In Sanskrit (the ancient language of India), yoga translates as “yoke” or “union,” describing the integration of mind and body to create a greater connection with one’s own pure, essential nature. - Yoga Journal

Last year I decided I wanted to integrate a Yoga practice into my own daily life. I began following "Yoga with Adrienne" (whom I highly recommend), I bought a cheap mat from Ross (which I am still using... but trying to talk my husband into buying me new, updated equipment) and basically fell in love with how it made me feel! However....2 months into my new practice I found out I was pregnant with my sweet Hudson boy and I became too sick to continue. -Hopefully by the time I become pregnant again I will have learned about the healing art of Yoga and use it to help me through my nausea, but because I was so new to the practice, I didn't understand quite how to do that....So my practice was put on hold during my first trimester. 

Throughout the rest of my pregnancy I tried to learn and do prenatal yoga, which I enjoyed immensely!! However now that Hudson is outside the womb and I have my body back...I have been able to really focus and enjoy the benefits of Yoga! :) 

I have already learned SO SO much in the short time I have been practicing! In this post I just want to focus on a few things....

My body needs Yoga! Being a new mom...I spend ALOT of time holding my precious little boy! I cosleep with Hudson right now also, which means I have to lay super still and in some pretty weird positions to keep him asleep all night. This has left me feeling extremely stiff. So every day when I first hop on my mat I begin my checking in with my body to see what area needs the most loosening that day. THIS is my favorite part...I start in my neck and work my way down to my feet...stretching, moving and spending more time in the places that feel extra tense! Once I have completed this portion of my practice...My body feels lighter and looser and my mind feels clearer and more balanced. My body has started to crave that awakening each day. The days that I miss a practice do NOT go unnoticed! 

My mind needs Yoga! Life is stressful and frustrating for everyone. After Hudson's birth I, like most moms, struggled a bit with the "baby blues". It wasn't until I started incorporating Yoga into my schedule, did I feel a huge change. Spending a minute or two each day just being still and listening to myself think was a HUGE mood changer.  It brought so much peace into my life and I found that I had much more patience with my husband and baby after my practice. I was able to remind myself each day that Im not a failure, that I can be a great wife and mom, that life was good and that I had so much to be grateful for! The physical aspect of Yoga also adds so much mental clarity and energy as well! 

The beauty of Yoga is that there is so much to learn and it can be such a personal and different experience for everyone. So far for me...It has been about *Embracing my new role as a wife and stay at home mother! I am so excited to start this journey and see what I can *Create in the process! Yoga is about changing the way you see the world and yourself. I want to use that vision to help me be a successful wife and mother, to freely give the love my family and others around me deserve and I would love to use this blog as a way to *Inspire others to do the same! Hence where the title of my blog is derived! ♡♡♡