Having gone through wanting to be pregnant, pregnancy, labor, and delivery with my two children -- and all the postpartum highs and lows -- I can express undoubtedly to the importance of having a yoga practice through the many phases of motherhood.  

Being pregnant taught me to surrender to the fact that each day will be a new and different experience. Since I couldn't predict how my day would go, yoga's teachings became less physically focused and more mindful and healing for me.  

As you practice more and more yoga you begin to train yourself to be, feel, and breathe in each posture and meditation. Your mind and muscles may scream for your attention and get it from you. However with practice you continue to train yourself to feel what comes up. Breathe it in, heal it if you need to, and release it as you move back into the moment at hand. Accept exactly how the current moment is as you watch your next inhalation and exhalation.  

We use the technique of watching our breath because it is always in the present moment. Developing this ability to watch, feel, breathe, heal, release and accept are all part of cultivating a healing mindful practice. The more you practice yoga mindfully and heal yourself it becomes a new habit. This is an excellent habit to have to manage the demands of labor and the delightful moments of motherhood.  

Love, Diane