No Place Like Om

NO PLACE LIKE OM
LIFE A LITTLE HECTIC? TAP INTO THE ALL-HEALING POWERS OF YOGA.
THIS 5,000 YEAR OLD DISCIPLINE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Between adjusting to life with child (yes, this
adjustment can take years), working, raising a
family, being a partner, a friend and a citizen of
the planet Earth, you're bound to feel sideways
many a day. So, what if we told you there was a
panacea for what wallops you? A truth, a practice,
a way of being that could straighten you out; that could reconnect you to your once and former self and render you more live than you've ever been. What would you do with the answer to all of life mysteries? Would you use it or would you lose it?

Got chaos, pain, emotional distress, physical limitations, agita, ailing health, mental anguish, sadness, lack of motivation? Can't get pregnant? Can't lose the baby weight? Can't commit? Can't heal old wounds? Can't move on? Can't get happy? Well, we've got one word for you: yoga.

The 5,000 year old discipline of yoga, Sanskrit for “union,” is the conscious connection between mind, body and spirit. When most people nowadays refer to yoga, they are talking about the asanas, physical postures of yoga. There are actually eight limbs of yoga, all designed to foster health and, thusly, inspire fulfillment and, ultimately, bliss.

“Yoga helps bring awareness to one’s self, the slight intricacies of the body, the way it moves through space and how one's minds react and judge s the entire experience. The practice of yoga can shift your consciousnesses and transcend you from the ego self to the higher self,” says Debra Flashenberg, director of the Prenatal Yoga Center (www.prenatalyogacenter.com) in New York City and in-demand prenatal and postnatal teacher.

Flashenberg advocates the practice of Mommy and Me yoga, saying that “the union explored in Mommy and Me yoga transcends the self and taps into the conscious union of mother and baby. On a spiritual level, the mother is continuing to strengthen her bond with her baby outside of her body and starts to deepen her understanding of her baby’s needs. On the physical level, we address the significant changes the postpartum body has undergone. The focus is to help women regain the strength and energy that may have been lost during pregnancy. Classes specifically focus on rebuilding strength in the abdomen, back and pelvic muscle, releasing tension in the shoulders and neck and opening the chest. Classes also address common issues and concerns that may arise in this new chapter of life.
We strongly believe that when the mother has honored and taken care of her needs, she will have more to give to those who need her.”

Whether you are in the Mommy and Me phase, way out of it, or about to enter it, it's yoga that will quell the turbulence in your life and deliver you back to your once and former self.

Here, Flashenberg has created a general flow of asanas that you can practice alone, with your mate or your with your whole family.

General Flow for All

Begin by coming into a comfortable seated position, resting right foot onto your left thigh and your left foot onto right thigh, if you can. Sit up straight through your spine, bring your shoulders up to your ears and then gently roll them back and down.

Pranayama: Breath Control

From you seated position, start with Kapalabhati, the cleaning breath, a technique done by exhaling vigorously through the nose. The inhale is passive and will naturally occur. It is a similar sensation and motion as blowing your nose sharply, as if you were trying to clear it of mucus. This exercise is especially good for new moms because it help them to re-tone the abdominal muscles. Using the abdominal muscles to expel the breath (it helps to place your hands on your stomach), practice two rounds of this breath for several seconds.

Tadasana: Mountain Pose

Gently rise from your seated posture. Now standing, bring your feet together, make your spine long, bring your shoulders up to your ears and then gently roll them back and down. Rest arms down by your side and point through your fingertips.

Utkatasana: Chair Pose

Now, bend your knees, moving your weight toward your heels as if you were sitting in an imaginary chair, and sweep your fingertips to the floor. Keeping your knees bent, reach your arms up towards the sky. Inhale and move you hands into prayer position in front of your heart center. As you exhale, rotate your spine as you bring your left elbow to the outer right knee. Then inhale extend both arms back over head and as you exhale rotate in the opposite direction and bring your right elbow to the outside of your left knee. Repeat this sequence two more times, keeping the knees bent the whole time.

Uttanasana: Standing Forward Bend

After your third time, lift your hips up, working to straighten your legs and fold forward from the hips into a Standing Forward Bend.

Virabhadrasana II: Warrior II Pose

Rise up from your bend, one vertebrae at time. Next, step your left leg back and spin the back heel towards the floor. Gently bend into the right leg, bringing it to a 90-degree angle. Check to see that your right knee cap is in line (directly over) the right ankle. Reach your left arm out toward the front of the room and reverse cart wheel into Warrior II, bringing your left arm in back of you. Raise up your right arm in line with your right leg. Arms should be parallel with the floor. Point firmly through the fingertips. This pose is particularly good for cultivating stamina and strength both mentally and physically, as well as opening up the hips. It is important not to sway the lower back, which is common during postpartum because the back and abdominal muscles have been weakened.

