5 Yoga Hacks for New Mums Who Have No Time
Feb 14, 2019Hey beautiful mumma! I know what it’s like to be a new mum and having NO time to yourself. I’ve been there. My daughter is now 4 and goes to a daycare a few times a week so I finally have some time to myself to write a blog like this but oh boy, the first 3-4 months were real tough! Felt like I had no time to go have a shower. Couldn’t even go to a toilet when I needed to. I even decided to cut my hair short because I had no time to brush it let alone dry it… (no joking!) When you’re so deprived of something as basic as sleep, you will be like “when do I find time to do yoga?!” I’d say you would always make time for something that really matters. If you’re anything like me, I bet you know the healing power of yoga and the importance of daily practice. So make time for it even if it’s only 5 or 10 minutes!
From my personal experience, I can tell you it’s really important to keep your practice going and keep your body moving especially if you had a regular practice before you had your baby. Our body is just not designed to sit for all day. Your body will quickly tighten up if you don’t stretch and release tension everyday because of the extended period of sitting (from breastfeeding) or repeated lifting & carrying of your baby. It’s never too late to start so let's start TODAY! Here are just 5 little tips for you. (And the 2nd or 3rd time mum with a newborn can benefit from these tips too)
1. Prioritise yoga time over housework
When your baby naps, please please do some yoga before getting onto the housework. You never know how long your baby will sleep for. Yes, I understand laundry & dishes need to be done, house needs vacuuming and we also need to get started with meal preparation. But you see, the list is endless when it comes to housework. Dishes can wait. Vacuuming can wait. Your health & wellbeing are more important than anything else. It can be just 5 or 10 minutes to begin with but that’s better than nothing! Use this time to scan your whole body (for any tightness or aches), do a single pose to release tension (if you can do more, even better!) and rest up in savasana (corpse pose) for conscious relaxation especially when you feel tired & exhausted.
2. Stretch out in bed or in the kitchen
I often sneak in a yoga pose or two in bed either before getting out of bed or going to sleep. While cooking or waiting for a kettle to be ready, I'm not just standing still, I'm always moving and stretching. I take advantage of small pockets of time I find throughout my day. Yes, resting & relaxing is important but finding balance between rest/relax and moving/staying active is also important! We spend way too much time sitting especially when your baby is teeny tiny so get your body moving whenever you get a chance! I cover this topic extensively inside my online course, Calm & Relaxed Mama if you wanted to learn more.
3. Become aware of your posture while breastfeeding
Be mindful of how you’re sitting and breastfeeding (or bottle feeding) your baby. Try not to round too far forward and see if you can find length in the spine. Draw your shoulders back and down. If you notice any tightness or tension anywhere in your neck/shoulders, use your exhalation to release it. Use this seated time to practice pranayama (breath control) or mindfulness meditation. Extended exhalation is a great option to release tightness and turn on the relaxation response. If you'd love a guided meditation practice with me, I invite you to check out the FREE guided meditation video that I'm gifting at the moment, called Meditation for Breastfeeding Mothers.
4. Don't wait for the perfect moment
When my baby napped or slept, my yoga mat was the first place I visited to release stress and feel good in my body, mind & heart. (unless I needed to head over to my bed to catch some sleep!) But don't wait until the perfect moment to start. What I mean is that don't wait until you get 1 hour or 30 minutes just to yourself to start stretching. Maybe your baby is happily playing with a toy for a few minutes. Maybe your infant is feeling playful and wanna join you for yoga! Maybe you're in the middle of the drive and waiting for the light to turn green. Keep your eyes on the road but you can stretch your neck a bit or bring your attention to your breathing. Get creative. Opportunities to practice are everywhere.
5. Use online resources to help you establish your home practice
If you're new to yoga & mindfulness and find it difficult to do a self-guided practice, or you had a long break from yoga, then you may find it helpful to have access to online classes or videos and listen to the instructions of a qualified and experienced teacher. I have created online courses & membership so that you can enjoy your practice from the comfort of your own home. Go visit Work with me on my website to explore different options to receive support & guidance from me.
There you have it. Hope this helps! Remember, little bit of yoga everyday is better than nothing. Try to move. your body as often as you can with or without your bub. I feel I made a mistake of not staying as active as I should have been in the first 6 months of being a mum (mainly due to severe sleep deprivation and lack of energy) so I just don’t want you to make the same mistake. So make time for some yoga today! Your body, mind & heart will all thank you for it.
*Please note that it’s recommended you wait to commence yoga practice until you receive the green light from your GP at 6-week check. If you had a caesarean birth, give it at least 8 weeks before you return to a mat so you can give your body time to heal. Please note that "Quick and easy yoga for busy mums" (free video) is NOT suitable for someone with high blood pressure.
About Chika
Chika is the founder of Wa Yoga (Wa is a Japanese word meaning harmony). She is a Yoga Australia registered teacher, student of yoga for 12 years, teaching yoga & mindfulness for the last 6 years and mum to a 4-year old daughter. She specialises in offering online courses and memberships for mothers of young children and young families. She has a gentle approach to teaching yoga and her classes are always infused with mindfulness, reminding people to slow down and come back to the present moment. Her mission is to inspire and motivate other mums to start incorporating yoga & mindfulness into their daily self-care ritual.
She is a creator of Mindful Mama Membership, the online membership for mothers who aspire to embrace short, simple & sustainable self-care through yoga, mindfulness & Ayurveda. This is the best place to receive regular, ongoing support from Chika.
