Practicing Parents

[YogaLaura]

What do all of you parents do to fit in your practice? I have a 4 year old and a 6 1/2 year old and I am a homeschooler. I would love to know more tricks on how to fit in my practice when family is ever present. (Yogamum called it "Householder Yoga" which I love!)

[breezeatdawn]

I have to laugh because it was in fact YOU who inspired me to do yoga in my kitchen. I think the first step in Yoga while Parenting is admitting you have a problem... just kidding. Actually, more like admitting that it's not always going to be yoga the way we may ultimately want it. My biggest issue in having a home practice was for so long just my idea of what yoga had to be - regular, scheduled, quiet, uninterrupted, long, etc., etc. While that is glorious (and still highly sought after), it's just not the norm. And so it is Yoga in the kitchen, Yoga during naps, Baby jungle gym yoga, Yoga while everyone goes on with life around you. Kind of like life in general, huh?

[YogaLaura]

Letting go of the control over what we define as a "practice" is powerful, isn't it? Knowing that a 10 min Savasana before bed and a tree pose while pasta is cooking "counts" is beautiful. "Householder yoga" at its best!

[Lisa Gray]

haha. I just blogged about this today!! I call it Dora the Explorer Yoga!

There have been times when I've set my alarm to get up an hour earlier than everyone else to do yoga. And it has been great in the end. I just don't do it too much.

You can often see me TEARING upstairs just after bedtime to fit in an hour of peaceful yoga.

But mostly it's a DVD for the kids and me in the next room doing yoga to the theme song of the Wonder Pets or something.

[Emily]

So far I've found that I can fit in 20 minutes or so when the kids are watching one of their morning shows. If you check out my blog, you'll see what I mean! Other times are after the kids are in bed, or have hubby give them a looooooong bath and fit it in then.

My kids still go to daycare (4 1/2 and 2 1/4) and I work at home, so I do it over my lunch hour when I can, but that doesn't happen on the weekends! LOL!

[YogaLaura]

Did you do yoga BK (before kids?) Do you remember the quiet practices of yesteryear? I have been known to do yoga with Mister Rogers as well...

[hikejmt]

Hey YogaLaura! I have a 6.5 and 4 yr old too. Its always been tricky for me to do yoga with them around because they are the kind of kids that want my full involvement at ALL times. They are very unlikely to do any activity quietly. When they were littler, they used to come over to NURSE when I was in down dog or headstand. They still come over and look at me expectantly and a little wistfully when I'm in down dog.

Regarding how to practice with the kids around, my most successful approach was to give them some solid attention before I tried to practice, then tell them that mom was going to do yoga and would play again when I was done. The time I'd spend with them before my practice was so that I would be very clear in my own mind that I wasn't neglecting them. They seemed to be more willing to give me some time when I was really clear in my own heart that I deserved that time.

I've also had to accept that for now, I don't get peaceful, focused practice. I've accepted that it will be interrupted and I try to appreciate whatever benefits I glean from practicing without mindfulness. This phase will not last forever.

I've also had success practicing when on a full-family play date where we get together with another family and the mom's switch off watching kids and practicing. Sometimes the kids get along so well that we moms can actually practice together.

You can also ask your partner to take the kids to the park (or some other way to get out of the house) so you can sometimes have a focused practice.

Best of luck!

[YogaLaura]

Thank you for your thoughts. I think not only accepting that I don't get an uninterrupted practice and appreciating the fact that I will, one day, miss the sweet interruptions of my children when they no longer need me as they do now helps me. (Mind you, I do not always call the interruptions them "sweet"! lol It is much easier to do so when they are sleeping peacefully, as they are now.)

[Nona Jordan]

I'm lazy. I have my husband take my daughter out to play or I do it while she's at preschool. If I haven't fit it in during the day, I will practice after she goes down to sleep at night. On those nights I will often ask my husband to join me so we get some time together... no matter which way you slice it, I think it's challenging with small children.

I admire that you homeschool!!

[YogaLaura]

Okay, Nona, is it lazy or smart? :-)

[Sare-Bear]

I've found that the only way I can fit in practice is at night, after my 2 year old goes to bed. I've tried it before with him in the room. I wanted him to start the Yoga habit young. He often begins it well with me, but then, he ends up playing on me, under me, and all around me, which makes it impossible to focus. So, night-time practice it is, at least until he gets a little older. Then we might try it together again.

Good luck!

[Amy]

Do spouses count as children? Last night I was practicing and in the middle of doing some upper back work I opened my eyes to see my guy sitting cross legged at the other end of the mat staring and making faces at me. After my heart rate went back into the human mode I asked if he wanted to join me, he said no so I kicked him out of the room.

[Nona Jordan]

Amy, that is too funny!!