A Comeback Story: Practicing During & After Baby
Try as we might to maintain a routine relationship with our yoga and wellness practices, life often interrupts. Sometimes just the showing up is the hardest part. And, yes, the practice of yoga happens on your mat, but it’s also a way of showing up and moving through your days, weeks, months, and life as a whole. Yoga provides a way to meet ourselves exactly as we are each and every day which is why it can be such a valuable practice to maintain during life’s twists, turns, and changes - big and small.
Having a baby and welcoming a child into your life is one of the biggest changes we can experience as humans. From the moment you get pregnant or make a choice to have a baby, your time, focus, and an abundance of energy goes to making space for new life and what we are asked to give of ourselves doesn’t end once the baby arrives, but continues day in and day out. Establishing a yoga practice prior to and after becoming a parent to a child is like building out a personal care package that you can bust open at any and all times. Yoga teaches us how to move our bodies to feel both strength and relief and it teaches us to be aware of our responses and reactions so we can lean into what is necessary at any given moment.
In addition to my own experiences as a yoga student and parent, I wanted to share experiences from other students of Humble Haven and reached out to two of our community members, Oriana and Patty, to hear about their experiences of practicing yoga during and after their pregnancies. While Oriana had an existing yoga practice prior to having her baby, Patty began her yoga practice when she found out she was pregnant. One of the many beautiful aspects of yoga is that you can start at any time, any age, and during any phase of your life.
“Just like the yoga practice teaches at all times, each day is and was about listening to my body and deciding what was right or wrong for me that day and leaning into what felt good”
Oriana and Patty found their home in Prenatal Yoga during their pregnancy. “Being in a community where other people were experiencing the same thing and sharing resources like doula and healthcare provider names” was supportive for Oriana, as well as, “modifications to make the practice more accessible.”
Patty added, “it was my first pregnancy and it was nice to hear I wasn’t alone. The community aspect of Prenatal was super helpful.”
I too found myself in Prenatal Yoga during my pregnancy, as well as, the other offerings at Humble Haven from Circuit Bootcamp to Hamstrings Hips and Spines. Since I had a well established yoga practice in a heated room, my healthcare provider gave me the OK to continue to practice and teach in the heat. Just like the yoga practice teaches at all times, each day is and was about listening to my body and deciding what was right or wrong for me that day and leaning into what felt good.
Inner listening is a skill that yoga is always teaching us and one that can be just as, if not more, valuable once we transition from expecting our babies to caring for them in our day-to-day worlds. There’s no shortage of parenting advice available to us at every turn whether we’re seeking it or not. From books, to podcasts, to social media influencers, there’s someone or something at our fingertips to tell us how or what to do. Resources are wonderful, but our own inner wisdom can be the best and most powerful resource to stay connected to. The nature of the yoga practice keeps you connected to that inner wisdom as each of its pillars fine tunes our inner listening.
Since giving birth, Oriana has found her way back to her practice, taking a mixture of Hot Power, postnatal yoga, Circuit Bootcamp, and Yoga Build. She shared, “yoga is my special ‘me time’ each week to do something relaxing…I also find that the last couple of minutes in corpse pose calms me down since there is always a running to do list for the baby.”
After having her baby, Patty returned to the studio to give Bootcamp a try and has made it a part of her weekly routine.
“Staying active helps mentally and physically so I can be the parent I need to be for my son” said Patty.
I like to think of yoga as an adaptogen. From the physical, to the mental, to the emotional, no matter what you need on any given day, it will meet you where you are. I welcomed my third baby about a month ago and if you asked me on a whim what I needed, on most days I wouldn’t be able to tell you (except for maybe a nap) because so many hours of my day are spent deciphering and studying the needs of this new little being. Yoga, both meditation and the physical practice, is the resource I have the capacity to turn to because I know all I need to do is be present moment to moment and I’ll receive exactly what I need.
How to get started at Humble Haven Yoga
All of our classes are formatted to be accessible to all practitioners, and our teachers are equipped to offer modifications and amplifications for every pose to help meet you where you are each day. We often suggest that those who are new to vinyasa-style or new to heated yoga try our Power Down or Hamstrings+Hips+Spine offerings first, but encourage you to try each of our various class styles. Please reach out if you have any questions. We hope to see you soon!
Roll out your mat.
We’d love to invite you to join us and have shared two special offers below, for students brand new to us.
Article presented as a collaboration between Suzanne Burns, teacher at and creator of Humble Haven Yoga, along with students Oriana F. & Patty J .