A common mistake in yoga is to keep tension in the shoulders in a lot of the poses. Whilst the focus is elsewhere it can be difficult to remember the shoulders but it is essential if you want to eliminate any stiffness and to combat the aches that come as a knock on effect from shoulder tension, such as a stiff neck and discomfort in the upper back and even facial tension.
Besides the basic equipment and clothing which makes yoga practice easier and more comfortable, it is so important to bring a positive mindset to the training. Sometimes this is not always the case and it may be that you want to practice yoga because you are stressed or feeling low. In this case it is even more important to begin with breathing techniques, designed to slow the breath and give you focus. During this time you must look inwards at what is is you are doing yoga for and praise yourself for giving your mind and body a chance to open and relax. Only then can you begin a true yoga practice. Practicing yoga with your baby is an incredible experience yet these principles should still be followed whenever possible. Take time with your baby to relax and get into the right state of mind, this might mean singing a song together, lying on a blanket by your yoga mat, taking a bath or just lying quietly, letting your baby get accustomed to your silence and stillness. You must experiment with what works for you to bring you to a positive place!
Often new (and older!) mothers are disillusioned with their shape and feel they will never get back to where they want to be and this reflects in how you approach your yoga practice. It does not help to wear baggy clothing that drown you and hide any feminine shape, for example. Choose clothing that makes you feel good about yourself but also shows your figure so you can see what your body is doing and how it is changing over time is the best advice. One of yoga’s main ideas is that you are at one with yourself, in harmony with who you are, so you need to learn acceptance. You are already on the road to becoming who you want to be if you are not there already and once you have started down that road you only get closer to your goal so if you need to, remind yourself of that and stop giving yourself a hard time!
Most of us try and learn some breathing techniques during pregnancy to use during labour. However if you are like me you will probably forget anything you learnt and will have to rely on people telling you how to breath during labour! Here is the one technique I remembered and which came in really handy. It is called Candle breathing and is really simple. Sit in a comfortable position and hold your fingers out infront of your face. Lightly blow on the top of each one as if each finger has a candle light at the top. Blow out all 10, take a deep breath and repeat. You can use this technique if the time arises when you have to resist the urge to push or if you need to regain control of the breath. It will also give you a little time to refocus and give your body valuable oxygen.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/labour/breathingtechniques/
This week Heidi is my special guest for the second time. She has increasingly been joining me in my daily practice and enjoys yoga so much. Thus I thought it would be a nice idea to look at yoga for toddlers where mum can either join in or simply encourage your little bag of energy to stretch and explore what he or she can do. Little bodies ache when they grow and get tired after all that running around and yoga is great practiced at a time when your toddler can focus, after a play session or before bedtime (this should also help quieten your child and get them in a relaxed state for sleep). You can start todder yoga as soon as you feel your toddler wants to. If you let them watch you practice the likelihood is they will join in without being asked and of course is you have a yoga baby like Miller who has been brought up with yoga from the early days, they will see it as part of their routine. If yours are anything like Miller and Heidi they will get in the mood as soon as they see the yoga mat being rolled out!
1. Comfortable clothing for you and your baby: soft and loose fabrics are great for yoga or if you are like me and like to see what your body is doing, then stretch yoga pants and a vest top work just as well!
2. A non-slip or sticky yoga mat. You can easily find these in sports stores or on the net (search on ebay for sticky yoga mat or visit sites such as yogamad.com to see what is around). You do not need to spend a fortune on a mat, a 4 or 6mm is best for new mums, just remember the ’sticky’ word, it’s important.
3. Folded blanket or cushion: This can double as support for mum and resting space for baby.
4. Bare feet: Loose the socks! Yes we are overly attached to our socks but they can make you slip and you cannot get a firm and grounded footing in socks. Throw them aside for your practice.
5. Keep a drink handy: Especially if you are nursing your baby as you need to keep your fluid intake up.
6. A mind ready for distractions: it may take time to adjust to yoga practice together and if you need to stop to nurse or change your little one, then do so and pick up practice later. You can also see the section on nursing to find yoga positions you can comfortably nurse in.
