The Yoga of Pregnancy

If you're curious about the title, I quietly announced this a few months back :) 

I've always followed the philosophy that yoga isn't about being able to stand on one's head, or balancing on fingertips. Yoga is a very internal, personal thing that can take many different forms. Yoga is about finding stillness within. It's a way to help us embrace life as it is, and even though that's what I've always believed in my heart, I didn't really start living that philosophy until I got pregnant. 

While being sick, one of the many things I was upset about was that I couldn't continue my yoga practice. I barely had enough energy to go to work, clean, or cook. I would pretty much just come home and lay on the floor praying that the next day would be easier. 

And then I started speaking to my little tummy. I began laying on the floor with my hands on my belly, unraveling the fear in my heart. I didn't realize at the time that the act of breathing, getting through the scary bits, THAT was my yoga. As I started feeling better I began doing a little yoga. It was fucking hard. I wasn't even doing hard stuff but my body still needed to ease back into things-- even if it was a gentler version. That was yoga too.

But the most important thing that has helped me through this entire pregnancy is breathing. Yoga 101. I get up in the morning, lie down, put on some relaxing music and I breath. When things get a little hectic at work I breathe. Sometimes I do Ujjayi breath. Sometimes I do alternate nostril breathing. But most of the time I just breathe. And that's my yoga. 

I'm okay with breathing being my yoga. We always have our breath. If we don't, we die. And I know I'm going to need my breath when the little one is ready to come into the world, so to me, the breath is the perfect yoga practice. 

Breathing is not only important for "yogis", breathing is beneficial to everyone. Focusing on the breath helps cultivate mindfulness, and helps reduce stress.  

Throughout this crazy journey I've learned that our foundation is key. What we learn when we initially come to the mat, is one of the most important lessons we could ever learn. Unfortunately on our journey to becoming more "advance" we forget our core-- we loose our footing. 

Always remember step one. Never be too proud to go back to the basics. If you forget where home is, your missing the whole point of what this journey is all about.