For years I have had the thought to give yoga a real, honest try…. and for years I ignored it. I now believe those were not just ordinary thoughts, but inspiration trying to make its way through. My spirit knew exactly what I needed, and I’m glad I finally gave it a shot. Yoga has been one of the biggest contributors to becoming a happier mom and feeling true joy in motherhood.
I got to the point that my husband would come home from work and say, “You did your yoga today, didn’t you?“
How Yoga Has Made Me a Happier Mom
Now that I have been doing yoga for a while, these are the reasons I think it has made me a happier mom:
Emotional Benefits If you make it your intention, yoga is great activity for identifying what you are currently feeling. When we identify our emotions, rather than ignore or hide from them, we give ourselves the opportunity to let them go. It can be challenging to make time in our day specifically for being still and identifying how we are feeling, which is why I love yoga so much. It keeps me emotionally tuned up, which always results in being a happier mom.
Mental Benefits As I go through different yoga poses, I set intentions for my life. Maybe in mountain pose I will think something like “I am powerful. I am strong” and then in Child’s pose I will think something like “God has my back. He makes up for anything that I lack.“
Physical Benefits I never really thought about yoga as a good form of exercise before, because the moves seems so slow, but I’ve surprised myself several times with sore muscles after certain routines. Yoga is a great place for building strength and flexibility, and it’s also become a hobby for me. There are certain poses that are hard to achieve, but I have lots of fun making goals to reach some of them. Plus, there’s always those happy endorphins that come from exercising! Yoga is also focused on deep breathing, which is wonderful for stress-release!
Spiritual Benefits. The great thing about yoga, is that whatever your spiritual beliefs are, yoga can fit accordingly. Whether you believe in the power of “God” or maybe the “universe,” you can tap into whatever that power is for you. I personally use this time to imagine God and angels supporting me as I transition into different poses. For me it’s a form of prayer and meditation.
ADDED BONUS: I had a 3-year old with some….”passionate” emotions. She seems to burst into tears over EVERYTHING all day long. Instead of time-out, I started asking her to do “5 deep breaths” before she could do anything else, and I would sit there and breath with her. She has now started doing it on her own, and it has decreased her meltdowns by a ton! My other children now have the habit of repeating my phrase when I am upset and will now catch me with, “Mom, I think you need 5 deep breaths.” It has become a great calming exercise for our family thanks to what I have learned in my yoga routines. Not only am I a happier mom, but my children are learning to be happier children!
I should also say that I don’t just do any Yoga, I specifically enjoy Yoga with Adriene on Youtube. I use Chromecast or a Roku to watch the videos from your TV, or you can just stream them from your computer. Here are some great videos for starting your day, I also enjoy these 3 videos for Yoga For When You are Stressed
