Strong from Within: Yoga for Mums to Enhance Physical and Mental Strength
Motherhood is a beautiful journey filled with love, joy, and fulfillment. However, it can also be demanding, both physically and mentally. As a mum, it's essential to prioritise self-care to maintain your own well-being so you can provide the best care for your family. The fact is that you have to look after yourself to be able to have the physical and mental strength to be there for your family. If you feel good, it will have a flow on effect on the family. I know myself if I get sick or don’t feeling great it affects the whole family. It’s like us mums are the ones that keep it all together. It can feel exhausting sometimes that a lot of weight is on our shoulders, but if we learn how to build strength from within, we can better balance all the demands we need to deal with.
One powerful way to achieve this balance is through yoga. Yoga not only enhances physical strength but also cultivates mental resilience, allowing mums to navigate the challenges of motherhood with grace and ease. In this blog post, we'll explore how yoga can benefit mums and introduce a yoga routine specifically designed to help mums build strength from within.
The Benefits of Yoga for Mums
Yoga has numerous of benefits for mums and how you go about your daily life. Here are some key advantages that can help you.
Physical Strength: The physical demands of motherhood can take a toll on the body, from lifting and carrying children to performing household chores. Yoga helps strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance endurance, making it easier to handle daily tasks without strain or injury.
Stress Relief: Motherhood comes with its fair share of stressors, from sleepless nights to balancing work and family responsibilities. Yoga provides a sanctuary for mums to unwind, relax, and release tension. Through deep breathing and mindful movement, yoga promotes relaxation and reduces the negative effects of stress on both the body and mind.
Mental Clarity: The constant juggling act of motherhood can leave mums feeling overwhelmed and scattered. Yoga teaches mindfulness and presence, allowing mums to learn how to quiet the mind and focus on the present moment. This clarity of mind enables better decision-making, problem-solving, and emotional regulation, leading to a greater sense of peace and well-being.
Emotional Resilience: Motherhood is an emotional rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows. Yoga provides mums with tools to navigate these emotional ups and downs with greater ease. By connecting with their breath and body, mums can cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and acceptance, allowing them to ride the waves of motherhood with grace and strength.
Building your body strength through yoga
Here are a few different yoga poses targeting various part of your body with the aim to build a strength.
Core Strengthening: Poses like Plank, Boat Pose (Navasana), and Warrior III (Virabhadra sana III) engage the core muscles, helping to build strength and stability in the abdomen and lower back. A strong core is essential for maintaining good posture, preventing lower back pain, and supporting the spine during daily activities.
Upper Body Strength: Poses such as Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose), and Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana) strengthen the arms, shoulders, and chest. This is particularly beneficial for moms who often carry and lift their children.
Leg Strengthening: Standing poses like Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I), Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II), and Chair Pose (Utkatasana) help build strength and endurance in the legs, improving stability and balance. Strong legs are essential for activities like walking, running, and playing with kids.
A Yoga Routine for Mums
Below is a simple yet effective yoga routine designed specifically for mums to enhance physical and mental strength:
Child's Pose (Balasana): Begin in a kneeling position, then lower your hips back towards your heels and stretch your arms forward, resting your forehead on the mat. This gentle pose helps release tension in the back, shoulders, and hips, while also calming the mind.
Cat-Cow Stretch: Come to a tabletop position with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale, arch your back, and lift your chest and tailbone towards the ceiling (Cow Pose). Exhale, round your spine, and tuck your chin to your chest (Cat Pose). Flow between these two poses with your breath, warming up the spine and improving flexibility.
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): Step your right foot forward into a lunge, keeping your left foot back and parallel to the back of the mat. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, with your right knee bent directly over your ankle. Gaze over your right fingertips and sink deeper into the pose, feeling the strength and stability in your legs.
Tree Pose (Vrksasana): Shift your weight onto your right foot and lift your left foot off the ground, placing the sole of your left foot on your inner right thigh or calf. Press your palms together at your heart center and lengthen through your spine. Find a focal point to help you balance and breathe deeply as you root down through your standing leg and reach up through your fingertips.
Savasana (Corpse Pose): Lie down on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs comfortably apart. Close your eyes and relax your entire body, letting go of any tension or stress. Stay in this pose for several minutes, allowing yourself to fully surrender and rest.
As mums, it's essential to prioritise our physical and mental well-being to show up as the best versions of ourselves for our families. Yoga offers a holistic approach to self-care, nurturing our bodies, minds, and spirits. By incorporating a regular yoga practice into our daily routine, we can cultivate strength from within, empowering us mums to thrive in the beautiful journey of motherhood. Remember to listen to your body, honour your limits, and celebrate the incredible strength that lies within you. So roll out your mat, take a deep breath, and embrace the strength and resilience that lies within you. You've got this, mama!
