Let me start by saying yoga is very beneficial for all genders and ages. It strengthens your body and mind, and centers your emotions. Even more, it connects you with a sense of wholeness within yourself, and unites you as a community with others. But today, I am focusing on the benefits of yoga for mothers, because I believe mothers, more than anyone, can benefit greatly. Here’s why:
You mothers give so much of yourselves to others every day. Whether you work outside of the home, or inside the home, moms never stop. You work around the clock, caring for your children, your partners, and doing your part in society. You relentlessly serve others, day in and day out. It can be very hard to find that time and energy to take care of yourself. Not only do you feel guilty for taking time away from your children to do something good for you, sometimes you are just straight- up lacking the energy.
This is why I strongly encourage yoga. Yoga is a one-stop shop to take care of yourself, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and energetically. Although this list could easily be 108 points long, here are the top 7 reasons why moms should make time for yoga:
1. It gives you a healthy excuse to step away and take some much-needed time for yourself. If we could, us moms could just keep going. Making lunches, cooking dinner, cleaning, laundry, caring for sick kiddos, school projects that become our own, buying gifts for birthday parties.. the list goes on and on. It is hard to find an excuse to get away.
Going to yoga is something that checks all the boxes in just an hour. And that makes it an easy sell to your partner, if you need them to watch the kiddos while you step away. You can easily justify it because you will return home having worked your body as well as grounding yourself.
It makes you a better mother. And that is something your kids will benefit from. Your partner will benefit from. The dog will benefit from. Everyone will benefit from.
Not to mention, you are teaching them the lifelong lesson that you need to make yourself a priority. Your kids will notice. And they will grow up taking care of themselves too.
2. You will sleep better, and therefore function better. Can you believe the average mom only gets an average of 6 hours of sleep a night?! Between all of the tasks that need to get completed after the kids go to bed, this probably comes as no surprise. Then there are the nightly interruptions- coughing, going potty, our busy minds.. We can take all the help we can get to enjoy a restful night’s sleep.
Yoga helps by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system to release melatonin. This is what helps you to feel relaxed in mind and body, resulting in better sleep. Better sleep translates into having a better life, and being able to function at your highest capacity.
3. Yoga releases some pretty cool hormones that gives you more energy, helps you to feel relaxed, and in turn allows you to be more present in all aspects of your life. If you have ever taken a yoga class, you are probably familiar with that blissful “high” and euphoria you get by the end of the practice. This high is attributed to the results of using breathing techniques such as the ujjayi breath. This takes you out of your fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system) and into your rest and digest response instead, which allows you relax.
Yoga also helps you to release other great hormones like cortisol, oxytocin and endorphins. These help to bring on relaxation, and at the same time, give you energy!
When you are relaxed, you are more present in your body and able to experience your emotions. This helps you to respond to what is happening in the present moment. I.e., when my children are talking to me, I can focus on what they are saying, and not the next thing I need to cross of my to do list. You are suddenly able to be in the here and now. And what a gift that is! Presence is the gift of life.
4. Yoga makes you strong in your body and in your mind. Some of the most muscular women I know do not lift weights. They do yoga. They lift their own body weight the natural way- no weights needed. It takes a lot of strength to hold your body in various poses. If you do it enough, you will see a huge difference in the muscle tone especailly in your arms, back, legs, and core.
It’s NOT about how you look though. The real benefit comes from how this strength makes you feel in your body and in your mind. It takes a lot of mental discipline to hold yourself in certain poses. Your body will give out long before your mind ever will. Your mind has the ability to persevere what the body cannot. The more you do yoga, the more you become a mental warrior. Because you have discipline, you can do anything you set your mind to. And what mom doesn’t want THAT superpower!
5. Yoga is massage for the entire body, without the $80 price tag! Yoga assists with flexibility, both physically and mentally. **Let me start off by saying that yoga is NOT about flexibility. Sure, it is a benefit, but not a requirement to be able to participate. You absolutely do not need to be able to touch your toes, or even come close. Yoga is a PRACTICE, which means we are working TOWARDS something, not needing to necessarily OBTAIN it. **
We all need more flexibility (and massage) in our lives. Most of us live more sedentary lives, compared to the hunter- gatherers we used to be. We need to stretch to keep our joints and muscles healthy and spry. Our muscles tighten as we age, and stretching becomes increasingly important. Our muscles operate in concert and yoga treats the whole body as the complex system it is. Every time you do yoga, you are giving yourself a massage. Again, it’s a one-stop shop for all your needs! And I don’t know a single mom who could not use a massage.
6. You get to take a nap and recharge! Unlike other group fitness classes, yoga is the only one that concludes with a nap. That’s right! It’s called savasana. You lie down on your back, arms and legs resting comfortably on the mat. You close your eyes, and notice your breath. You pay attention to the gentle sensations and vibrations in your body while your teacher leads you into meditation. This can often be in the form of a body scan, where you consciously release the muscles and tension in your body.
Savasana is where the real magic of yoga takes place. Once your body is relaxed, it is much easier to relax your mind, and tune into your emotions. You will arise feeling much more refreshed, and ready to take on what’s left of your day.
Sophisticated nap, please!
7. Yoga helps to decrease anxiety, depression, and stress. A whopping 16.5 percent of women are on antidepressants at this very moment. That’s 1 out of 6! Most moms at some point in their motherhood journey experience some varying form of depression, anxiety, and/ or stress.
There is much research that shows that yoga is a great complement to every treatment plan. You should still seek out therapy and medication when needed, but why not see if yoga can help to take some of the edge off. People who don’t respond well to traditional treatments often see more results with yoga, because the physical movement combined with deep breathing target the autonomic nervous system. When this system is balanced, your brain works better, and you just feel better! When we feel better, we are better moms, partners, coworkers, and overall better people!
The bottom line, is yoga is a quick and dirty way to get all of the fixes a busy mom needs. It is recommended that yoga be done 2-3 days a week, for 60 minutes. I understand how impossible this can be when you are busy juggling so many things. My advice is do WHAT you can, WHEN you can.
Instead of trying to carve out 3 times a week to go to yoga (which is certainly not always realistic), perhaps it is possible to carve out 1-2 days a week you can practice for even just 10 minutes at home. (I will post more on how to do this at a later date). You can even do it after the kids go to bed. I promise, you will see significant results over time. You are worth it. And so is your family.
My wish for you:
May you be happy and at ease.
May you be safe and well.
May you feel loved by others.
May you love yourself.
May you love yourself so much
That you Make Time for You
Thank you for reading, my friend. I would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below with your thoughts regarding this post. Also, feel free to share with others who can benefit.
Sending you Love, Light, and Strength,
XO,
Melissa MC Yogi Momma
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