The Sweet Exhaustion

There’s a great irony of motherhood and parenthood. It starts in pregnancy and it continues until (well, from my experience until at least age 7, but I suspect much, much longer than that.) The irony is that although I am less active (less fit, ahem), and my life offers more chances to be sedentary (all those early months sitting and nursing, rocking, nurturing baby, all the days now of watching soccer and gymnastics), I am always tired. Despite all that sitting and ostensible restfulness, I am wandering through life in need of deep, deliberate rest.

Parenting, PostnatalWhole Mama YogaOctober 12, 2022Parenting, postpartum yoga, postnatal, postnatal yogaComment

Surviving Summer

I am a working mother. I balance my flexible work schedule with my share of the domestic work required to run a household, the self-care required to resource my body, and my share of the caregiving required to love & nurture my two-year-old son. Sound familiar? This summer I found myself in a position of less work and more caregiving (but unfortunately the same number of laundry baskets full of clean clothes yet to be folded). Here is how I survived.

ParentingErinOctober 11, 2022ParentingComment

Preventing Abdominal Separation During Pregnancy

Is there anything I can do to prevent diastasis recti during my pregnancy? No. Every pregnant person is going to have some sort of abdominal separation. It’s supposed to happen! While you may not be able to prevent DR, there are many things you can do DURING your pregnancy to set yourself up for optimal healing postpartum.

1st trimester, 2nd trimester, 3rd trimesterMaryOctober 5, 2022Prenatal, prenatal wellness, abdominal separationComment

You Deserve Rest, Mama

When I was pregnant, I would nap all of the time. I took luxurious, middle of the day, afternoon sunlight dappled naps like it was my job. And to be honest I considered it to be just that. Taking care of my body, which included getting a lot of rest, was something that I took very seriously while I was pregnant. Rest may not look the same way it did while you were pregnant, but you are still just as deserving.

Parenting, PostnatalErinOctober 4, 2022postpartum yoga, postnatal, Postpartum, rest, sleepComment

The Power of Stillness

I don’t sit still easily. As a yoga teacher this might seem counterintuitive, but I love a moving meditation and a vinyasa (flow) more than anything. It helps me find my center. Sometimes though, I just have to sit still.

Parenting, BasicsRebeccaSeptember 28, 2022mindfulness, mindful movement, stillness, mindfulness practiceComment

4 Techniques for Relieving Upper Back & Neck Tension

Had a baby, and feeling a literal pain in your neck? You're not alone. This is one of the most common complaints among our postpartum students. Whole Mama Yoga Collective teacher Mary shares 4 simple techniques for relieving upper back & neck tension that you can start doing today!

PostnatalMarySeptember 21, 2022postnatal, Postpartum, Upper Back, neck tension, upper back relief, neck tension relief, postnatal yoga, postpartum yogaComment

How I'm Showing Up On My Mat

This month, I’ve been thinking less about specific shape during my yoga practice, and more about how I show up on my mat. What shifted my perspective? A practice you may well know-- mindfulness.

Basics, PhilosophySamanthaSeptember 14, 2022mindfulness, meditation, samanthaComment

(Lack of) Sleep, New Motherhood, and Avidya

In yoga philosophy, the kleshas are the obstacles to our enlightenment or the causes of our suffering. There are 5 of them. Avidya, wrong-seeing, is the first one. Avidya can translate to misconceptions, misunderstandings, or incorrect knowledge. While yogic thinking does not specifically point to emotions or talk about self-care, these things often play an important role in avidya.

Whole Mama YogaSeptember 13, 2022Comment