Yeah! We welcomed our new little guy, Kip, into our lives on May 8th, 2012. He actually looks a lot like me, and seems to have a very easy going personality thus far. He's very patient, and gives me a fair amount of time to still tend to Mia.
I had the honour of having 2 fabulous midwives, my best friend, my mom & my husband by my side during labour & delivery.
As a girl who likes to be bendy & happy I went into the delivery with a positive frame of mind, still gabbing on, walking through the contractions. I enjoyed the people around me - they shared funny stories, brought me delectable Strawberry Lemonade Smoothies, stale donuts (not their fault) and kept the mood light in the dreary hospital room.
A natural birth is not for everyone - and frankly if - a giant IF - we were to have a third baby I would go au natural once again. My midwife talked me through with a soothing meditation and a tootsie rub she has perfected. Each contraction she helped me picture myself away from where I was, visualizing waves instead of pain. It was relaxing (as much as it could be). After 10 minutes of true, hard-core contractions the urge to push was so overwhelming I had no choice but to let my body do what it wanted to do. I barely had to work though. My muscles did what they are trained biologically to do. 2 pushes later, Kip entered the world.
Now I am back to Yoga as a great way to re-tone my tummy, and of course help me learn that all important balance of raising two babies without losing myself entirely. I have only practiced it twice thus far, and I am proud of that.
I have this serene vision of what life is supposed to be like, but I don't sincerely have the energy to actually help it come true - yet!
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Friday, 27 April 2012
Post # 6
A mom has daydreams & aspirations too
I don’t really know where else to write this? I figured here is better than no where - or on some slip of paper I am sure to lose.
Right now I am about 3 or so weeks away from having our second child. I am terrified, nervous, excited, and full of imaginative thoughts about what life may be like with another child. We do not know if baby is a boy or a girl, so the images are so scattered. Which I believe is actually better than having a set plan.
When I found out I was pregnant with Mia I had the same reactions. I also had this vision of what I wanted life to be like. The house we would live in, the travels we would take, the museums we would see together. So far I have done nothing but disappoint myself. We do not live in that house. We never travel. We never go to museums. As a matter of fact, life is actually rather unfulfilling. I am not saying it’s terrible - because it’s not. It’s just - average. There seems to be no spark. I can tell my Mia’s own moods that she is a little bored. We play the same games, read the same books, walk the same streets, slide the same slides, visit the same stores, day after day after day. I try to see new things, but lately, it’s just rater mundane. It’s these days when I crave redecorating our house, but then that just turns into another struggle where the house we have is no where near that silly vision I still have in my head. Truthfully, we need more space. I love where we live - it’s beautiful. We’re near the water, parks, trails ... but that city living is hardly there. It’s an hour to travel to a museum. There are few nice coffee shops, boutiques, nooks to browse in. Of course we wouldn’t have the capital to actually support this lifestyle I have visioned out. Living in the city is expensive. So what are all these other people doing?
My hubby works odd shifts - one week of regular, one week of nights. We went to The Home Depot and passed by the string of chain restaurants - patios filled with business folk at 2:30 in the afternoon. He wondered what it is they do. How is it all these people are off on such a beautiful afternoon, and he still has to go to work in an hour? Frankly, I have no idea. All I do know is, chances are they took risks! To live without risk is to live a rather bubble wrapped life. Sure it’s safe, but you hardly get to truly live.
My hubby and a co-worker have recently started up an odd business. I don’t want to mention what it is here, but I will say, I do not understand why anyone would want to do this job! When I talk to him he never sounds excited about it. There’s no passion in it, and from experience, a business without passion will never succeed. I tried it - it flunked. My hubby loves business, stocks, money-matters & real-estate. I have tried numerous times chatting him up about the potential of being a business realtor. He loves the idea, but it feels risky. There’s little stability in it. No benefits. No pension. But I KNOW he would kick some serious business -butt in the field - because he has passion for it!! I am very willing to set aside family vacations, renos (except the desperately needed kitchen) and time with us to see him succeed at something he’s truly passionate about.
