Monday, September 10, 2012

My "home" yoga practice during pregnancy

I am almost eight months pregnant. As with my previous pregnancy, yoga is a central part of taking care of myself and the baby I am creating. A lot has changed since my last pregnancy, though, and so has my yoga practice. 

The biggest difference with this pregnancy is that I am not only nurturing the life growing inside of me, I am also nurturing the life that we created almost two and a half years ago. I have precious little time to focus on taking care of myself when I am trying to keep up with a toddler.

I simply don't have time to practice yoga when I am home with Josias. I know however, that I MUST practice yoga. So, yet again, I made a change in how, when and where I practice. One of the things I loved about my home yoga practice was the silence and the stillness. It was the only place that I found the kind of space where I could slow down, reflect and try to connect with my True Self.

Even though that is what I loved most about my home practice, in order to keep practicing, I had to give that part up. My new "home" practice is at the gym located in the basement of my office building. About 3 times a week, during my lunch break, I head down there for a twenty to thirty minute practice.

The gym is not set up for yoga. It is set up for sweaty runners and weight lifters who like to watch obnoxious television programs while they are exercising. Great for them, not ideal for yoga.

My alternative, however, is no yoga. So, I decided to try to be flexible with what it means to practice yoga and what I hope to get out of it. With my new practice, I do not experience the silence and stillness that I once enjoyed. I do experience the beauty of opening up my shoulders and hips; gently bending and twisting my back; and gratitude for feeling good in my current body, which happens to be rather large and cumbersome.

What I know now is that my home yoga practice will always change. Nothing stays the same, but if I can ride the tide of change, adjust my expectations and go with the flow, it will always be possible to feel the peace and gratitude that comes with my yoga practice. Namaste. Thank you.

How has your home yoga practice changed over time?

2 comments:

  1. Well done for keeping the yoga up in trying circumstances. I'm sure it gives you and baby lots of benefits even if in not quite so ideal circumstances.

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    1. Thanks for the comment and the encouragement, Sally!

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