Motherhood and Yoga - We Talk To Some Of Our Fave Mindful Mother's PART 1
How flippin' good are mums! Seriously! They give life! Or as the Spanish speakers so beautifully put it "dar a luce" meaning "give birth" or more poetically, "bring to light". Their selflessness and unconditional love is forever an inspiration.
To celebrate Mother's Day and the wonders of motherhood we chatted to some of our most inspiring mindful mother's, on how becoming a mum has changed their relationship to yoga and how yoga has helped them on their motherhood journey.
Mindful Mumma - Claudia Cartillone
Meet Claudia! The softly-spoken, heart of gold, mother of accident-prone and adorable Eddie, founder of Sunshine Soulfoods (yum yum yum!) and manager of Noosa Beach Yoga.
How would you describe your yoga practice prior to falling pregnant?
It was a regular and strong practice. Most days I dedicated an hour to practice.
Did you practice yoga during the pregnancy? And if so what ways did you find this practice helped you?
My yoga practice changed so much when I fell pregnant. I miscarried two pregnancies and so on my third, I began to tune in more to my body and I slowed everything down and begun to nourish myself. I know that some mamas are feeling strong and energetic at this time but my body was telling me to be gentle. So I practiced a lot of Yin and used lots of props to support my changing body. Self-care became my number one priority. Towards the end of my pregnancy I started to build up my strength to prepare for the birth…physically and mentally.
How soon after having the gorgeous Eddie did you get back on the mat? And what has your yoga journey been like since then?
I had postnatal anxiety and depression for the first 9 months of Eddie’s life. I didn’t ease into motherhood as easily as I thought I would. I was grieving my own space and time I used to have to myself. I started back practicing yoga a couple of months in…but in a different way. My hour-long solo sessions were long gone and were replaced with sitting down on the floor with Eddie in Baddha Konasana for 10 mins, Bumblebee pranayama while Eddie was napping for 5 mins and Savasana whenever I got the chance. Motherhood has truly been my biggest challenge and yoga has been my way of reconnecting with my higher self and nourishing my body, mind, and spirit. Now my yoga is my 2-year-old climbing on my back and a lot more play and fun.
I wanted to ask, “what a typical day looks like for you?”, but I guess there are no typical days in the world of being a mum! So how about, “what does a good day look like and what does a bad day look like?”
A good day for me is teaching Noosa Beach Yoga in the morning, Drinking some chai then hitting up the beach with John (my husband), Eddie and our dog Frankie. Followed by a big vegan burger. Life can’t get much better than this <3 A hard day is a messy house, a sick Eddie and no sleep (but the extra cuddles make up for it).
Do you have any advice for other mothers on how to make time for themselves and for their practice?
As mamas, we can tend to put everyone else first and us last. We cant pour from an empty cup. So fill up your cup so it's overflowing! And then we can give so much love to our families and friends. Set aside time for yourself and a short practice each day (only if its 5 minutes) and stick to it like its a doctors appointment.
What are the ways in which yoga has helped you as a mother?
Yoga has made me a stronger and more resilient mother. So many challenges pop up and I can always reach into my yoga “tool bag” for ways to get through anything.
Cover image credit Caroline Walls @carolinewallsart