This got me thinking though ... Mia will be 2 in July - I have tried my hand at being a Photographer - which of course I am not passionate about, and therefore let die. I still have this silly vision of my life, and it never includes being a stay-at-home-mom. I have bigger things to do still. I want to work from home though - for the most part. I would be very willing to work 3 days a week for someone else, but I want to succeed in my other ventures too. Once my children are in school ... I don’t want to look back on 7 years and wonder what happened to me? Where did I leave that person? I want that single girl, who was full of life, happiness and adventure to grow with these babies.
How do I do that though? I don’t have a nanny, so the children are generally mine all day and usually all night (although Mia now sleeps in her own bed for at least 7 hours a night) My hubby has this ‘daddy freedom’ - the freedom to make plans without thought to what he may have to do with a child on his hip all day. It’s an automatic assumption that the stay-at-home-mom - literally STAYS AT HOME - ALL THE TIME! Unless of course it is to pick up groceries, or other family related errands. Losing yourself in this role is extremely easy. It’s thrust upon you once you decide to be a mum.
How do I allow my own growth? I think it’s rather important too - Mia & her sibling will only learn from what they see. So far they (she) sees a girl who is a little sad, tries to look happy. They see that daydreams do not actually get you very far. They see disappointment. They do not just see this in me, but their dad too. It’s a repeat of my own childhood. My dad is one of the smartest men I know - he wasted 40 plus years putting in time in a factory. My mom, who has more talents than she likes to admit, and pretends she too stupid to do, spent years hoping to be a work-at-home mom, but instead worked for other people who never really saw her as the talent she really is.
I do not want this to be a repeat of them. I want more than that. I want my own children not to pity their parents. I want to have a life they desire to have, not run away from. So this is why I have these images in my head, and I won’t let them go. I have to understand though, that although there may be parts of that life that are not feasible, the basis of that is not about the material parts. It is about the emotional part. I have to let some of the vision go - the house, the museums, the vacations - and re-focus on the actual living and loving part. I do believe in order to do that I do need to keep me in part of the lime light of my life, otherwise I become lost, sad, and do make for a good mom, friend or wife. You can not love a shell of a person.
I could write this forever ... and maybe one day I will not just be writing about the vision. I will be writing about the actions.
For now though - I just need a good rest. I think this lack of good sleep is really starting to catch up on me.
I don’t really know where else to write this? I figured here is better than no where - or on some slip of paper I am sure to lose.
Right now I am about 3 or so weeks away from having our second child. I am terrified, nervous, excited, and full of imaginative thoughts about what life may be like with another child. We do not know if baby is a boy or a girl, so the images are so scattered. Which I believe is actually better than having a set plan.
When I found out I was pregnant with Mia I had the same reactions. I also had this vision of what I wanted life to be like. The house we would live in, the travels we would take, the museums we would see together. So far I have done nothing but disappoint myself. We do not live in that house. We never travel. We never go to museums. As a matter of fact, life is actually rather unfulfilling. I am not saying it’s terrible - because it’s not. It’s just - average. There seems to be no spark. I can tell my Mia’s own moods that she is a little bored. We play the same games, read the same books, walk the same streets, slide the same slides, visit the same stores, day after day after day. I try to see new things, but lately, it’s just rater mundane. It’s these days when I crave redecorating our house, but then that just turns into another struggle where the house we have is no where near that silly vision I still have in my head. Truthfully, we need more space. I love where we live - it’s beautiful. We’re near the water, parks, trails ... but that city living is hardly there. It’s an hour to travel to a museum. There are few nice coffee shops, boutiques, nooks to browse in. Of course we wouldn’t have the capital to actually support this lifestyle I have visioned out. Living in the city is expensive. So what are all these other people doing?
My hubby works odd shifts - one week of regular, one week of nights. We went to The Home Depot and passed by the string of chain restaurants - patios filled with business folk at 2:30 in the afternoon. He wondered what it is they do. How is it all these people are off on such a beautiful afternoon, and he still has to go to work in an hour? Frankly, I have no idea. All I do know is, chances are they took risks! To live without risk is to live a rather bubble wrapped life. Sure it’s safe, but you hardly get to truly live.
