Yoga is a journey

I've been a little shocked with how weak my body feels in my postnatal yoga practice versus before I became pregnant. Heck, even compared to when I was pregnant! I swear I could do chatarunga up until my belly was too big and in the way to do it, which was up until six or seven months pregnant if I remember correctly.

Six weeks seems to be the magic number doctors and midwives give for returning to exercise post baby; ever since hitting this milestone three weeks ago, I've been trying to do more power yoga to get ready to go back to teaching at the YMCA, which I will return to in a week! I really wanted more time off to be more physically ready, but unfortunately my subs couldn't extend their coverage of my two and a half classes. So when I hit the six-week mark, I tried a 20-minute, power yoga routine of Baron Baptiste's I did all the time before having Brijin and even while I was pregnant. Well three weeks ago, I could barely make it through, let alone attempt chatarunga. I felt like crying because my body was so different from before and even during my pregnancy.

My frustration of not being able to do chatarunga and several other postures reminded me of something I've told my yoga students time and time again. Listen to your body. Yoga is a journey and not a destination. Every day is a unique day; no matter if you've just had a baby or not, your body is going to feel differently every day. Some days you can accomplish amazing feats and other days it's just enough to get your mat rolled out and do child's pose. Once I accepted my hypocrisy and stopped beating myself up, I let it go and enjoyed what I could do. Yesterday, nine weeks after having our baby, I was able to do chatarunga, and what a pleasure it was! Now I may only be able to do ONE chatarunga a practice, but I will celebrate that one posture like it's the first time I accomplished it. And if I can't even do one on another day, I need to accept it and thank my body for all the other asanas it could do. As Yoga Sutra 2:46 says, "The posture should be steady and comfortable."

If you're a new mom like me, make sure to give your body time to recooperate and enjoy your journey back into yoga. Check out this article: Postpartum Yoga for New Moms.

Yoga awakens your purpose

As I posted the other day, I'm reading "A New Earth: Awakening to your life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle. I'm about halfway through the book - every time I open it, I am more impressed and in awe of what I'm learning. Thank you so much Oprah for opening the world's eyes to this powerful novel.

On page 159 in chapter five, I found this statement:

"Spiritual practices that involve the physical body, such as t'ai chi, qigong, and yoga are also increasingly being embraced in the Western world. These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit and are helpful in weakening the pain-body. They will play an important role in the global awakening."

Not that I need validation in writing for myself because I've experienced the power of yoga firsthand: it helped me out of depression, out of chronic pain and back into living. However, it feels so wonderful to see this statement in such a widely read book - over 700,000 people world wide participated in Oprah's first online class on March 3 to discuss the book with Oprah and its author. If you haven't heard about this huge opportunity, go to www.oprah.com to learn more.

When people ask me why I practice, I say this:

"Practicing yoga is my daily prescription for living my best life."

If you have a full medicine cabinet or just need a new direction in your life, I highly suggest trying yoga. It may not resonate the first time you do it or even the tenth, and you don't have to invest a whole hour or 90 minutes. Just try five or 10 minutes. It's more about quantity versus quality; the more frequently you do it, the more you will feel and see its affects on you mentally, spiritually and physically. Trust me, I wasn't a believer myself when I first tried it out, but when I truly needed it, it was and is my salvation.

If you've never tried yoga before and are looking for a place to begin, try Hillary's Podcast #54 - Shift Your Attitude - All Level Yoga Practice - 15 Min Chair Yoga Check In. She has photos and a podcast (it's located at the end of the above page, but here's the direct link as well) to guide you through a practice you can do completely in your chair - how cool is that!