Hello beautiful momma.

Do you know this moment, when you could finally put your toddler down for a nap, you unroll your mat, sit down, take a deep breath and then you hear. . .“MOMMY“!

This is the moment where your mind will probably goes: Oh great. That`s it for today! BUT don`t roll your mat up just yet, mama! Because it just means you can`t practice alone. But you can practice together even if this means you have to minimize or adjust your practice according to your toddler. And if you allow them to anticipate, I promise you will be amazed on how much you can actually do TOGETHER. Further you aid their natural development of movement and increase their own body awareness while you bond with your child on a whole new level. Allowing them to join your practice is also the best way to cultivate their own mindfulness as well promote an active lifestyle from early days on.

And here are tons of more reasons WHY you should go for it:

• reduce anxiety
• improve digestion
• promote better sleep
• boost immune system
• turn fussiness into happiness
• increase neuromuscular development
• cultivate self-esteem and positive body image
• reduce stress and develop solutions with relaxation techniques

How our brain works..

Brain cells do not form neural pathways until they are exposed to environmental stimuli. Stimuli get absorbed through our senses and are then further transmitted to our brain. So each and every experience – if its either listening to music, smelling on a flower, tasting some fruit or playing with sand– all of it stimulates our brain and gives the order to connect with more brain cells and that is how we form new pathways.

Yoga is a conscious movement linked to breath which means it taps right into the sensory-motor system and encourages the brain to build up more connections and bridges every time we practice. That is why it`s so necessary that kids are allowed to move while they are learning because that`s just the natural way of how our brain works. And I remembered I did it all the time. Every time I had to learn a poem or vocabulary the first thing I did was sitting on our swing in the backyard rocking back and forth while repeating the words I had to learn. So in a perfect world schools would encourage the children to move during or after each class.

Since Maya got my most regular student (or better said I got hers) I thought I am going to share a bit of how we like to practice. But consider that this is a simple suggestion. And mostly keep in mind that EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT. What makes fun on monday can be gone on tuesday. So go with the flow and trust your tot they sure know what they are doing 🙂 All YOU need to do is giving them your time and full presence. 

Rule #1 NEVER ever force them into doing something they feel not ready to do. Never ever. Allow them to play around, experiment or to simply watch. Allow them to have fun and you will too. 

Breath work

First start with doing some breathing exercises. Seriously every one can do this, even your little toddler. We just need to find a way to make it accessible for them. 

• The bee sound: Take a deep breath in and on your exhale start humming like a bee.
• The ballon breath: Imagine your belly is a big ballon. So slowly blow up the ballon on your inhale and slowly deflate the ballon on your exhale. You may want to practice this in a laying down position so they are able to feel their belly rising and falling. They can also put their tiny hands on your belly when you practice your breathing.

Warm up

I like to begin with some gentle stretches and often combine it with a bit of massage. At the beginning it was mostly me massaging her but nowadays she is also very eager to give some back, so enjoy your treat momma 😉 I also bring in some songs which we team up with easy body movement. Ideal songs for that are: Head shoulders knees & toes and the wheels on the bus.

Down Dog & Push-ups

I love to do my down dogs since I have the feeling I can stretch my whole body with one single pose. Down dog is also somehow the first yoga pose little kids catch up on and immediately try to copy. Every time Maya sees me doing one she jumps right into it either next to me or below me. Or she simply uses my down dog as a little bridge to crawl underneath. We sprinkle this pose all over our day – in between cooking, dancing or after napping.

To get a bit of an extra work out on some days I implement some yoga push ups into my down dogs. Mostly Maya crawls right underneath, resting on her back, her little cheeky smile facing me and waiting for her nose to nose rubs every time I push down to the mat. 

Easy Cobra

Lay on your belly with your bellybutton still touching the ground. Have your elbows bent and aligned with your shoulders. Your legs are straight and engaged which means the top of your feet press into the mat.  Press your palms on to the ground while pushing your chest forward. Your shoulders release and push away from your ears towards the floor. Allow your little partner in crime to sit on top of your sacrum (lower back) and maybe you even get a bit of a shoulder rub.

Bow pose

Back strengthening got really important to me especially since having a kiddo. With all the holding, lifting and carrying of my precious baby girl I often forget about my own posture so bow pose is a good one to refer to. It opens your chest while at the same time strengthens your arms, shoulders and upper back. 

Begin on your belly, bend both knees and try to grab the outside of your feet. Take a deep breath in, push into your hands and lift up. Imagine you move your chest forward. If this is not accessible for your (yet) use a strap around your feet.

Childs pose 

This is an amazing restorative posture even more with a toddler on your back. 

Begin seated on your heels, take a deep breath in and on your exhale fold. Your hands relaxed next to your legs or straight forward. Allow your knees to open and your back to naturally round. Imagine you are a rock, a turtle or a shell. All bundled up cozy and safe. 

If your little one decides to climb up onto your back, smile and enjoy. Since that extra weight gives you the opportunity to have a really nice adjustment for your hips.

Foreward fold

An ideal way to stretch your legs while having some toe to toe contact. We like to sing a long to “ row row row the boat“ to integrate some more movement in our upper body and of course to make it more fun.