My hubby and a co-worker have recently started up an odd business. I don’t want to mention what it is here, but I will say, I do not understand why anyone would want to do this job! When I talk to him he never sounds excited about it. There’s no passion in it, and from experience, a business without passion will never succeed. I tried it - it flunked. My hubby loves business, stocks, money-matters & real-estate. I have tried numerous times chatting him up about the potential of being a business realtor. He loves the idea, but it feels risky. There’s little stability in it. No benefits. No pension. But I KNOW he would kick some serious business -butt in the field - because he has passion for it!! I am very willing to set aside family vacations, renos (except the desperately needed kitchen) and time with us to see him succeed at something he’s truly passionate about.
This got me thinking though ... Mia will be 2 in July - I have tried my hand at being a Photographer - which of course I am not passionate about, and therefore let die. I still have this silly vision of my life, and it never includes being a stay-at-home-mom. I have bigger things to do still. I want to work from home though - for the most part. I would be very willing to work 3 days a week for someone else, but I want to succeed in my other ventures too. Once my children are in school ... I don’t want to look back on 7 years and wonder what happened to me? Where did I leave that person? I want that single girl, who was full of life, happiness and adventure to grow with these babies.
How do I do that though? I don’t have a nanny, so the children are generally mine all day and usually all night (although Mia now sleeps in her own bed for at least 7 hours a night) My hubby has this ‘daddy freedom’ - the freedom to make plans without thought to what he may have to do with a child on his hip all day. It’s an automatic assumption that the stay-at-home-mom - literally STAYS AT HOME - ALL THE TIME! Unless of course it is to pick up groceries, or other family related errands. Losing yourself in this role is extremely easy. It’s thrust upon you once you decide to be a mum.
How do I allow my own growth? I think it’s rather important too - Mia & her sibling will only learn from what they see. So far they (she) sees a girl who is a little sad, tries to look happy. They see that daydreams do not actually get you very far. They see disappointment. They do not just see this in me, but their dad too. It’s a repeat of my own childhood. My dad is one of the smartest men I know - he wasted 40 plus years putting in time in a factory. My mom, who has more talents than she likes to admit, and pretends she too stupid to do, spent years hoping to be a work-at-home mom, but instead worked for other people who never really saw her as the talent she really is.
I do not want this to be a repeat of them. I want more than that. I want my own children not to pity their parents. I want to have a life they desire to have, not run away from. So this is why I have these images in my head, and I won’t let them go. I have to understand though, that although there may be parts of that life that are not feasible, the basis of that is not about the material parts. It is about the emotional part. I have to let some of the vision go - the house, the museums, the vacations - and re-focus on the actual living and loving part. I do believe in order to do that I do need to keep me in part of the lime light of my life, otherwise I become lost, sad, and do make for a good mom, friend or wife. You can not love a shell of a person.
I could write this forever ... and maybe one day I will not just be writing about the vision. I will be writing about the actions.
For now though - I just need a good rest. I think this lack of good sleep is really starting to catch up on me.
Friday, 6 April 2012
Post #5
My little nature lover.
A good friend of mine had this awesome idea to visit an Easter Farm this Good Friday. I figured it was sunny, so why not?
It was a pure hit with my little Mia! She fed a few goats, pet a calf, had her face painted for the first time (as a bunny which she called cat) She loved being outside all day, running in the fresh green grass, sliding down the slide and riding the hay wagon.
There were a few trying moments, as I have come realize that is a typical day with a toddler. She was pushed by a bigger child, making her drop her beloved chocolate egg. I could tell she was upset, disappointed. I was super proud as she didn't make a fuss. We picked up the egg, obeying the ten second rule, brushed it off and watch the little punk be scolded by his mom. (thanks other Mom!) Mia was brave though. We took a deep breath, did not need a soother and moved onto other activities.
All in all - one fabulous day! I hope to post a few photos ... but I will have to wait for my friend to send them to me.
A good friend of mine had this awesome idea to visit an Easter Farm this Good Friday. I figured it was sunny, so why not?
It was a pure hit with my little Mia! She fed a few goats, pet a calf, had her face painted for the first time (as a bunny which she called cat) She loved being outside all day, running in the fresh green grass, sliding down the slide and riding the hay wagon.
