It can be quite hard to find time to work out once you become a mom. Before I got pregnant I loved to go running. Fresh air, no fuss, just put on some shoes and go. When you become a mom the ‘just put on some shoes and go’- part kind of disappears from your life. I didn’t mind though. My life had ‘slowed down’ once Isaya was born and so my workout just had to get in line with that. Now I walk miles and miles with Isaya in the carrier and I love it so much more than I ever loved running. But I was not ready, nor did I feel it was necessary, to give up my yoga routine.

I have been practicing different kinds of yoga for about ten years now and it has given me so much, both mentally and physically. It is such an amazing way to get to know your body and your mind. Yoga has thaught me to be more patient with myself, it has made me realize how strong and beautiful the human body is and it has kept me flexible. Yoga helped me connect with my body and it has brought some amazing people into my life. So of course I want to share all this with my daughter!

Yoga Routine with your Baby

Even though yoga has taught me a lot over the years it was always something I took rather serious. I used to think it had to be done ‘a certain way’. That meant no interruptions, feeling zen, doing all the asana’s in the way and order I was taught in class. Now that I have a daughter all of that has changed. Yoga has become WAY more fun. Of course I still want to improve my practice and deepen my poses, but I don’t worry anymore about doing it perfectly. Ego has flown right out of the window once Isaya entered my yoga practice.

Our sessions are often interrupted so I can hug, kiss, console or breastfeed Isaya, play with her or change her diaper. I don’t worry about doing everything in ‘the right order’. I don’t remember if I’m doing a pose I learned in my Bikram class, during my Hatha lessons or my Iyengar retreat. And I don’t care, as long as we are having fun: both Isaya and I. If you want to put a label on it, the type of yoga I practice comes closest to Vinyasa, or ‘Power’ Yoga. But really, I just go with the flow and do whatever feels natural and good. This doesn’t mean it is just a way to pass the time though.

Feeling the challenge of breathing calmly and deeply, being able to think and act flexible, accepting that life interrupts your plans and be able to move along anyway, going past the friction, overcoming obstacles, being present, staying balanced and focused: all of this I get from my sessions with Isaya.

This is the freest I have ever felt doing yoga and I believe it can be easily incorporated in your life as a mother. If you stop worrying about being interrupted or not having the time to finish your practice, there is room to take it as it comes and have fun with your baby or child. Isaya and I have made another video in which we show you what our sessions usually look like. I hope it will inspire you to go easy on yourself, lay down that mat and enjoy some mama- baby yoga! Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel, because more video’s are on their way!