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October 20th, 2010

Because I definitely need this right now—and am guessing you do, too. Thanks to Yoga Mama Amanda Uphoff who, in this guest post, delivers the poses all of us busy mamas need to get back to center. Check out her fabulous new studi0 and great lineup of classes for us parents and our kiddos—Blackbird Family Yoga.

Now, go slip into your yoga pants and do this. Repeat daily : 

As moms, our days usually begin on someone else’s terms (when was the last time you woke up because you were simply done sleeping!?), at which point we have a choice: we can either hit the ground running or play catch-up all day. So we run. I know that this kind of frenetic pace can take its toll on me, as I think it does for many of us…but yoga can help. Remember, we need to use the oxygen mask on ourselves before we can be of any assistance to our children! Being a mom involves a lot of selflessness, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allow ourselves a few moments every day to treat ourselves with the same kindness we show our loved ones.

Below is a list of 5 of my favorite poses/ exercises to help me regain control of my breath, my patience, and myself. These poses are great for stress relief, as well as for inducing quality sleep. So put on some of your favorite music, roll out your yoga mat or even a towel/ blanket, and just breathe.

1) Wide-legged Standing Forward Fold
Turning sideways on your mat, place your feet as wide as is comfortable for your body/ level of flexibility. Place your hands on your hips and slowly start folding forward, keeping your back as straight as possible. When you are folded as deeply as your body permits you to, place your hands on the floor, on your feet, or on your shins. Now let your head hang down, using its weight to elongate your spine. This should feel good; if it doesn’t, try moving your feet closer to each other, or alternatively try bending your knees a bit. After taking 3-5 deep breaths in this pose, lift your head and breathe in while lifting your upper body halfway, parallel to the floor. Exhale and fold down again, letting your head hang heavy. After 3-5 more breaths, place your hands on your hips and slowly lift up to standing, using the strength of your legs and your core to do so.

2) Seated Forward Fold
Sit on your mat with your feet out in front of you, legs straight. Lift your arms up to the sky, straightening your spine/ neck as much as possible. Next, fold forward, reaching for the feet, shins, or whatever feels best. Again, this should feel good; you may feel resistance, but there should be no discomfort. Try to keep your back as straight as possible, although a little natural rounding of the spine is okay. Keep your shoulders down and back; if they are hunched up by your ears, see how it feels to open your chest and push your shoulders down and back. You should feel a huge opening in doing so. Let go of the day’s frustrations in this pose, and just surrender to your body in this moment. After 5-10 deep breaths in this pose, slowly lift up and shake your legs out.

3) Seated Twists
While seated cross-legged, take your right leg and place your right foot outside your left knee. Your right leg will be bent and your knee should be pointing up to the ceiling. Your left leg can also be bent, or it can be straight out in front of you. With a straight spine, raise your right arm up to the sky, then lower it back and behind the right side of your body. Take your left elbow to the outside of your right knee, using it to help you twist further to the right. In this pose it is very important to twist only from the upper spine – right between the shoulder blades – and not from the hips, which can harm the lower back. Keeping your spine straight and strong, and only twisting to your comfort level, will help with this. As you breathe in, elongate, as you breathe out, twist a bit deeper. Imagine your body is a washcloth and you are wringing all the dirty water out (all the day’s frustration) as you twist; as you elongate, you are saturating your washcloth with fresh, clean water. Take 5 deep breaths in this pose, and then repeat on the opposite side.

4) Legs Up The Wall
If your mat is not already against a wall, move it to a clear wall space. Lie down with your feet facing the wall, then move in toward the wall so that your straight legs are as far up the wall as is comfortable to you. Keep your upper body flat on the ground, perhaps placing a rolled-up towel or blanket under the arch of your back for support. Open your chest as you open your arms wide to the sides. Palms should face up to the sky. Eye pillows feel great in this pose, as do my kids’ beanbags! Relax all the muscles in your face, and try to quiet the mind. Stay in this pose as long as feels good, but at least a couple of minutes.

5) 5 Great Moments exercise
This is a good exercise to do in Legs Up The Wall pose, as it helps keep the mama judgement/ criticism of ourselves at bay. I also like to do it with my kids, because it never ceases to brighten my day. Reflecting upon your day, think of that day’s 5 Great Moments. My first great moment is often a hug from a sleepy, warm kiddo, or a hot cup of coffee, or a hot shower. My last moment great moment also often involves a hug or two from my kids, but it can also be a really great glass of red wine or an interesting, funny, uninterrupted conversation with my husband after the kids are tucked in. This exercise helps us practice gratitude towards ourselves and our lives, even though we may have had many moments throughout the day that we are decidedly NOT grateful for Yesterday a little girl in one of my yoga classes said that her first great moment of the day was “now,” which was so perfect. Enjoy the now. Try not to judge yourself too harshly for things you think you could’ve or should’ve done differently that day – take a note and move on. Remember to breathe. Remember to thank yourself for taking the last few minutes to tend to your mental and physical health. You deserve it!

— Yoga Mama Amanda Uphoff, owner of Blackbird Family Yoga in Middleton, WI

Enjoy!

—Mama Kate

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