There were a few trying moments, as I have come realize that is a typical day with a toddler. She was pushed by a bigger child, making her drop her beloved chocolate egg. I could tell she was upset, disappointed. I was super proud as she didn't make a fuss. We picked up the egg, obeying the ten second rule, brushed it off and watch the little punk be scolded by his mom. (thanks other Mom!) Mia was brave though. We took a deep breath, did not need a soother and moved onto other activities.
All in all - one fabulous day! I hope to post a few photos ... but I will have to wait for my friend to send them to me.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Post #4
I have come to realize how much Mia loves to move! and play! and create! I have had these thoughts that she is nothing like her mommy - this semi-loner/quiet artist wanna-be - yes that is how I actually describe myself. I tinker - with everything - never really making a life choice, skipping from one thought to another, one idea to the next - much like a bee. My friends from University appropriately nicknamed me "EllaBee". I like honey too - so maybe I am a bee! buzz.
Well Mia's my butterfly. Her Godmother & I have always thought that. She flits about - and is always on the move. She does not like being tied down. She was never a fully swaddled newborn - always had to have one arm out - freedom. So in a different way, she is a lot like me.
Last night, our funny international student tenant was asking me about Yoga. It seems as though there may be something wrong with his hip - so he is very interested in becoming more flexible and strong. I showed him a few of my favourite beginner poses. Well the entire time Mia followed along - proving to be quite adept and bendy!
Well Mia's my butterfly. Her Godmother & I have always thought that. She flits about - and is always on the move. She does not like being tied down. She was never a fully swaddled newborn - always had to have one arm out - freedom. So in a different way, she is a lot like me.
Last night, our funny international student tenant was asking me about Yoga. It seems as though there may be something wrong with his hip - so he is very interested in becoming more flexible and strong. I showed him a few of my favourite beginner poses. Well the entire time Mia followed along - proving to be quite adept and bendy!
Monday, 19 March 2012
Post #3
I don't know if I should be blaming pregnancy hormones or what!? Yesterday & today however were complete failures. I flunked in the mommy-be-patient moments!
Yesterday:
Mia has been attempting to put on her own shoes - awesome right!? Well, she had a tendency to put them on the wrong feet - which of course makes her limp and whine. I calmly bent down on to my knees - our "let's put our shoes on" pose. She stood at me, glaring (something she has inherited from her Nana - sorry Mom, but it's true) Then her eyes welled up with big warm tears and one by one they fell to the floor. I hugged her, and told her how proud I was of her still. More tears. I am starting to hate these shoes - the thought flies through my head. I sit her down. Try to take the right one off the left foot - she collapses to the ground. Face first loud screams are muffled poorly by the hardwood floor. I pick her up and move her onto the comfy chair. One shoe off, one shoe on. Why is she so emotional about this??
I tell her to breathe. She glares at me - more tears, more screams. "Breathe Mia." - in my most rational calm voice I can muster up. "Breathe Mia!" - not so calm. "BREATHE MIA!!" That's when I flung the soother in her direction. (something I've been trying to let go of for 3 months now) She suckled immediately - lungs heaving, face tear streaked, shirt wet, sweating.
I tried. I tried to stay as calm as I could - but then I realized - I wasn't breathing either. The entire fiasco was being fed my own irrational emotions (hormones??). I hugged her again and hid the shoes.
Today:
Our lovely international student loves to pan-fry. Fine. The smoke alarm however seems to ignore this hazardous cooking. I bought new batteries for it - thinking this MUST be the problem!
I replaced them - the stupid thing BEEEEEEEPED!
Loud noises & Mia are NOT friends! Ever since birth - she has conniption fits when there's a loud, sudden noise (including laughter, alarms, knocks on the front door) Well, smoke detectors are among that list of loud things to be afraid of.
She wailed!! She wailed! At nothing - at a small sudden beep! Okay, yes she was tired. Yes I have a wicked headache which cannot be cured by regular Tylenol, so I may be over sensitive here. I picked her up. "You're okay - it's just a loud noise. Calm calm now." Even our student was shocked at her reactions.
