Any Moms Who Meditate And/or Do Yoga?

try the dvd 7 minutes of magic by lee holden - as far as i'm concerned, even 7 minutes is hard to find in my day! But 7 minutes of yoga/Qi Gong is better than zero. Oh, it's impossible when my almost 4 year dd is around - I become her personal jungle gym.

Its me again. Yoga, I do when I can and when my daughter goes back to school (this year, not next) I will go to my yoga classes.

I'm looking forward to this time because I think yoga changes my hormones because my periods are lighter, I have more energy for other tasks, but generally calmer. I would say yoga, lately, has also offered me a therapy I never knew I'd receive. I've been doing it since I was 21, but my practice now is showing me things about myself as I am today in this body. The revelations themselves are exillerating and I wonder if I would have gained this insight without the somatic experience.

But as for meditation, I do it every day in my garden. Every. Day. Meditation doesn't have to be sitting in lotus on a specific mat. If you make it doing something you love, gardening, knitting, sewing, cooking, whatever, and be mindful of your thoughts, staying in the moment, bringing your attention to your breath, focusing on only doing the task in front of you, it can be quite restorative.

If I don't get this time, I'm not a nice person: )

hello coffee-mama! i'm having a nice big mug as we speak :)

from my experience, yoga is fantastic for both irritability and energy. i dont practice every day, but enough to reap the benefits. and i'm also no expert. i printed out a vinyasa from the internet (search 'yoga flow'), did a little study-up on some of the poses that i wasn't quite sure of .. and went to town!

i'm like you when it comes to meditation. i couldn't ever get my mind calm enough to sit for 20 minutes, but with yoga, you really have no other option than to be totally present in your pose .. or you'll fall over!!

i just bought a cool yoga mat from Ross that has all the poses printed right on the surface of the mat so they're super easy to see. it's pink & green. pretty helpful if you aren't doing poses from memory.

AND!! your body will change in a good way with yoga. mine just seems so much happier (for lack of a better word!) when i practice often. my ab area is tight and no digestion problems. my hips don't hurt, i walk "taller" and sleep very soundly.

good luck, this is a very positive change your thinking about making!
W.

KUNDALINI yoga changed my life. Check it out on line, and then try to find a class near you. Usually the first one is free. Good luck!

Well, the school year is about to start and throw me off a bit, but the BEST I have EVER felt as far as alert, stress free and high energy was when I was doing yoga in the mornings frequently-and I'm not a morning person! I used to do it at 4pm when I was single.

But now, with 3 kids, I feel best if I GO TO BED EARLY, get up early enough to be alone and eat something healthy and drink some coffee (because i"m not a morning person and cannot just hit the mat straight out of bed) and THEN do an hour of yoga before everyone wakes. I too have been limited to DVDs for the past few years. I feel much better even doing this a couple times per week-but for a while during the winter I was doing it 4 mornings a week, every other day, and after a couple of weeks I felt AMAZING. Best I've felt since I gave birth to my 1st 5 years ago.

Meditating: It's gotta be amazing, but I've been trying for 15+ years and do not have the mind control. I always tell myself I'll study it properly one day and get the knack.....I CAN'T do it. Even when I was guided by experts at the end of advanced yoga sessions and I should have been all "receptive" to peace...Nope. I admire anyone capable of calming their mind for even 30 seconds.

Pick a time of day when you will be undisturbed. Make sure you are generally well rested and eating healthy food, and YES, the regular yoga will have you feeling energized and amazing. I use lots of other workouts and the gym just to shed pounds and maintain weight, but nothing makes you FEEL as good as yoga. Although, I have to be slim to do it. If I have extra pounds, it doesn't feel so great, so I burn those off and then go back to yoga :)
If you're sort of new to it, Rodney Yee's Gaiam videos are great and there are various lengths. He's slow paced and easy to follow, but does thorough, challenging routines, and the better you get, the more challenging you can make it.

They have videos on www.yogajournal.com of varying lengths by different instructors that you might find helpful...& then when you find one you like you can buy it to use when you need to. good luck

I was taught TM (Transcendental Meditation) when I was 12 years old. In TM each person is given an individual (secret) mantra (sound) to repeat over and over again during meditation. The whole point is that the second you realize you're thinking of anything other than the sound, you simply switch your attention back to the sound. Only MASTERS manage more than a second or 2 of absolute stillness, the rest of us must just acknowledge the thought, avoid getting frustrated, and focus on the sound again. Honestly, though, I haven't meditated for years because I used to sit up in bed to meditate (first thing in the morning) and would end up falling asleep again! Most times, when I find myself feeling overwhelmed I just concentrate on breathing deeply in and out while I slowly count to 10 each time I exhale. Usually that's enough! Another technique is to remind yourself of a pleasant memory or picture something which makes you feel relaxed (like a beautiful sunset over the ocean) and "go there" for a few minutes. Just sit somewhere comfortable and try and use all your senses, smell the seaweed, feel the sand under your toes etc. Most importantly, make some time EVERY DAY to BE KIND TO YOURSELF and do something to make yourself feel good. This could be anything from a bubble bath to curling up with a good book. Believe me, the whole family will benefit from a more relaxed mom, so don't feel guilty about taking the time to have a nap or whatever else you need to "recharge"! I hope this helps. Best wishes!

