It may seem like an obvious answer. You might have read the title and said out loud, “duh”! Most people know that yoga is calming and relieves stress, so it would make sense that moms need yoga. A redundant statement even. But I find that moms feel guilty about taking time for themselves, even if they know they should. They feel so guilty, that they do not take the time to intentionally de-stress. And that is where the explanation and the encouragement can be helpful! So let me ask you:

1. Are you a stressed mom?

2. Do you feel your heart racing at night, making sleep seem unattainable and wake in the morning with the exhaustion of a marathon athlete?

3. Do you see no empty spots in your planner or Google calendar for something as trivial as a yoga class?

4. Has your partner or best friend said to you in the last year, “you really need to learn to chill!” (By the way, I agree this is totally unhelpful)

5. Have you noticed that you want to be more gentle and more patient with your child, but in the heat of the busy, hectic moment, you find yourself being short and not all that present?

First, let me say…and this is important, so please hear me: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I am not some wizened wizard with all the answers to parenting nor am I some magical hippy mama who never raises her voice. I don’t share what I do know with you to shame, belittle, or making you feel less than. That is not my style and that is not what Grow Family Yoga is all about. NOPE. You are busy so I’ll cut to the chase now that we’ve established I am sitting in that Target parking lot with you, coffee in hand.

So, why do moms need yoga?

It is imperative that we unapologetically take time for ourselves and not just say that we should. It is crucial to move our bodies more in safe and gentle ways. Like, fifty years of study say that simply moving more minutes of the day can vastly improve our overall health (more in another blog). Our kids need to see that we have an amazing identity outside of “mom” and we can model for them, how we live in that identity.

We must, for our mental health and for theirs, take a break with quiet, with ambience, and with peers. It is for us, but it is for them too. Remember that adage: distance makes the heart grow fonder? Caregiving is exhausting. It makes us tense. It causes us to take less breaths until we forget how to efficiently breathe and release tension. And then, we just aren’t as present or patient as we intend to be.

Going to a yoga class isn’t about being cute (although, part of the fun is putting on those cute strappy tops, I admit!). It’s about the immediate and long-term results. Sculpted, strong arms? You betcha! The better for lifting those wild bebes! That post-class euphoria! Absolutely. Those nights the Sandman just seems to sprinkle that sleepy dust like it’s a Nature’s Own granola bar. Patience and enduring connection that builds with your family because you feel good? Yep. The practice grows your Self and that divine being wants to connect deeply. After all, yoga literally means union.

So, TLDR: yoga gives us space to be happier, healthier, and overall, a better parent.

With love,

Heather (perpetually practicing my “peaceful” breath with my six wildlings!)