Then BEEEEEEP! (stupid alarm!) More wailing. Okay - enough! the thing is dismantled on the kitchen counter now. I fly upstairs Mia in my arms still crying. She is now soaked to the bone! A freshly cleaned diaper only 40 minutes before is now wet as the Atlantic ocean. She was that scared. She was trembling.
I put her down (frustrated though - as this is something she is going to have to become more accustomed to - as the world is a rather noisy place to live) I strip her down - she is shaking. I put a new diaper on her, put her in clean warm pjs (more frustrated as she is resisting me and not co-operating in the least) Zip the zipper and then place her in her bed. She lies down. Limp as a noodle.
I try to hug her, but she won't have it. She looks away. I am annoyed! I just saved you, and you hate me?!?! Fine! I leave the room - huffing and puffing. I wait a minute until I can hear that she is starting to sob again. I re-enter the room - it's dark. She's now sitting up. I come to the edge of the bed, and she reaches out for me. I hug her and kiss her and explain why I cannot always be okay about her tears and irrational fears. (yes I actually used the word irrational with a 20 month old)
I lay down beside her and said my sorry - through my own salty tears. I remind her of the Mexican adventures only she and I had - how she was my travel buddy. How I dreamed of so many things we would do together. I promised her that I would try harder to calm myself first.
This is where I was awoken to the issue - I have to calm ME first in order to calm her. I have to. as they say, 'Practice what I preach'. It is a thousand times more difficult than I though it would be. I cannot use pregnancy as an excuse though - as one day I will have my period, or go through menopause (the joys of womanhood) and I want her to be as calm during those moments as she possibly can be. So I must learn too. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Tomorrow is a new day. I really need to start with some stretches ... and more water - which is what I think caused the awful headache today.
Breathe.
Yesterday:
Mia has been attempting to put on her own shoes - awesome right!? Well, she had a tendency to put them on the wrong feet - which of course makes her limp and whine. I calmly bent down on to my knees - our "let's put our shoes on" pose. She stood at me, glaring (something she has inherited from her Nana - sorry Mom, but it's true) Then her eyes welled up with big warm tears and one by one they fell to the floor. I hugged her, and told her how proud I was of her still. More tears. I am starting to hate these shoes - the thought flies through my head. I sit her down. Try to take the right one off the left foot - she collapses to the ground. Face first loud screams are muffled poorly by the hardwood floor. I pick her up and move her onto the comfy chair. One shoe off, one shoe on. Why is she so emotional about this??
I tell her to breathe. She glares at me - more tears, more screams. "Breathe Mia." - in my most rational calm voice I can muster up. "Breathe Mia!" - not so calm. "BREATHE MIA!!" That's when I flung the soother in her direction. (something I've been trying to let go of for 3 months now) She suckled immediately - lungs heaving, face tear streaked, shirt wet, sweating.
I tried. I tried to stay as calm as I could - but then I realized - I wasn't breathing either. The entire fiasco was being fed my own irrational emotions (hormones??). I hugged her again and hid the shoes.
Today:
Our lovely international student loves to pan-fry. Fine. The smoke alarm however seems to ignore this hazardous cooking. I bought new batteries for it - thinking this MUST be the problem!
I replaced them - the stupid thing BEEEEEEEPED!
Loud noises & Mia are NOT friends! Ever since birth - she has conniption fits when there's a loud, sudden noise (including laughter, alarms, knocks on the front door) Well, smoke detectors are among that list of loud things to be afraid of.
She wailed!! She wailed! At nothing - at a small sudden beep! Okay, yes she was tired. Yes I have a wicked headache which cannot be cured by regular Tylenol, so I may be over sensitive here. I picked her up. "You're okay - it's just a loud noise. Calm calm now." Even our student was shocked at her reactions.
Then BEEEEEEP! (stupid alarm!) More wailing. Okay - enough! the thing is dismantled on the kitchen counter now. I fly upstairs Mia in my arms still crying. She is now soaked to the bone! A freshly cleaned diaper only 40 minutes before is now wet as the Atlantic ocean. She was that scared. She was trembling.
