The act of giving birth should be added to the list of the wonders of the world. Bringing forth life into the world is one of the most beautiful, and at the same time, the most painful experiences anyone can ever go through. After giving birth, my body became completely different. It went through major changes during my pregnancy and the changes did not stop even after I gave birth. This is where exercise comes into play. Regular exercises are good for one’s health and well-being.
What is Yoga?
A good form of exercise is yoga. The simplest way of describing yoga is that it is the art of being still within oneself and at the same time gaining physical fitness. At least that is how I feel when I do it. During pregnancy, the fetus grows and as it grows, pressure is applied to the spine. The spine is connected to many joints including the shoulders and ankles. Because of this, many mothers develop complications that last all through even after pregnancy. This pain is very uncomfortable and as a mother, it can hinder the amount of attention one gives to their child.
Why Yoga and How It Helps?
One may ask why yoga and not other forms of exercise? Yoga does not only involve the improvement of physical strength but it takes care of the body as a whole. It looks at both the body and the mind. As a mother, here is another human being that you have and the child does not speak. When the child cries, you are not sure what the child wants. Is it milk, attention, or a change of diaper? This can be a lot for one person to handle. Some mothers also develop postpartum depression because of this. I experienced postpartum depression for a while and it is during this period that I was introduced to yoga. The kind of peace that one is able to achieve through meditation is fulfilling. The breathing and stretching involved in yoga brings calm and one is also able to improve oxygen circulation in their bodies.
As a mother, one does not have too much time for themselves because of the full time care that the child requires. This is where one can see the importance of yoga. As the baby is sleeping for the few minutes in their cradle, just sit next to the cradle as you do your breathing exercises and improve your physical mobility by doing some stretches. Children normally notice when the mother is tense. When the child notices this, they become very fussy because the two share a bond. By obtaining peace within oneself, the baby also obtains the peace with you.
Breastfeeding is also one of those things that come with being a new mom. I find myself hunching a lot because of breastfeeding. This also applies to mothers who bottle feed their children. Because of the many hours that a mother has to spend bending or leaning forward to feed the baby, the shoulder aches only become worse. In yoga, there is a pose known as the cow pose. This entails keeping one’s shoulders as far from the ears as possible.
Another issue that affects many women is swollen ankles. Many women, me included complain about their ankles being the size of their knees. This happens during pregnancy and also after. It is a problem that can be solved through yoga. One of the yoga poses that can help with the issue is the Garland pose. One squat with their feet close together, separate your thighs so as to fit inside them and press your elbows against the inner side of your knees and make sure your palms touch. This is all done as one inhale. Thirty seconds is enough.
Yoga is a way of life and it is even more important for mothers. Try it out and see its wonders. Additionally, those who want to try yoga as a healing experience for trauma survivors may consider trying Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, which is a rich counterpart to therapy and other forms of trauma treatment.
*Guest post by Annie Jones, the founder of BoostBodyfit. She is a huge fan of healthy eating and living! She create the blog purely to share her experiences and expertise on health, nutrition, exercise and everything else between. She is also a mother of two where she balances between her passion and biggest joy in life.