Viparita Virabhadrasana: Reverse Warrior

From here, inhale into Reverse Warrior by bringing your right arm straight up along side your ear and reaching back with your your left arm. Softly look up to your right fingertips.

Utthita Parsva Konasana: Extended Side Angle Pose

Exhale and bring right forearm on the right thigh. Inhale and release back to center. Repeat this three times. This is particularly good for connecting breath and movement and reminding the moms that the breath can help support them through difficult, uncomfortable moments. The side bend poses also help release lower back pain by stretching the latissimus dorsi (lower back) muscles.

Ardha Hanumanasana: Half Pigeon

From reverse warrior, cartwheel hands back onto the floor, spin back heel up and drop back knee to floor. Draw the pelvic back, bending the back leg at a 90 degree angle and keeping the front leg straight. Take several breaths here. Flow with the breath and as you inhale lift the chest up and as you exhale, leading with the heart, release the upper body closer to the extending leg. Let the inhale lift the spine and the exhale release the spine. Repeat this flow three times.

Re-bend the front leg and bring hands to prayer at the heart. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale rotate the torso and cross the left elbow to the outside of the right knee. Allow each breath to move you deeper in the twist, keeping the collarbone broad and the chest open. Free the elbow from the knee and return the hands to the floor, framing the front foot. Tuck your back toes under and lift your back knee off the floor and step the back foot forward.

Repeat entire sequence on other side.

Baddhakonasana: Bound Angle Pose

Once both sides are done, come onto your bottom and bring your feet together and knees apart for Bound Angle Pose. Keeping the spine long, start to hinge forward from the hip creases. Avoid rounding the middle upper back. Take several long deep breathes here while maintaining an open chest by bringing the shoulders up to the ears and then easing them back and down. Inhale and as you exhale come up.

Paschimottanasana: Seated Forward Bend

Bring your hands under knees and draw the legs together and then extend them forward into a Seated Forward Bend. Hinging from your hip creases, extend your torso over your legs. Keep the legs active by reaching through your inner and out heel and engaging the knee caps up the legs. If the lower back is rounding, place a blanket or towel underneath your bottom.

Savasana: Corpse Pose

After several long breathes, lift up your torso and slowly lay back for Corpse Pose. If your lower back is uncomfortable, place a rolled blanket or towel underneath the thighs.

Modifications for General Flow for Mommy and Me

There are two main objectives to a Mommy and Me class. The first one is to offer a mother a yoga class that addresses the needs of the postpartum body. The second one is to integrate the baby into the mother's practice and general space on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Not every posture involves holding the baby, but we always include a gesture or a smile to towards the baby so he feels involved.

Tadasana: Mountain Pose

Standing in Mountain Pose, hold your baby in your arms. Be aware of your posture and try not to slouch your upper body or over compensate through your shoulders and back.

Utkatasana: Chair Pose

When twisting from side to side for the rotated Chair Pose, instead of hooking your opposite elbow to opposite knee, bring your baby from side to side. You can either hold your baby under the arms, or have her face down, one hand supporting the chest, the other hand between the baby’s legs, supporting the pelvic and belly.

Uttanasana: Standing Forward Bend

When you fold forward for a Standing Forward Bend, place the baby on a blanket in front of you. Continue to move through the standing poses without holding the baby. However, be conscious of incorporating your baby into your practice.

Virabhadrasana II: Warrior II Pose; Viparita Virabhadrasana: Reverse Warrior; Utthita Parsva Konasana: Extended Side Angle Pose

For example, when in Warrior II, Reverse Warrior and Extended Side Angle Pose, wave to your baby.

Ardha Hanumanasana: Half Pigeon

When you move into Half Pigeon, smile and blow kisses to your baby.

Baddhakonasana: Bound Angle Pose

Once you move to the floor for Bound Angle Pose, you can include your baby into your practice a little more by singing to him and massaging the arms and legs or just simply pedaling your baby’s legs or windshield wiping their arms. This is your time to be creative with your baby—play, sing and smile.

Paschimottanasana: Seated Forward Bend

When you extend forward into your Seated Forward Bend, place your baby on your legs and as you lean forward, shower your baby with kisses.

Savasana: Corpse Pose

During Corpse Pose, you can sneak a little tummy time in for your little one by placing your baby belly down on your chest, allowing you both to rest peacefully. You can also try Savasana on your side and either breastfeed or just rest together.

Want more om schooling? Go to www.prenatalyogacenter.com for resources, advice and more.

Om Shanti!