3 yoga tips for busy moms

By: Karen Conley
Karen established Amazing Yoga in 2000 to share the transforming powers of yoga that she has discovered. Through her compassion and commitment, it is her desire to inspire others to embark upon the ...

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n style="color: #000000;">One morning, I was rushing my little boy off to school. We had several mishaps, so we were a bit behind. I was getting his shoes, and he was playing with the dog. I looked over and with my voice raised and said, “You have to hurry up. We’re going to be late!” He looked back and responded, “Mommy, I don’t like to hurry.” In his six-year-old wisdom, he knows that hurrying feels terrible. I admit I am a bit of a busy bee. I have a hard time knowing when to stop. I justify it, as I am running a business, raising four kids, do grocery shopping and laundry until I literally fall on my bed exhausted and drained. Some days I feel like my dog, just chasing his tail in circles all day. I have been lucky enough to find my friend yoga. Yoga has taught me that being busy is not a badge of honor to wear, but it is a distraction from all the beautiful moments in my life that I am missing, especially when I am rushing and stressing. When I am over-scheduled and feel constantly self-pressured to get things done, I miss out on being present. I have not at all mastered or beaten my craving to be busy, but I have learned how to recognize and do something about it when it happens. I have learned that when I get in this tailspin, it is not productive for me or anyone else in my life. Since becoming a yoga student, I have learned to recognize when I am not being my best self. Yoga makes you feel good. I feel good when I take time to feel and hear my breath and realize immediately how all these daily tasks can wait for 60 minutes. It feels good to move the tension and stress out of my body so I’m not rigidly moving like a robot through the day. I feel good when my mind slows down and I put a gag on that voice that keeps pestering me that I have to get more things done. When I get to yoga it heals me of my busy mind, however, there are days and sometimes weeks when my time on my mat is limited. I wanted to share some tips of how you can keep your yoga alive when you are constantly adjusting to the unpredictability of your schedule. 1. Schedule your yoga time. Plan to put it on your schedule. Then, you are prioritizing your “me” time.  If you are not at your best, everyone else in the house suffers the consequence. There is a world of difference between being selfish and taking time for yourself. 2. Be flexible. You have scheduled your yoga time and one of your children wakes up sick. Remember yoga is not just about striking poses on your mat. Yoga is the quality of how we do everything in our life. We practice yoga when we breathe through difficult situations, and when we remember to be calm in a difficult moment. Your yoga becomes flexible with how your schedule rolls out that day. You may just take 10 minutes to sit and breathe. 3. Do not be hard on yourself.  There are some days we just have to surrender to what is. Beating ourselves up for all that we cannot get done creates stress on our bodies. Yoga teaches self-acceptance, so be kind and gentle to yourself. We are responsible for creating an environment around us that is nurturing to ourselves and our families. The best example we can give is to model to our children the importance of taking care of ourselves. You may not always be able to get on your mat, but you can bring yoga to your daily activities. Be present, stay with your breath, accept the challenging moments, and keep moving. And when you are able to get on your mat, indulge in the time you have made for yourself. Namaste. Read next >> 5 de-stressing yoga poses for mothers