Yoga + Mamahood

When I became a mother, I had already been a regular yoga practitioner for over a decade. It was a part of my daily ritual, my lifeblood, my sanity. Though, something happened to my practice after I gave birth. It changed. MAJORLY. Not to mention the immense changes during pregnancy I had already encountered, this was a whole `nother thang. My body was SO different now. My mind, my breath, everything!

With these changes, I struggled to find who I was in this new role. I felt insecure and lost somehow as I became a human pacifier whose body no longer belonged to her. Thankfully, the yoga continued to keep me sane and give me a breath of fresh air. My practice became less about building confidence through handstands and more about surrendering to my breath during a crying fit. Yoga continues to support me through the ever changing ebb and flow of my life as I keep growing into this mamahood.

During this current stage, connecting to my breath and other like-minded mamas has been the key for me to keep moving forward. It has allowed me to be supported in a way that helps me to love my new practice, my new body, and being a new mom.

Yoga for Mummies: Starts March 9th 

For details:
www.megancrossfield.com

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Are you a New Year Resolutioner?

Every year, thousands of resolutions are made in the name of the New Year and just as many are broken in the same breath.  What is it about starting a new calendar year that sends us into a frenzy of things we want and ‘need’ to change in our lives? Why does it often times seem to fail us? How do we make the changes we want to see?

Personally, I don’t really like the term ‘resolution.’ It doesn’t hold much power for me. At its’ core, a resolution is really just a decision made in the conscious mind and doesn’t give me the courage or empowerment to take some kind of action. The sub-conscious patterns and beliefs are still so much stronger and take me down every time. It also comes from a place of willpower rather than deep, internal shifts that have been made.

In yoga, the tools we use such as meditation (focused contemplation), asana (physical postures), and pranayama (breath) are there for us to support a significant and long-lasting change from the inside out. When we consistently practice using these tools, our negative thought patterns and undesirable habits start to drop away. It may not be in the timing you’d like it to be, but gradually you begin to transform for the good.

My practice for every New Year is to set intentions and goals. These terms allow for much more flexibility and support through my yoga journey. Yoga doesn’t just give us physical flexibility and strength, but more importantly, mental and emotional balance, stability, and healing. The physical aspects are a lovely little bi-product, but remember the real science and effects of your yoga practice are to move you forward in love and freedom from the things that hold you back in life!