Let’s think together.
As a parent I think a lot about what I might be able to do to help my kids skip the extended punitive phase I went through, when movement and food were all about the “shoulds”. I know a lot of it is out of my control. But I also know that the relationship I have with my body and with movement is going to teach them a lot, whether I want it to or not. So I’m going to do my darnedest to make the ways I live in my body lessons I want them to learn.
Pregnancy and postpartum are times of massive physical change, some of which may feel welcome… and some of which most definitely may not. The language of “getting in shape,” “staying in shape,” and “getting my body back,” so frequently used to talk about pregnant and postpartum bodies, implies that women are in control of what’s happening in their bodies— or if they aren’t, they should be. And that’s just not true. Pregnant and postpartum bodies are constantly changing, and need to be. When we really accept and allow that truth, then we can find ways of encouraging our bodily health and strength and resilience and well-being in ways that also serve our minds and spirits. In this article on the Tune Up Fitness blog, two other Yoga Tune Up(R) teachers and I share tips on how to embody your body during and after pregnancy.
Pop quiz: Define the diaphragm. Describe its shape, location, and function, and explain how it relates to overall health and well-being.
How did you do? If you’re like most of us, not so well! But the diaphragm is a muscle that is worth getting to know better, as it can help unlock access to your rest-digest-repair parasympathetic nervous system and be a tool for self-calming and clearer thinking.
Read my article on the Tune Up Fitness blog to learn more about this connection and harness the power of your respiratory diaphragm.
Copyright ©2018-2021 The Parents’ Place, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