I am a mom of two and a yoga teacher. Meditation is a wonderful way to regulate emotions and quiet the mind and I agree that you don't have to sit on a mat cross-legged. Just get comfortable (you can even do it lying down) and all you have to do is pay attention to your breath. If other thoughts come in, just notice them and let them go. Breathe deeply and try to bring the inhales into your belly. You can also have a specific intention for your meditation to increase your focus.

The practice of yoga poses is actually to prepare the body and mind to meditate. So, try a simple yoga practice (you have good recommendations from the other posters) and then meditate for a few minutes.

I love the sound of the ocean. I have a couple of cassette tapes and CD's that have ocean sounds and or classical music on them. I find I can slip into a meditative state when I listen to them. It just takes practice. My mind whirls too -- it's hard to empty my mind.

Try drinking chamomile tea or mint tea both will help to relax you. If you don't like the taste of chamomile mix them together.

Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Control your breathing -- not really holding your breath but exhale slowly. By concentrating on your breathing it helps to quiet your mind.

Good for you! I love how I feel calmer, yet energized, after yoga. Sounds contradictory, but yoga seems to harness and focus the energy I do have (not much, these days, with two little ones!). Plus, the skill of focusing your breath while doing a pose is something you take with you off the mat. Since discovering yoga, I find that when I experience something stressful or challenging in my everyday life, I naturally start calming myself down with slower, deeper breaths. I was surprised when I first noticed myself doing it, but now that I'm conscious of it, I find it easier to be calmer overall (which says a lot - I'm naturally quite anxious).

My favorite dvd: Power Yoga for Happiness 2 (surf edition - no, I'm not a surfer, but love the ocean) with Eoin Finn

I do yoga in the evening, after the kids are asleep. I have tried to do it with them in the room, but they climb all over/under me and while it is fun to introduce them to it, yoga is the one thing I do for myself. To get the calming effect, I need to allow myself to let go of what is going on around me...sort of the opposite of being a Mom!

Enjoy!

I started meditating about 6 months ago. It has changed my life. Check out chopra center. They are offering a free 21 day meditation challenge now. It's amazing. Go online and check it out!

I love yoga, but I have never been able to meditate. I just enjoy it as a workout because it helps a lot with flexibility, strength and balance. Yes, it will help you increase your energy level. I am sure some of these more advanced yoga mamas can give better technical advice, but I just wanted to throw out there- don't quit if you can't get your mind to calm down. My mind is usually still flitting here and there during yoga, but I still get many benefits from it. I have liked the Yoga Journal (levels 1 and 2) with Natasha Rizopolous and I also like Rodney Yee (I have AM Yoga for your week, which has 5 20 minute segments).
I also wanted to add that running is what actually calms my mind down the most. I throw on some headphones and my mind actually goes into a calmer state that way and I instantly get a mood lift and feel less stress. Also, try to consume less sugar and coffee. I am a highly anxious person and those are the things that help me most.

There is tonnes of dvd's and books out there, the main focus you need to have is your breathing technique. It took me a couple of weeks of learning the poses, so please don't give up, it will come. You need to find a quiet place with no interuptions (once you know your poses go outside on the grass) and have at it. Truly calming, I did find after a while I needed the physical excercise of getting my blood pumping to release stress and to improve my health overall. all in all...keep trying until you find something that works for you.

I have been practicing yoga on and off for 5 years (off during 3rd trimester and after childbirth for 9 months). Yoga really helps you but I am not a person who gets motivated on my own, so I go to classes. It has helped me tremendously. I would suggest that if you can't afford expensive yoga studios, you can look it up at local university/adult school for yoga classes. They are pretty cheap (6-$7 per class). Also a lot of yoga studios these days offer the first week for free or 5- $10. Also sometimes you get really good deals for yoga studio with Groupon. I see one groupon every week or 2 for yoga studio and they offer more than 50% discount on classes. You can start by taking 2-3 classes a week depending on your comfort level. I would seriously suggest you go and take at least 3-4 classes with some teacher. I have always found university teachers better than the ones at yoga studio. There is less crowd and you get more attention. Many teachers would also correct you if you are not doing a pose correctly. Once you get a hang of it, you can practice it at home as well.
I have found the best time for me that gives me maximum benefit is first thing in the morning after I wake up. It leaves me so energetic and happy for the day. Once you are comfortable with yoga and can focus on your breath, meditation will also come relatively easy for you. be patient with yourself and always listen to your body when practicing yoga.

I do yoga off and on at home. since i don't plan a full program of yoga anymore (30 min-1hr) i get to do it more often. already just 5 minutes a day feel so good and I take the time more often for "just five minutes".
sometimes i just do my favorite positions or flows but sometimes i like to just follow somebody. there are some free podcasts on the net. i got some from yoga today, they are free and pretty short.
i like to use essential oils during yoga practice and it helps me much more to let go. in the evening i use serenity, it's a blend, it's amazing. in the morning i use citrus bliss or just pure lemon. it just puts you immediately in a good mood.
all the best!

I had some DVDs and tried to get started at home. but had trouble finding the time and being regular. Try to find and affordable class, our local library offers free, this got me in the habit of dedicating some time to Yoga. Some more expensive places have an intro rate for first month and this will help you get into the habit, have some guidance, and a lot of inspiration, then when you are into the habit of doing it regularly switch to free at home yoga, using what you have learned in the class. Look into the local Y. I still havent mastered clearing my mind, I am crappy at that but still trying!
like everyone else here, I feel SO much better since I started yoga

Hi CoffeeMama, check out this website: w.freemeditation.c These are great classes, and they are free. Hopefully there will be one in your area.

Good Luck!! : )