I put her down (frustrated though - as this is something she is going to have to become more accustomed to - as the world is a rather noisy place to live) I strip her down - she is shaking. I put a new diaper on her, put her in clean warm pjs (more frustrated as she is resisting me and not co-operating in the least) Zip the zipper and then place her in her bed. She lies down. Limp as a noodle.
I try to hug her, but she won't have it. She looks away. I am annoyed! I just saved you, and you hate me?!?! Fine! I leave the room - huffing and puffing. I wait a minute until I can hear that she is starting to sob again. I re-enter the room - it's dark. She's now sitting up. I come to the edge of the bed, and she reaches out for me. I hug her and kiss her and explain why I cannot always be okay about her tears and irrational fears. (yes I actually used the word irrational with a 20 month old)
I lay down beside her and said my sorry - through my own salty tears. I remind her of the Mexican adventures only she and I had - how she was my travel buddy. How I dreamed of so many things we would do together. I promised her that I would try harder to calm myself first.
This is where I was awoken to the issue - I have to calm ME first in order to calm her. I have to. as they say, 'Practice what I preach'. It is a thousand times more difficult than I though it would be. I cannot use pregnancy as an excuse though - as one day I will have my period, or go through menopause (the joys of womanhood) and I want her to be as calm during those moments as she possibly can be. So I must learn too. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Tomorrow is a new day. I really need to start with some stretches ... and more water - which is what I think caused the awful headache today.
Breathe.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Post #2
Why this?
We have one 20 month old little girl, named Mia. Mia is a perfect peach. She is sweet, gentle (for the most part), loving & caring. She is extremely emotionally sensitive though. She buckles at the word 'no'. Quick, regular daily changes send her into a whirlwind of tears and cries. The Dr. simply calling her name makes her melt down to the point where a check up is simply watching her turn bright pink while the Dr. attempts to weigh her. Now some may feel this is a regular toddler we're dealing with - and in most probability she is a regular toddler. But when you can't switch her from one shopping buggy to another because the first one was broken without her completely flipping out, something has to change!
We are expecting our second child soon - 8 weeks soon! The emotional stress is causing me to stop gaining a sufficient amount of weight for a baby. Something had to change.
I was watching Anderson Cooper's new show. He was interviewing mothers and fathers who chose not to medicate their ADHD children, in lieu of home schooling, relaxation techniques and other non-medical treatments to help them cope with their emotions and actions.
I was also lead to Pinterest's time out glitter jars - where a woman's blog suggested that you could use these jars not only for time outs for being naughty, but also for emotional down time, and even anger.
Children are very visual, and these jars filled with glitter & water soothe the child into a more rational place where they can think clearer about their actions and emotions.
So where does Yoga come in? I have been practicing Yoga before Lulu Lemon was popular. I was inspired by a magazine article about a girl who suffered SAD. I also suffer from SAD many winters, so I decided to try her Yoga Sun Salute each morning to see if it made a difference in my moods. It helped and so I continued to practice Yoga on and off, both in studio and alone at home.
Years later I still practice at home, and even used that amazing belly breath (Pranayama) in labour and delivery - going sans pain relievers or epidurals.
I went to baby & mama Yoga (which frankly I found conflicted with any type of sleep pattern Mia had) but I did enjoy the time and breathing and easy stretching.
Now I practice at home, again as it is easier than dragging a toddler out and finding a place where she will be happy while I try to relax! I am finding though, Mia loves doing Yoga with me! She follows the arm movements, whips my butt at Downward Doggy and loves to listen to the, albeit cheesy, music I play to soothe myself into that deep(ish) meditation.
Hopefully I will be able to convince us to keep calm, relax when we're feeling overwhelmed and this will be a start for both of us to a newer heights in life.
We have one 20 month old little girl, named Mia. Mia is a perfect peach. She is sweet, gentle (for the most part), loving & caring. She is extremely emotionally sensitive though. She buckles at the word 'no'. Quick, regular daily changes send her into a whirlwind of tears and cries. The Dr. simply calling her name makes her melt down to the point where a check up is simply watching her turn bright pink while the Dr. attempts to weigh her. Now some may feel this is a regular toddler we're dealing with - and in most probability she is a regular toddler. But when you can't switch her from one shopping buggy to another because the first one was broken without her completely flipping out, something has to change!