Flying baby

This is her all time favorite pose. While she keeps flying up and down I can work on my core. So it`s a win win. 

Lay on your back with your knees bent and then allow them to hop on to your chins. Take a deep breath in, engage your abdomen and lift your legs away from the ground.

Just remember to really pull your navel towards the ground during the whole exercise. It feels like your navel goes in towards your spine and your hips move up and away. This action is necessary to prevent your lower back from getting injured! 

Boat pose

This pose allows you to work even more on strengthening your abdominal muscles.

Find balance on your sitting bones with your feet on the ground. Invite your little one to have a seat in the boat aka on top of your hips. Take a deep breath in, pull your navel in and lift your legs off the ground. Have your spine straight (your head pulls up) and your chins parallel to the floor.  Take a couple of deep breaths while keeping your core engaged, exhale and slowly release.

Savasana

Best pose ever. And on busy days this is often all we do. Maya still loves to lay on my chest, her heartbeat against mine. It instantly calms her down when she feels fuzzy or overly tired. And in this moment I am not sure who is enjoying it more.  

 

to receive notifications on new posts

Since one of the most frequently asked (yoga related) questions I get from people is

„What kind of mat do you use? „

I thought why not bringing up a short review on the mats I tried so far including my experience with it. Even as a yoga teacher and a 10 year long practitioner I don`t really have a lot of mats than most people expect. I think the first 5 years I was mainly practicing on the bare floor, gras, beaches, carpets, towels or on any cheap mat I could find in a store nearby.

My first mat was from adidas since as a student I didn`t want to spend a lot of money on each so I also used it until it fell apart. So yeah, it looks like I wasn`t really into the big fancy mat business neither in the trendy yoga clothes one since I mostly practiced in my underwear or bikini. Not like now, where people even wear their yoga pants off the mat.  I didn`t give a damn about any of that back then..  maybe it was because I was too busy on getting started that nothing else mattered or because I mainly meditated and had a more stretchy yoga practice compared to now. Anyhow my practice changed quite a bit in-between. From Nada Yoga to only meditation, to gentle Hatha yoga, to a fluid Vinyasa practice, to Ashtanga over back to Vinyasa, to Yin Yoga.. So since I got a more vigorous and active practice where I sweat a lot especially on my hands and feet, I found out that the right mat really does make my practice easier and therefore smoother!

So here is a little review of my little mat library and hope it helps you to find YOUR RIGHT MAT! I had some more mats in-between, but either they are not worth mentioning, I gave them away or they broke. So those are the ones I still have at home and use regularly. 

Tapas Travel  by Hugger Mugger – 3 mm

Was one of my first travel mats. Light and easy to fold like a blanket and suits in every little bag. Big BUT: Even after lots of soaking in the tub with some dishwasher soap it still stayed slippery.

Conclusion: Ideal mat if you don`t want to spend a lot of money (20 USD only) and don`t tend to sweat a lot (particularly on hands and feet)

The Reversible (Un) Mat by LuLuLemon – 1,5mm

My favorite for traveling! Light, easy to fold and absolutely non-slippery! BUT since this is maybe one of the most well-known yoga brands, the price for it is much higher than for any other conventional yoga mat. (about 50USD; the thicker the mat the more expensive they are)

Conclusion: This mat brings your yoga practice to a whole new level since you truly stick to your mat. Perfect for traveling yogis!

Harmony Mat by Jade Yoga – 4mm

My first expensive mat. Bought around 4 years ago which I use nearly every day ever since so it has a quite longevity you can say (when hidden from cat claws).

An excellent solid mat made out of natural rubber which is totally anti -slippery and eco-friendly on top. So the real karma yogi mat. BUT a bit hard to clean for my taste and definitely to heavy to bring along while traveling. 

Conclusion: For people who want to buy one good quality mat! 

Manduka PROlite by Manduka –  5mm

My newest acquisition which I love to the top! Wow why didn`t I bought this one earlier. It`s true what they say, this one is a real bro. Totally sticky (that`s actually a good thing) and easy to clean. The price is kind of in-between so not a lot of BUT`s so far. Totally get it, why this one was nominated to the best damn yoga mat you can find on the market right now!! 

Conclusion: Too bulky to stuff in your luggage but just right for a regular yoga practice at home.

So if you are interested in a more detailed research on yoga mats and why the Manduka PRO is such a BRO and won the title of “the best yoga mat” read on here http://www.reviews.com/best-yoga-mat/

to receive notifications on new posts

to receive notifications on new posts

to receive notifications on new posts

to receive notifications on new posts

It`s S U M M E R  T I M E ! So instead of practicing in a hot studio, why not bringing your practice with you into the pool (ocean or lake) ?

