Yoga and Motherhood – The First Year Before you were conceived I wanted you Before you were born I loved you Before you were here an hour I would die for you This is the miracle of Mother’s Love I read this quote from Maureen Hawkins the other day and thought that yes, this is so true. Many people I know who do not have children question why to have them. They hear about the sleepless nights, the crying, about having no time even to take a shower. They do not yet understand this incredible love and joy that a mother feels, that allows us to forget all the difficult or challenging days. That allows us to cherish our time with our child or children and be grateful that we could have the chance to conceive and birth a baby. Motherhood is tough. I never really understood it until the time came. It’s a 24 hour job, but, it’s also the most amazing and wonderful job in the world. The first year of being a mother is life changing. Let’s look at some aspects of motherhood and how yoga can be beneficial. In the first few months it seems like all we do is breastfeed but later it changes, especially after 6 months, when the baby may start eating food. Some women find it easy and love to breastfeed, whilst others find it difficult or uncomfortable. Breastfeeding, or not, can bring up many emotions. For those women who cannot breastfeed due to difficulties it can cause a lot of negative emotions towards oneself or the baby. One can feel guilty, angry, sad, depressed or even feel unconnected towards their baby. Yoga practices of meditation, yoga nidra and pranayama can help her to overcome these emotions. Yoga also helps reduce stress which can reduce milk production. When breastfeeding one can practice yoga. Deep breathing, om chanting and relaxation can be done in any position but asanas can also be practiced in certain positions. If one is feeding lying on the side then many versions of Anantasan – Lord Vishnu Pose can be practiced. If one feeds lying on their back then Pawanmuktasan – Gas Release Pose, Uttanpadasan – Raised Leg Pose, Tadagasan – Pond Pose and Cycling can be done. Remember the breastfeeding counter poses, such as gomukhasan, cow face pose, arm and shoulder movements to improve posture and keep the back and shoulders relaxed. Sleep can become a bit of an obsession for some mothers. Sleep for the baby and sleep for themselves. Yoga nidra can help recharge, giving the equivalent of a few hours of sleep. Simple yogic movements can help to reenergise and give focus. Kapalbhati and Agnisar will create more energy and motivation. Some women find their body returns to its pre-pregnancy state very fast, whilst others find that it takes much longer. It’s important to be gentle on oneself and not have too many expectations but at the same time try to fit in some exercise, eat well, get enough sleep and do yoga when one can. To help lose weight and maintain good health surya namaskar, sun salutations, are very helpful. They can be done slowly as yoga and fast as exercise. A few rounds can easily be fit into the day, even if one only has five minutes. Kapalbhati, Agnisar and Uddiyan bandha will all help improve metabolism, give energy and reduce fat around the belly. Standing poses, especially holding the baby can help tone up the body and inversions will improve metabolism. Relationships in the first year of motherhood can become a little strained. Before the baby one may have a busy social life with their friends and partner but when the baby comes they may turn into a bit of a hermit and when they do have time they may just want to sleep and relax. Friends without children may find it hard to relate and even the father may feel a little left out when suddenly the baby is the centre of attention. Some mothers just feel so exhausted in the first year that they just do not have time or energy for anything but the essentials. It’s important to try and have a little time out occasionally, even incorporating things to do with the baby and friends such as going for walks or going to a mums and bubs yoga class. Try not to put too many expectations on oneself, remembering that being a mum is already a full time job and that you don’t need to do as many things as you were before, but at the same time let others look after the baby for certain periods of time as well such as the father and grandparents. Many times mothers can get a bit obsessive and not want to leave their baby with anyone, yet it is also important for them to develop bonds with other family members. One may also have decided to go back to work. For some women this can be a relief as it can be quite tiring being at home with a baby and some women just need to be out of the house. Some women find that they lose their identity without their job so crave being back. On the other side some women become very upset at having to go back to work, feeling guilty at having to leave their baby with someone else. Yoga nidra, pranayama, om chanting and meditation can help with balancing the emotions. Practicing some asanas with the baby, when one is home can benefit both mother and baby, giving some quality time as well as the benefits of yoga. Many asanas can be practiced with the baby, depending on the baby’s age and mood. Supine asanas such as Pawanmuktasan – Gas Release Pose, Cycling, Uttanpadasan - Raised Leg Pose, Ardha Chakrasan - Half Wheel Pose, Arm, Leg and Knee Movements can be practiced with the baby on the chest, lying on its back, belly or sitting. Prone position asanas such as Bhujangasan - Cobra can be practiced next to the baby, especially if the baby is doing tummy time, or incorporating cobra whilst playing with the baby on the floor. Sitting asanas such as Paschimottanasan – Forward Bend can be practiced whilst playing with the baby and Ardha Paschimottanasan - Half Forward Bend may be done whilst readiing a book with baby or playing with toys. Some standing poses can be done holding the baby in various ways. Be creative! One of the greatest qualities mothers develop, especially in the first year, is patience. Developing patience takes time, it is not easy but it is essential if we are to remain calm and relaxed. Developing the attitude of the witness, the observer can help here, being able to see things through our baby’s eyes will help one to understand and accept the situation. It will help one to maintain calmness and prevent anger or irritability. Yoga can help us to be in a relaxed state which will also help us to remain patient. To be patient we need to be able to accept the situation instead of trying to manipulate it. It needs awareness, self-control and understanding. Another challenge that can be there is finding purpose, as if being a mother is not enough! Some women find that their identity is lost when they are now only in the home. Doing activities outside the home, joining mothers groups, taking mums and bubs yoga classes and taking time out can help. Remembering that this is an important time in your baby’s life and that you baby needs you will also give satisfaction and motivation. Our expectations of ourselves as mothers should also be looked at. We may expect that we should always feel happy and content but it is not always like that. Some days may be challenging and we are just waiting for the time when the baby will go to sleep. Sometimes we may feel we are not good enough as mothers. During these times try to be the witness, accept and understand that some days are not perfect but each day is a new day and there is no perfect mother. We may have lots of expectations of what we are going to get done and then get upset that we cannot complete what we planned. Babies do not fit around our schedules, we fit around them, some days it seems that we do not get anything done, but often those are the days when our baby has needed us most. It may be a day when they are teething or just not feeling right. In fact on those days we have done the most important thing of nurturing, loving and supporting our baby. The first year of motherhood is a wonderful journey. It is an experience that will change you in so many ways, it will challenge you on every level – physical, mental and spiritual, it will allow you to grow and evolve as a person, it will take you to some of the toughest times and it will bring out the strongest love you have ever felt in your life. Kate Mandlik (Sannyasi Bhaktiratna) Coordinator - Yoga Vidya Gurukul, Ashram, India | 
