When you breathe others breathe

As life has changed in the blink of an eye so has this blog. It has gone from me focussed to baby and me focussed. However, the underlying theme of yoga has stayed strong and for that I am incredibly grateful. So my physical practice went from powerful, strong and sturdy to gentle, sweet and nurturing over the period of nine months and now I'm slowly moving back into finding my powerful practice again but this time I am remembering the sweetness and great benefit of the gentle practice that focussed on breath and connection.

So as I move through the first months of being a mother and balancing my life of work, love and family I find that when I breathe, and not just take a few full breaths but really feel each of those breaths course through my body that everything no matter how hectic just falls into place.

So when that baby is fussing and you're begging for her to fall asleep try this. Look into her eyes (or lock yourself in the closet) and and send so much love and compassion into the next breath you take. I mean fill that breath up with so much light and joy and love that you are just going to explode a rainbow of delicious emotions. And then when you are so full that you can't take in anymore, smile. Then slowly with awareness feel that breaths exit your body taking with you anxiety, doubt, depression, sadness, exhaustion, fear, all those emotions dragging you down. And do that 5+ times as you rock your baby and look into her eyes or if you need it hide in the closet and plug your ears (nothing bad will happen to your baby if you put her in a safe spot). And then let you breath return to normal and observe what happens to your child, to those around you and most of all you. There will be a shift chemically, physically and emotionally and even if it's subtle you will have a bit more of yourself to give because you will have replenished your resources.

I do this every night as I put my child to sleep. I look at this amazing little being and I take delicious breaths of baby smell and I let those breaths slowly move through me and linger so that the scent of this little being is imprinted on my mind forever and the oxytocin I need to feel good and remain calm as I navigate my way through motherhood is fully released into my system. It's amazing what the body can do to help it's if you just give it the time it needs. 

When you breath, and I mean really breathe, you feel like a new person.

Try it.