Fitting in a daily Yoga practice can be difficult when you’re a busy parent. But although physical practice is still really important, there’s a lot more to it than that. Here are some of our tips and tricks to fit in a daily practice when you’re a busy parent.
WAKE UP EARLIER THAN YOUR KIDS
Often we get stuck in our ways. Your routine might mean you’re up late in the evening spending precious one-on-one time with your partner or simply prepping for the following day. So the idea of setting your alarm even 10 minutes earlier can seem a little off-putting. But having a bit of time to yourself before the day starts is really important. Whether you use it for journaling, meditating, breathwork, stretching or a few rounds of sun salutations, doing these things before your kids get out of bed can bring you back to your daily practice. It’s ok if you don’t have your usual 30 minutes or full hour to play with. It’s ok if your practice doesn’t even involve you getting out of bed. That five to ten minutes of breathing or stretching or meditation is a special time for you to enjoy and to feel mentally and physically more present before you start your day. By doing 10 minutes each day, over the course of a week you’ll have done a full hour of Yoga and it only took a small bite out of your daily routine.
FIND A SPACE
When you’re short on room it’s very easy to decide you can’t roll your mat out. Usually Yoga necessitates a decent sized space that has plenty of airflow. But as long as there are no hazards such as sharp objects you can fall onto, you really don’t need much room at home. Once you clear enough space for your mat, you can make it a priority to do a bit of practice everyday. If you want a more soothing feeling and it’s safe to do so, you can light some candles. Aim to get to a real life class at least once a week so you can plan what you’re going to do when you’re on your own; we suggest doing a few rounds of sun salutations and then focus on practising least-favourite poses in order to progress..
GET YOUR KIDS TO PRACTISE WITH YOU
It’s amazing what kids will find enjoyable especially if they’re doing it with you. No one in your life will have such a keen interest in your every action quite like your children. Nobody looks to you for how things should be done or what choices to make in the same way as a small child. Have you considered sharing your practice with your children? This is a great way to fit your practice in, allow for family time and create healthy habits.
REMEMBER YOUR TEACHER UNDERSTANDS AND WON’T JUDGE YOU FOR LACK OF REGULAR ATTENDANCE
On those days when you’re able to take your practice to the studio, remember your teacher isn’t judging you for how often they see you in class. They will help you to look forward to that one class you can attend week after week, and motivate you to attend more often. But remember a big part of Yoga practice is kindness and acceptance, so be kind to yourself by not worrying about how often you get to a real life class.