We are expecting our second child soon - 8 weeks soon! The emotional stress is causing me to stop gaining a sufficient amount of weight for a baby. Something had to change.
I was watching Anderson Cooper's new show. He was interviewing mothers and fathers who chose not to medicate their ADHD children, in lieu of home schooling, relaxation techniques and other non-medical treatments to help them cope with their emotions and actions.
I was also lead to Pinterest's time out glitter jars - where a woman's blog suggested that you could use these jars not only for time outs for being naughty, but also for emotional down time, and even anger.
Children are very visual, and these jars filled with glitter & water soothe the child into a more rational place where they can think clearer about their actions and emotions.
So where does Yoga come in? I have been practicing Yoga before Lulu Lemon was popular. I was inspired by a magazine article about a girl who suffered SAD. I also suffer from SAD many winters, so I decided to try her Yoga Sun Salute each morning to see if it made a difference in my moods. It helped and so I continued to practice Yoga on and off, both in studio and alone at home.
Years later I still practice at home, and even used that amazing belly breath (Pranayama) in labour and delivery - going sans pain relievers or epidurals.
I went to baby & mama Yoga (which frankly I found conflicted with any type of sleep pattern Mia had) but I did enjoy the time and breathing and easy stretching.
Now I practice at home, again as it is easier than dragging a toddler out and finding a place where she will be happy while I try to relax! I am finding though, Mia loves doing Yoga with me! She follows the arm movements, whips my butt at Downward Doggy and loves to listen to the, albeit cheesy, music I play to soothe myself into that deep(ish) meditation.
Hopefully I will be able to convince us to keep calm, relax when we're feeling overwhelmed and this will be a start for both of us to a newer heights in life.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Post #1
I do not want to come across as this 'expert' Yoga master - because I am far far far from that. I have found though, through the fluid movements and breathing of Yoga my life has become more simplified, quieter and more peaceful.
I want to keep this blog, both as a way to share my 'expertise', but also to share my journey as I work with my inner struggles as a work-from-home mama to one very emotionally charged little girl. (Plus we're expecting #2 in about 8 weeks - which I know, giving the stubborn stock they come from will have a similar personality as their big sister.)
I welcome any questions you may have - I may not have immediate answers, but I will look them up, and find solutions along with you. If you feel you may have some valuable advice, please do not keep it to yourself - I would love to know. Life is after all, all about learning.
I promise to share my frustrations, the times when I want to give up, and revert back to something much easier. This is my journey of Yoga Parenting; a method derived for teaching toddlers, children & teens to handle their complex emotions through routine exercise (inside & outdoors), methodical breathing together, and Art Therapy techniques. Yes - I am crazy enough to make my 20 month old daughter practice Downward Facing Dog during the late sunrise. She loves it! I swear.
Tomorrow I will write the why - why am I doing this along with everything else I attempt to do in 24 hours.
- Nameste or as Mia says it Nanananana
I want to keep this blog, both as a way to share my 'expertise', but also to share my journey as I work with my inner struggles as a work-from-home mama to one very emotionally charged little girl. (Plus we're expecting #2 in about 8 weeks - which I know, giving the stubborn stock they come from will have a similar personality as their big sister.)
I welcome any questions you may have - I may not have immediate answers, but I will look them up, and find solutions along with you. If you feel you may have some valuable advice, please do not keep it to yourself - I would love to know. Life is after all, all about learning.
I promise to share my frustrations, the times when I want to give up, and revert back to something much easier. This is my journey of Yoga Parenting; a method derived for teaching toddlers, children & teens to handle their complex emotions through routine exercise (inside & outdoors), methodical breathing together, and Art Therapy techniques. Yes - I am crazy enough to make my 20 month old daughter practice Downward Facing Dog during the late sunrise. She loves it! I swear.
Tomorrow I will write the why - why am I doing this along with everything else I attempt to do in 24 hours.
- Nameste or as Mia says it Nanananana
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