Do you wish you had more time for yoga? Need a break from your busy routine?
In the rush of morning routines, yoga is probably last on your mind. You are packing lunches, making breakfast and getting everyone dressed and ready to go. But what if you took a break? How long could you squeeze into your morning? 5 minutes? 15 minutes?
Every morning, I do yoga with my toddler. Whether it’s for 2 minutes or 15, we squeeze it in. And those crazy mornings when nothing goes right? We squeeze it into the afternoon. I’m here to tell you that you can too!
Yoga Practice
There are many health benefits to yoga practice. From lowered blood pressure to reduced back pain, it can benefit your whole body. In a study from 2005, it was evidenced that yoga can help you sleep.
Sleep disruption is something that happens to many of us. Whether it’s caused by stress, anxiety, depression or chronic pain, most people have experienced this at one time or another in our lives.
In my life, it was caused by the birth of my son. Everyone can expect to get little to no sleep when there’s a new baby in the house. What they don’t tell you is that sometimes as a new mom, your sleep patterns change along with your baby. I struggled to get to sleep every night and as soon as I did, the smallest noise (even a sneeze in the next room) would wake me right up.
There are multiples studies that show yoga can relieve stress by specifically lowering the hormone, cortisol, that causes it. Whether your stress is causing sleeplessness for you or not, bringing that level down will only help your overall happiness.
Toddlers and Yoga
The science of toddlers practicing yoga is still relatively new and inconclusive. However, what toddler doesn’t love to move around? And if your practice is benefitting you, there are many ways it can benefit your toddler as well.
While the science may not be there, the attention from you is. Doing a non-competitive physical activity like yoga with your toddler gives you a chance to show them healthy habits and give them extra attention.
My son always gets excited as soon as I turn on a yoga video or start doing stretches in his playroom. He knows it means I will spend the next 5-15 minutes there with just him. Watching me do the stretches and trying to do them too is something that will make him smile. Though it won’t make him laugh like he does when he tries to dismantle my yoga pose by climbing on top of me.
Start Your Yoga Practice
First things first, you need to start practicing yoga regularly.
Create a Rhythm
It’s okay to miss a day, we all do. But get started implementing yoga into your daily routine. Whether it’s morning, bedtime or an afternoon break, find what time works for you.
Find a yoga routine that you enjoy. I personally love the videos by Adriene on Youtube. She has many different ones for beginners and short ones 6-15 minutes long for busy people.
Involve Your Toddler
Do your yoga near your toddler, in an area that they can clearly see you. Bonus if it’s where they can also walk right up to you and climb into your arms.
Seeing you do something will make them more likely to do it. This way they get the visuals.
Encourage them to come over to you while you practice. Pause your video for a minute or stop in stretching to give them a snuggle. Let your toddler know that during this time you are there for them and then go back to your yoga practice.
You’ll be surprised how quickly they will start imitating your poses. Also, make sure you are well-grounded in all the poses you do. Your toddler will try climbing on you and any one-legged pose will quickly prove unstable.
Stick with It
It’s easy to fall out of good habits. Don’t let it happen to you. Schedule a time in your day to do yoga with your toddler. Think of it as a gift to yourself. These are the days everyone says, “enjoy them while they last.” So, make them last!
It’s hard to regret spending 10 minutes doing yoga with your toddler. Those tumbling, snuggling memories will be with you for a lifetime. The clean dishes or folded laundry will not.
Keep at your yoga practice even if it feels easy to give up. Gift yourself this time. Soon, your toddler will start doing the poses even outside of your designated yoga time.
This is what happened with my son. When picking him up from Grandpa’s he was doing what looked like a headstand and Grandpa said, “Yeah, I don’t know what that is. He’s been doing it all day.” To which, I smiled and told him, “He’s doing downward dog.”
To Sum Up
Doing a yoga practice can only benefit you and establish healthy habits for your toddler. Gifting this time with them to yourself while they are still small will set you and your toddler up to create time for each other in this busy world.
What poses will you choose for your yoga practice?
