1. Not all yoga was created equal for all parents….
Ok, that’s pretty obvious, but how about this… different yoga styles can be antidotes to the challenges you face at home with children. Here are just two examples.
Feeling scattered, disorganized and adrift? 
Bikram style hot yoga with its 26 poses and pranyama is a practice that is highly structured and predictable. It strengthens the core and balance. It can be very helpful if you are feeling a little wimpy and like your life is too chaotic and unpredictable. Or if you are simply someone who likes predictability.
What if, on the other hand, your life feels like a rut or routine made up of nothing but predictable schedules with little room for creativity? 
A Vinyasa Flow practice breaks up any feelings of repetitiveness. It is highly creative and can feel almost like dance. It is expansive when your life feels constricted by the demands of young children who require consistency in their life.
Both styles can feel wonderful for different people at different times. So, if you are a parent who is very structured and goal focused and find yourself making the same pb and j sandwich triangles day after day, try a little Vinyasa Flow in your life and yoga practice. Get creative, try a new sequence, and go with the flow. If, however, you find that lists are great if you could just find the one you made, you love deadlines for the sound of them wishing by, and your kids go to bed at a different time every day; you might benefit from a Bikram style hot yoga class. The predictable structure, can help you strengthen your ability to concentrate and follow through with those plans and infuse some needed structure at home.
2. You can trick yourself into practicing. Parents are busy. It is hard for them to find time. Try this…
I tell myself I will do just one sun salutation, I usually end up doing more. Some days you will only do one, some days you will end up practicing for longer than you thought you had time for. Soon you will realize that the time on your mat, gives back more than it takes. And you deserve it.
3. Parents are even harder on themselves than I thought. If I could give parents only one thing… It would be a big hug of encouragement for all that they do. So today, give yourself a pat on the back for one of the many acts of kindness you have bestowed on others. And then give some kindness to yourself. Every day should be Parent Yoga Day! Happy Yoga and Happy New Year.
What have you learned this year about yoga and parenting?
“May we all feel safe, may we all feel love, may we all feel a moment of balance”
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