(Re)Beginning Yoga

The last several weeks I've been focused on a whole lot of "other" stuff, namely preparing for my son's birth, having him, and then beginning a brand new phase of my life: motherhood. It's been a wild ride so far, starting with his delivery. I had a very long labor that ended up in an emergency c-section (if you get a choice in the matter, I'd advise either being in unmedicated labor for a long time OR having a c-section, but definitely not both).

Due to having my internal organs held in with superglue for the first few weeks after delivery, I decided that it would be a good idea to not push myself physically until I hit 6 weeks postpartum. (My midwife recommended it too, which made me feel a lot less guilty and lazy!). In the meantime, I've been taking our son for walks in his stroller and in the Ergo baby carrier. (I waited until I knew my incision was completely closed before I started wearing him.)

My 6 weeks is up on Wednesday, and I'm easing back into yoga with something fun: Do You Yoga's 30 Day Yoga Challenge on Youtube. I participated last October, and it's a great "intro to yoga." What's more, it is fantastic for promoting a beginner's mindset. To me, that means being open to new experiences and enthusiastic about the "try," not so much about the result.

Promoting this attitude towards yoga will hopefully bleed over into other areas of my life, like (big surprise) parenting! Instead of constantly worrying about my lack of perfection, maybe I should just focus on how adorable my son's chubby cheeks are. I want to celebrate his baby smiles and relish the moments when he tries to talk to me, instead of panicking about whether I'm stimulating his brain too much or not enough.

I'll write a minimum of one update per week, and hopefully I'll throw in some pictures too. Get ready for some gorgeous, well-composed shots that show off my messy house and poochy belly!

Do you want to go back to basics, in yoga or elsewhere? Anybody up to join me for 30 days of yoga?