Breathing Exercises for New Moms
With mother’s day quickly approaching we couldn’t think of a better time to share these wonderful breathing tips to help new moms through the challenges of motherhood. We will share a few breathing exercises to help care for baby, and a few self-care breathing exercises for mom.
- Breathing to Comfort Your Crying Baby
“When dealing with newborns, your energy, vibrations and thoughts are decidedly more powerful than your words.”-www.mindbodygreen.com
In other words your baby is receptive to the energy you put out. If you’re nervous or stressed your baby will become fussy. To calm your baby, you need to feel calm and pranayama breathing can help with that.
Begin by closing your eyes. Inhale deeply for 4 counts, hold your breath for 4 counts, and then exhale for 8 counts. Try to allow your breath to be steady and deep. Repeat this practice while you interact with your baby until you both find your calm. Don’t beat yourself up if you break the pattern. Take a deep breath and start again.
- Breathing for Patience When your New Baby Won’t Fall Asleep
Believe it or not this is the perfect moment for meditation. Trying to soothe a baby that won’t sleep is stressful and exhausting. You need mental stamina to keep going through the necessary motions (bouncing etc.), and of course a stress release because you may be a mom but you’re still human. Choose a calming mantra like “serenity” or whatever powerful word or phrase will give you a sense of peace. Bring your awareness to your breath pay attention to the feeling of air moving in and out of your lungs. Repeating a mantra in your head shifts your focus from the situation that is causing you stress to a positive outlook. The power of thought on the mind and body is tremendous but even if you don’t believe, you should believe in the distraction. It can be equally powerful and helpful.
- Breathing to Re-energize When Mom has No Time To Nap
If you practice restorative Yoga may already be familiar with “legs up the wall” pose or in Sanskrit Viparita Karani which is a more restorative version of shoulder stand. Like shoulder stand “legs up the wall” is considered an inversion. “Getting your feet above your head gives your heart a rest from having to work to circulate blood from your feet–and relieves lower back tension.”-www.parents.com. This results in feeling more energized and refreshed. To prepare for “legs up the wall” it may be more comfortable to place a folded blanket or two under your lower back for more support. If you’re very tight you may want to lay a few inches away from the wall, if you’re quite limber two inches or even flush against the wall may feel quite nice. Lie on your back with your lower back and butt supported by a folded blanket (optional) and your legs up against the wall. Take a moment to relax and bring awareness to your breath. An eye pillow and a dab of peppermint oil or lemongrass oil may give an added benefit of relaxation and invigoration.
- Breathing to get the Nap in (for Mom)
Naps can be a necessity and a blessing for new moms. When time is of the essence you want to get to sleep faster breathing can be your ticket.” If it takes you 45 minutes to fall asleep, that’s 45 less minutes of rest.”-www.mindbodygreen.com
Get to sleep faster with simple breathing exercises. Breathing exercise quiet the mind so you can get to sleep faster. There are plenty of breathing exercises touted with this benefit so we will focus on a few and you can find the one that works for you. Alternate nostril breathing is a great exercise because of its sheer simplicity. You can practice seated upright or lying down. Close your eyes and place your index finger and middle finger in between your eyebrows on your “third eye” use your thumb to close your right nostril while you inhale deeply through your left nostril. Hold your breath for a moment. Close your left nostril with your ring finger. Release your right nostril and exhale slowly and deeply until you are out of air. Wait a moment and then inhale deeply through the right nostril. Close your right nostril with your thumb. Release your left nostril and exhale slowly out the left. Repeat as you feel your body become relaxed and continue with your alternate nostril breathing until your mind is clear and you begin feeling sleepy. You can also try using a breathing resistance exerciser like Expand-A-Lung to quiet your mind before nap time. The breathing resistance exerciser (Expand-A-Lung) has the added benefit of strengthening your respiratory muscles which will improve your breathing and you endurance. However, this device should not be used while lying down. While sitting in a dark room in a comfortable seated position use your Expand-A-Lung with a very light resistance setting. Inhale slowly and deeply until you are out of air. Hold your breath for a moment, then exhale slowly and deeply until you are out of air. Repeat this exercise until your thoughts stop wandering and you start to feel sleepy. Stop if you begin to feel out of breath.
New motherhood is a tough but rewarding job sometimes you need to take a moment to breathe through the tough spots.