Water relaxes your muscles, increases joint mobility and supports your body weight which allows you to move deeper into the postures. Swimming and exercising in water is the ideal practice during pregnancy, especially in your last trimester when your ligaments tend to overstretch easily.

to receive notifications on new posts

What I love about Yoga? That you can do it really ANYTIME EVERYWHERE.. even on a tiny plane!! If you follow our journey / life more frequently you might observe, that we spend quite a bit of it in it, so to make flying more convenient I will share some easy yoga stretches you can do anytime during your flight. Of course you will have more space in First or Business Class but if you are like me traveling the cheap way, it might become a bit of a challenge 🙂

Start with bringing your right arm on top of your left. Grab your left thumb or bring your palms together. Point your fingertips to the ceiling and draw your shoulders down and away from your ears. If you have enough space you can also wrap your left leg around your right. Stay for a couple of breaths before you change side.

To mobilize the spine after long sitting Twists are the perfect choice. Take a deep inhale and twist to the left – your left hand takes hold on to the seat while your right hand reaches for the arm rest. Keep your spine upright while you twist. On each exhale deepen the twist a bit more. Slowly unfold and change side.

Sit upright and draw your tailbone in. Embrace your elbows in the back and pull your shoulders down. If you find enough space between the seats, bend forward on your next exhale. Stay there for a couple of breaths.

Sit upright and bring your hands on your lower back. Pull the shoulders down and in. To deepen this pose, point your fingers upwards.

Tilt your neck to the right, so that your right ear comes closer to your right shoulder. Bring your right hand on your left ear and push with your left hand against the seat. Feel the stretch on your left neck and take in a couple of breaths before you switch side.

Keep your left knee bent while lifting your right leg up. Straighten your right leg as much as possible and take hold of your foot, your lower leg or thigh. Inhale and pull your leg a bit closer towards your chest. Stay for some breaths before your switch sides. If this version doesn`t work for you due to tight hamstrings or less space just bend your knees and pull them to your chest. Hold for a couple of minutes.

In addition to some tight plane yoga, I suggest to move your legs as much as possible.. walking in the aisle a couple of times or lifting your heels and wiggling your toes while watching a movie. And even more important: Drink plenty of fluids!!! To make flying even more convenient and prevent further jet lag symptoms check out my article here. 

to receive notifications on new posts

This pose is a great way to strengthen the whole body, to open the chest and shoulders and on a deeper, more emotional level also your heart.

Prep Pose:

• • Bhujangasana
  • Sets Bandhasana
  • Sarvangasana
  • Virasana

How to get in there:

Lie on your back. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor with your legs hip wide apart.

Bend your elbows and place your palms beside your head, fingers pointing away from your head.

Press your feet actively into the floor, exhale and push your pelvis off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel.

Then start to firmly press your hands into the floor and your shoulder blades against the back to lift up and away from the ground.

Press your feet and hands into the floor and lift your head while straightening your arms.

For more advanced students:

Once in the pose, lift your heels away from the floor and press your tailbone towards the ceiling. Walk the feet a little closer to your hands to increase the depth of the backbend.

Stay in the pose anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds or more. Repeat anywhere from 3 to 5 times.

Modifications and Props:

You can support your hands on two blocks to help yourself lift a bit higher. Be sure to place the blocks against a wall to avoid slipping.

Contraindications:

• • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Headache
  • Heart problems
  • High or low blood pressure

Benefits of the pose:

• • Strengthens arms, wrists and legs as well your abdomen and spine
  • Stretches the chest and lungs
  • Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary
  • Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility and osteoporosis

Follow up poses: Ardha Matsyendrasana, Supta Padangusthasana.

to receive notifications on new posts

Virabhadrasana was named after a famous warrior from an ancient Indian mythology. The arms symbolize the swords which are powerfully stretched towards the sky. The purpose of this pose is to be strong and to overcome fear.

Prep Pose:

• • Downward facing dog
  • Revolved Side Angle Pose
  • Extended Triangel Pose
  • Tree Pose

How to get in there:

Start in Mountains Pose. Have your feet slightly separated. Inhale and raise both arms towards the sky. Reach actively through the fingertips and draw your shoulder blades down and back.

Exhale and step your left foot back. Turn your feet about 60 degrees open. Keep the back leg straight, inhale and start bending your right knee. Lengthen your coccyx toward the floor. Reach through your arms and lift the ribcage away from the pelvis. Ground down through the back foot while pointing down your left hip.

Bring your palms together and widen your shoulders. Arch your upper torso slightly back.

Keep your head in a neutral position, gaze forward or look up at your thumbs.

Stay for 30 seconds to a minute.

To come up, inhale, press the back heel firmly into the floor and reach up through the arms while straightening the right knee. Step back into Tadasana and try the other side.

Modifications and Props:

Beginners find it very difficult to keep the back heel grounded and the lower back lengthened in this pose. So go and raise the back heel on a block.

Deepen the pose:

Bend the front knee more to move deeper.

Contraindications:

Students with shoulder issues should keep their raised arms open and slightly wider. Students with neck problems should keep their head in a neutral position instead of looking up

Benefits of the pose:

Stretches the chest (lungs), shoulders and neck as well the abdominal muscles and groins (M. psoas). Strengthens the shoulders and arms, the back muscles, thights, calves and ankles.

Follow up poses:

Virabhadrasana I is commonly used as the beginning pose of Virabhadrasana II + III.  It’s also an excellent preparation pose for all other standing poses as well backbends.

to receive notifications on new posts