At the beginning of this year, I gave birth to a beautiful daughter. During my pre-natal visits, my gynecologist would always stress on doing prenatal yoga whenever I would ask her about fitness during pregnancy. And I clearly remember when I asked her later in the final trimester about any tips for smooth labor, she again emphasized on doing prenatal yoga or meditation. Because throughout my pregnancy I suffered from very severe nausea/vomitings and was not aware of the benefits of yoga, I didn’t practice yoga at all despite being recommended so many times by my gynecologist.
Arrival of a baby is an overwhelming experience especially for the first time parents. I had to undergo C-section because of some complication, so was literally on bed for 6 weeks with no physical activity. On top of it, lack of sleep, sudden change in the routine, hormonal imbalance and backaches due to the labor contractions had put me in a lot of stress. My body was not “my” body anymore, it had undergone a tremendous change. After all, it had formed a complete human inside it. I wanted to go back to my normal life with my baby and can’t emphasize enough how much I wanted to enjoy my motherhood.
So I decided to join yoga. There are different types of yoga. I joined Hot yoga also called Bikram Yoga (named after the founder Bikram Chaudhry). Beginners can join this. It is comprised of 26 poses (asanas) including 2 breathing exercises that goes for 90 minutes. It is done in a heated room with a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 degrees humidity. The heat opens up your muscles which helps in doing the yoga poses with more ease. The heated environment increases your metabolism and helps you burn more calories while doing the poses (Yes, you lose weight!). The increased temperature also increases the blood circulation, thus more oxygen reaches to every part of the body. Excessive sweating due to the heat and yoga asanas helps the body in releasing toxins and cleansing itself. You name any organ or any organ system, one or the other pose has the benefits for the same. It stretches and strengthens the muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves that our complex body is comprised of, making our body more flexible.
Our body is an intricate structure. Yoga is a work of art. The twists and turns and bends in every pose makes you aware of your body. The yoga teacher explains what to do and you just follow what the instructor says. This communication between the instructor’s dialogue and your body reacting to it cultivates mindfulness in us. It helps in developing focus and concentration. We push our body beyond our limits in completing the asanas which helps in developing determination and patience by teaching us to go beyond our thresholds to reach our goals.
My experience from my very first yoga class was simply amazing. I felt like I am flying, my body felt so light. I felt so happy from inside that the happiness was truly showing outside on my face, my face was all shining and glowing. I was literally looking forward to the next class.
Yoga helped me better cope with the anxiety, stress and the hormonal imbalance that comes post-partum. I no longer suffer from any back pains anymore . I have become more positive from inside, more energetic and more active. I have started living in the present rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating about the future. I have lost good amount of weight. It improved my posture and balance. I play with my child with more ease and enjoy my motherhood like never before. It has not only made me stronger physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I feel more empowered. I have never felt so calm, composed and contented in my life as I have started feeling after introducing yoga in my life. I believe a child is going to live the life which he/she is going to see you living. So one should live mindfully. Introducing yoga in my life is one step towards mindful living.
Some tips if you want to join hot yoga:
1) It may seem overwhelming specially during the first few sessions of yoga when you are getting used to the poses. Just stay focused, try to listen to your breaths and just don’t give up.
2) Hydration is the key. You may feel dizzy, lightheaded in the beginning for some time, keep yourself hydrated.
3) If you suffer from any special health condition, always ask your doctor before starting anything new, whether its yoga, exercise, diet changes or anything. And always mention about your health condition to the yoga instructor as well. They may tell you to avoid some poses or to do some poses differently. Or hot yoga may not be appropriate for you based on your condition.
4) Sitting in the heated room for 90 minutes is a task in itself. If you can just sit there for the first couple of classes and don’t do much asanas, the instructors still appreciate your efforts. They are very motivating.
5) Try to attend classes of different instructors every time in the beginning. You get to know different information about the asanas every time from different teachers.
6) Don’t expect to master poses in the first day or week; it takes weeks, months or sometimes years to master them.
7)Take a yoga mat, a towel to wipe off the sweat and a water bottle to the yoga session. Try to take a bottle in which the water does not get hot due to the heat inside.
Yoga is yoga, whether done in a hot environment or normal. So join any kind and live a mindful life.
