5:55 AM. Week 8 post partum. Baby is asleep.
I lay my mat on the floor and started in swastikasana. With my palms in prayer, thoughts run through my mind non-stop. "Should I take a bath now before Lucas awakes? Should I wash Lucas's clothes now so that they will dry in time for our dinner out? Should I express milk now as Lucas sleeps?"
Then I decide to do my best to let go of the thoughts. First DEEP breath... let go of the future... second deep breath... let go of things to do... Another deep breath and another and another to quiet my mind... which, really didn't totally happen. This is harder than I thought. I settled in enough, though, to be able to relax my shoulders, my face, and have deep steady breaths.
I release my palms on my mat and proceed to a downward facing hero. I begin to feel all the stiff hip, gluteus maximus, and back muscles from being so stagnant the past year. Breathe... release. I stay, releasing more of the lingering thoughts.
It's time... I curl my toes and raise my bent knees from the floor and my butt up, way up to the sky. AWWWW!!!! My hamstrings are frozen like ice! Inhale... Exhale... let go and pretend it's easy. IT'S NOT EASY! It hurt like a first yoga session! Inhale... Exhale... I walk my dog slowly one leg at a time until it didn't hurt that much (until my eyebrows were relaxed). Then I release both ankles to the floor. Well, I tried to... which, again didn't happen. It's the effort that counts, right? It begin to feel better. I felt more oxygen flowing through my weak arms and fresh blood through my brain. I then go down to child's pose.
On all fours, my body demanded a gentle back exercise. I arch my back into a cow's pose then curve it into cat's. Several reps... ooohhh.. this feels really nice.
What was supposed to be my warm up turned into my entire practice when my arms felt tired and wobbly. Well, a few minutes of yoga is better than no yoga at all. 'Til tomorrow then.
I lay my mat on the floor and started in swastikasana. With my palms in prayer, thoughts run through my mind non-stop. "Should I take a bath now before Lucas awakes? Should I wash Lucas's clothes now so that they will dry in time for our dinner out? Should I express milk now as Lucas sleeps?"
Then I decide to do my best to let go of the thoughts. First DEEP breath... let go of the future... second deep breath... let go of things to do... Another deep breath and another and another to quiet my mind... which, really didn't totally happen. This is harder than I thought. I settled in enough, though, to be able to relax my shoulders, my face, and have deep steady breaths.
I release my palms on my mat and proceed to a downward facing hero. I begin to feel all the stiff hip, gluteus maximus, and back muscles from being so stagnant the past year. Breathe... release. I stay, releasing more of the lingering thoughts.
It's time... I curl my toes and raise my bent knees from the floor and my butt up, way up to the sky. AWWWW!!!! My hamstrings are frozen like ice! Inhale... Exhale... let go and pretend it's easy. IT'S NOT EASY! It hurt like a first yoga session! Inhale... Exhale... I walk my dog slowly one leg at a time until it didn't hurt that much (until my eyebrows were relaxed). Then I release both ankles to the floor. Well, I tried to... which, again didn't happen. It's the effort that counts, right? It begin to feel better. I felt more oxygen flowing through my weak arms and fresh blood through my brain. I then go down to child's pose.
On all fours, my body demanded a gentle back exercise. I arch my back into a cow's pose then curve it into cat's. Several reps... ooohhh.. this feels really nice.
What was supposed to be my warm up turned into my entire practice when my arms felt tired and wobbly. Well, a few minutes of yoga is better than no yoga at all. 'Til tomorrow then.
