiced regulary, consistently and become part of your life they have a greater impact. Therefore don’t worry if your yoga practice isn’t perfect. If you can’t attend a yoga class once a week or do a morning pratice… its ok. Instead think about other ways you incorporate yoga into your life.
Let me know your thoughts. How do you practice yoga? What does it look like for you and how do you adapt it to suit your lifestyle. I would love to hear from you.
Love Jaina x
