Finding Your Parenting Zen (and Strength) with Yoga
Editor’s Note: Good morning. Today we have Marcie Dumais discussing one of my passions – yoga. Here she is:
As parents, the wellness of our little people is top priority – making sure they have nutritious meals, stimulating activities, exercise, time outdoors, caring role-models, quality education and so on. We devote a lot of time and attention to their health and happiness, and so we should. Pair that kind of kid focus with career and household responsibilities and it’s not surprising that parent wellness ends up at the bottom of a long to-do list.
But we can’t ignore ourselves in the process of caring for our children. What we do every day as parents is hard – glorious, but hard. We need to ensure that our mind and our body stay strong.
If you have followed my other articles, you know that I flounder in this area. Staying motivated to exercise and finding time to squeeze it in are a challenge for me, despite fully understanding the benefits.
That’s why when the very smart, very lovely and very fit Rhonda Parker invited me to her yoga class my first thought was sadly pessimistic, “One more thing to fit into my schedule, it better be worth it!” Yoga tends to come and go from my life and, as much as I hate to admit it, it has not been a big part of my parenting years until recently.
Today’s post looks at the popular wellness practice of yoga – an Indian body of knowledge that dates back more than 3000 years. While it is easy to associate yoga with the latest fad in fitness, yoga is actually an ancient practice that connects the mind, body and spirit through body poses, controlled breathing and meditation.
The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit word “yuj” which means “to unite or integrate.” Yoga is about the union of a person’s consciousness and the universal consciousness. Ancient yogis had a belief that in order for people to be in harmony with themselves and their environment, they have to integrate the body, the mind and the spirit. For these three to be integrated, emotion, action and intelligence must be in balance.
The Yogis formulated a way to achieve and maintain this balance through exercise, breathing and meditation, making up the three main yoga structures.
Harmony and balance, exercise that soothes my soul while toning my body and a kid-free hour – sign me up! After some thinking, I realized that Rhonda’s invitation was a blessing not a curse.
Hatha Yogais the most popular branch of yoga, from which a lot of yoga styles originate. Hatha focuses on the physical well-being of a person and believes that the body is the vehicle of the spirit. This branch of yoga has evolved through the years to meet the needs of different individuals.
Though most styles of yoga have common roots, each has its own unique features.
Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga yoga is a vigorous, fast-paced form of yoga that helps to build flexibility, strength, concentration and stamina. When doing Ashtanga yoga, a person moves fairly quickly through a set of predetermined poses while remaining focused on deep breathing.
Bikram Yoga: Bikram yoga is a series of 26 poses and breathing exercises repeated twice in a room heated to more than 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius). It focuses on stamina and purification and rarely includes inversions. Count on sweating more than you ever thought possible!
Gentle Yoga: Gentle yoga focuses on slow stretches, flexibility and deep breathing.
Iyengar Yoga: This type of yoga focuses on precise alignment of the poses. Participants use props like blankets, straps, mats, blocks and chairs. Poses are held longer than in other yoga styles. Expect detailed instruction in an Iyengar yoga class.
Kundalini Yoga: Kundalini yoga uses different poses, breathing techniques, chanting and meditation to awaken life energy.
Power Yoga: Power yoga is a western adaptation of Ashtanga yoga. It is a rigorous, dynamic practice and known as one of the most physically challenging forms of yoga. Poses can be advanced and held for long durations.
Restorative Yoga: This practice allows the body to fully relax by holding simple postures passively for extended periods of time.
Vinyasa/Flow Yoga: Similar to Ashtanga yoga, these are also very active forms of yoga that improve strength, flexibility and stamina. Expect a flowing sequence of asanas coordinated with controlled breathing. Vinyasa yoga classes often incorporate music.
In the Comox Valley, we are fortunate to have access to a variety of yoga styles and great instruction. Prenatal yoga programs, as well as post-natal mom-and-baby yoga classes are offered. Seniors and children can also find special classes designed just for them.
Even though non-western cultures have experienced and trusted the benefits of yoga for thousands of years, it seems the western world must have proof to accept the benefits of a regular yoga practice. Empirical tests continue to verify amazing physical, emotional and mental payback.
Physical Health Benefits of Yoga
1. Energy: Yoga exercises (asanas), breath control training (pranayama) and the use of yoga body locks (bandhas) all work to activate and balance your energy pathways, giving you the vitality and power you need to maximize your potential.
2. Strength: Not just physical muscular strength, although that will benefit greatly due to the steady holding of yoga poses and the exercises that yoga incorporates, but also the strength of your internal physiological systems such as your immune system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system and reproductive system.
3. Healing: The power of yoga to heal ailments and cure diseases is becoming more of an integral part of mainstream medical practice and treatment methods. This ability of yoga to heal also promotes longevity.
4. Flexibility: Yoga postures are perhaps the best type of exercise you can do to improve flexibility. Flexibility is essential for avoiding injuries, as well as for the health of the joints, tendons and muscles.
Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga
1. Peace: Yoga meditations and practice methodology promote a greater awareness and appreciation of the present moment, which calms the mind and allows for inner peace.
2. Joy: With the maturing of a yoga practice, the beauty and depth of life become more apparent and the spontaneous joy of existence emerges.
3. Compassion: Yoga values and philosophy, along with the practice of yoga meditations, develop mindfulness, thoughtfulness, generosity and compassion.
Mental Health Benefits of Yoga
1. Brain Development: Yoga breathing exercises and meditations develop parts of the brain that are normally dormant. Intuition and clarity of thought benefit.
2. Concentration: The requirement of many yoga meditations is to keep the mind focused on a single object or mantra (sound vibrations), and helps to dramatically increase your power of concentration and focused attention.
3. Awareness: Yoga refines and increases personal awareness.
I’m just getting back into regular yoga practice, but I’ve already experienced benefits. For me, the most important payback is a sense of calm. Tantruming toddlers and stubborn preschoolers are no longer making me so cuckoo!
I’m maintaining my cool, which sadly wasn’t the case a few weeks ago. This makes me feel better about myself. The joy in my life is in focus, despite the seasonal grey around me. Plus, Rhonda’s yoga class is fun and physically challenging. I love it.
If strengthening your physiological systems, toning and stretching your muscles and improving your mental fitness are on your to-do list, consider yoga. It is worth it!
Namaste.
Category: Mom & Dad, On Motherhood, TODAY'S FAMILY
About the Author (Author Profile)
Marcie Dumais is a student of the world, a lover of all things beautiful and a mom to two wonderful boys. She lives with her family in Comox, B.C.Subscribe
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Great article, Marcie. Yoga is fabulous. Once you have a strong practice it becomes an extension of you, one you will do anything to make time for! Over the years I’ve practiced inconsistently, but last year I finally made the commitment and return to my mat 3-4 times each week. The benefits are unbelievable and I know that it helps me to be a better mom, spouse and person – unless working into my hips and the after effects leave me grumpy! It’s also incredibly beneficial while pregnant.
Definitely excellent instruction in the Valley. I’m a big fan of The Asana Room (in Cumberland) and Rhonda!
Great article Marcie (glad there was no happy-baby pose pic lol!). Making time for ourselves is essential and that alone is the challenge for me but the benefits far outweigh the juggling act required. Yay Yoga! It is much required for my sanity. I {heart} Rhonda’s classes.