Yoga Hacks for Moms: How to Fit Yoga into Your Crazy Life

When you’re a mom, “me-time” is basically a myth. Here are some ways to fit a yoga practice into your super busy schedule.

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Hint: A 10-minute online class counts! Check out Naptime Yoga for Moms for a series of short-and-sweet videos. MyYogaWorks has over 750 online yoga classes for any level, length or style. Sign up here with promo code FLOW and your first month is free.

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As mothers, we spend so much time taking care of others that it can be easy to forget to take care of ourselves. When I became a mom, I found that I suddenly lacked the time for a lot of things I used to love… like taking showers and eating sitting down. I had this beautiful baby girl, but I felt rundown, and sometimes really sad and lonely. Then I discovered yoga, and it just clicked. I loved the peacefulness, the requirement to focus on myself and my body, and the opportunity to take a guilt-free nap during Savasana. I loved all of it, but it was always so difficult to find the time.

I have since found ways to squeeze in yoga whenever I can, even if I can’t get to a class. Sometimes I’ll go through a few familiar sequences on my own, and sometimes I’ll follow along with a video online. The following are five yoga hacks to help you fit yoga into your busy mom life. Namaste, mamas!

  1. Take advantage of your baby’s nap time. Everyone tells you to sleep when the baby sleeps, but the truth is that nap time is mommy’s time to get stuff done. Put yoga on that to-do list, even if just for ten minutes. Taking care of your mind and body is just as important as getting that load in the wash—it’s a necessity, not an extravagance.
  1. Get up early, like really early, as in before your bundle of joy. I cherish sleep as much as the next mom, but what I love even more are those quiet, predawn minutes that belong solely to me. I don’t do it every day, but some mornings I’ll wake up a half hour early and pull out my mat for twenty minutes before I make my coffee and wake up my daughter. It’s a pretty awesome way to start the day.
  1. Utilize that lunch break. If you work outside the home and have a lunch break, consider dedicating that time to yoga a few days a week. For a couple years I did yoga on my lunch breaks three days a week, and as a single mom, it was truly my sanctuary. Your lunch break should be an actual break, and there’s no better way to do that than to get out of your head for an hour and work on your practice.
  1. Get the kids involved. My four-year-old has grown up doing yoga, or what she thinks is yoga, and it is one of our favorite activities to do together. I have two mats, one for each of us, and we enjoy going through the poses. No, she doesn’t have the attention span for more than a few minutes of it, but sometimes that is enough to recenter and power forward. If you keep it simple, even a toddler can follow along.
  1. Lean on your partner for support. We all need a break sometimes, and if you have a supportive partner in your life, don’t be afraid to ask if he or she will watch the kids for an hour while you take in a yoga class. You both know that you’ll return the favor, because that is what we do for the ones we love, and you’ll be a better mom and partner for taking some “me” time to reconnect with yourself.

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MyYogaWorks has over 750 online yoga classes for any level, length or style. Sign up here with promo code FLOW and your first month is free.