After having 3 babies in a span of just 3 years -my first in August 2019, second in September 2020 and third in 2022 I hit a new low!
I love my little munchkins, however handling 3 under 3 is not so easy. My body was hurting mostly my lower back, my anxiety shot up with endless to-do lists and the fears of "I hope I am not messing up" took a toll on me.
Did I take on too much unknowingly? Am I good enough? Am I being the best version of myself for my babies? And is everything going to be ok?
I knew I had to do something different. Caring for myself had to become a priority!
With each pregnancy the weight increased which just hit my self-confidence even more. Moving from a size10 and finally a size14 was a new low and it hit hard. My clothes wouldn’t fit like they used to! Which is completely understandable, but I wanted to feel like my old self!
2 months postpartum, my best friend, Nikita, who was following her passion of teaching Yoga encouraged me into starting my yoga journey and postpartum wellness with her.
I was hesitant, my time was full with being a working mom of three babies and adding to that I despise early mornings!
So the yoga sessions began along with my amazing friend bearing with my crappy morning moods, patiently and compassionately. I instantly loved it! It made me better- the stretching, the breathing and careful bending increased my strength and resilience. Energy was higher and the low bouts were kept at bay. This was now going to be a lifestyle.
How did yoga benefit me?
1. I let go of perfection-My mind would not wander to dark places anymore. I stopped responding to anger. I found myself walking away from everyday small situations which do not need extreme reactions and started handling things differently.
2. Kept me away from low moods-weirdly. I do not understand the science behind it but negative thoughts were replaced with just being and focusing on what I can control.
3. My posture and skin - my posture seemed much better this time around. My skin started looking better. In fact my glow was back!
4. I gained strength and started lifting my babies again- after my first 2 babies, I had a lot of lower back ache. It was hard to lift the babies. I didn’t face that challenge this time and the third one was a little heavier than the other two. In fact my body started feeling stronger than ever before.
5. I was just a different me! Energized!-I wanted to run around with the kids and was not completely exhausted all the time. Putting in 40-45 mins of down town actually increased my overall activity and response.
Through this journey I understood Yoga as a lifestyle. It changed me mentally. physically, holistically!
I encourage all moms out there to adapt to a lifestyle that works for you and makes you feel good. Once you feel better you start doing better for all your loved ones. Now stop reading and go get your sweats on. It's time to really take some action!!!
You are going to be more than just fine.