Flow parenting - not alone!

Ok! There are experts who aren't into this whole training thing and believe in go with the flow parenting! Hallelujah!

Check out www.askdrsears.com.




The basic tenant is the same - parent YOUR child. Get to know them the very best you can so you can parent intuitively!

Although I won't follow all the suggestions, but I will subscribe to the principles and feel joy in finding a parent community I can relate to!

How do you find joy in community in your life?

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Go with the flow

I tried at first putting jack on a schedule like the baby whisperer suggests. I found I was so stressed put that I couldn't get him to conform to eating every three hours or napping an hour and a half 10times a day.



Jeez, when you think about it, he's a person, and everyday will be different for him. Heck, I don't feel the same way everyday, why should he?

So, new mindset. I've decided my job as a mom is to get to know him the best I can. And from that knowledge I promise to help him be his happiest best self. Some days that might mean comfort nursing when he has a tummy ache or extra playtime when he's energetic. I hope if I teach him to tune into and foster his natural energy then I'm giving him the best lessons for a content life!

So cheers to the joy of listening and observing. Out with training and somebody's idea of normal who doesn't even know him!

What rules do you break in favor of your gut feel?

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Fit update

I've been doing yoga twice a week now and I'm starting cardio this week. Yoga has been a phenomenal place to start because it allows me to appreciate already the gains I'm making, but also where my pregnancy made me stronger! Yesterday I discovered that I can hold a forearm plank way longer than I could last year - pretty cool! My body is completely different. Pigeon pose (a hip opener) used to barely challenge me - now,


yowza!


So in my journey back to fit i'm finding joy in relearning my body and gratitude for my yoga practice in making that happen. And, I've lost 30 lbs so far :-)

How do you foster your mind-body connection?


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It's the little things...

Yesterday I took a shower. Yup. Why so special? I took one with just me and jack in the house. First time! He has started a pattern where he takes s two hour nap late morning and I thought ah hah, I'm going to be smart and get a nice shower in. Good thing too be ause he woke up as soon as I got out ( apparently he didn't get the memo about alleging two hours). Joy of the day: seizing precious moments to take care of yourself!

How do you seize moments in your day for self care?


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A superficial joy

My joy of the day is not deep in anyway but so practical for a new mom: online ordering. I realized i needed diapers and wipes, we were running low on vitamins, the dog needed dental treats... What's a time and sleep starved mom to do?

Amazon.com- ordered one big box, free shipping, arrived in two days. Perfect!!! And of course all ordered with one click ordering from my iPhone!


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Joy of music

Omg, this song in yoga nearly brought me to tears - postpartum hormones anyone!??? It truly sums up how I feel today!






http://www.amazon.com/May-I-Suggest/dp/B0019AXKRU



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Intuition

Newborns, I'm realizing, are totally intuitive beings They have needs to sleep, eat, and ... Well sleep and eat! And based on those, they pursue a path to get those needs met... Which often involves fussing!

Jack inspires me to live a more intuitive life (minus the fussing). I'm trying to start with how i am as a mom. Really hard when there are books and web posts on everything to do with parenting!

But there are no experts who know jack better than I do...so my priority is not timing sleeps and nursings, but getting to know his moods, his cries, and hopefully do a better job being there for him.

How does intuition guide you in your life?



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Journey back to fit

During my pregnancy I exercised regularly. I truly believe that 1, this helped me stay sane, and 2, was key to a natural and smooth labor. One of the hardest things for me mentally was to lose "ability" over time. So, first trimester I was spinning and doing cardio 30 minutes twice a week and by 32 weeks I was down to two power yoga sessions and two 20 minute light cardio sessions. By 36 weeks it was just the power yoga plus walking. At 38 weeks it was just walking.

Now I'm heading back the way I came, instead of trying to go back right where I was when I got pennant and getting frustrated, I've decided to build back my routine changes in reverse - and i will find joy in the journey back, each regaining of ability will be a celebration. This week I completed two power yoga sessions plus alternate day walks! I'll keep this routine until 6 weeks postpartum and then bring back a cardio session - working back to 2...

Will share as i go...

How do you find joy in respecting your body's abilities?

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Nothing like a newborn to remind of the joy of rest

Here's a good example of why I've changed the focus of this blog- it changed my own frame of mind. Instead of writing about exhaustion i will instead focus on how not taking sleep for granted has helped me rediscover the joy of rest!

I pick rest over sleep because, well sleep is harder to focus on, but rest can be a breath, a snooze, a pause... And it can be savored.

Here's what I'm working on to rest
- sleep when the baby sleeps (old and sage advice)
- ask my husband when I need help
- give myself permission to take time for me (in my world that means time for yoga, showers, eating and reading)

What do you do to incorporate rest into a crazy life?

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Joy of movement

I've been doing yoga for 8 years, I did it twice a week throughout my pregnancy, even the day I went into labor. So 10 days after giving birth I am more than ready to get moving again!

So today i did a half hour practice at home. Oh, it felt so good! To forward bend and feel my nose at my shins, to stretch my side body, to feel my abs and twist how ever i wish.... Yum! Can't wait to get back into the studio!

But, for now, joy of the day, getting back to movement through my yoga practice at home.

Try it! http://www.amazon.com/Shiva-Rea-Daily-Energy-Vinyasa/dp/B002IVLWCE






How do you find joy in movement?


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A focus on joy

Well after good intentions to write consistently during my pregnancy, I resigned myself to the fact that , well, I was just too darned tired, hot and swollen! But now, I've got this beautiful boy (I made him myself :-) ) and I've decided to work on writing a few times a week focused on something during the day that gave me joy. Why? One, I'm determined to not get lost in sleep deprived baby blues. Two, this is a joyful time to be shared, and, three, who wouldn't want to read about joy?


So, today's joy of the day is: Jack, my new son!


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