Ask a mother what she dreads most, and more often than not, it will not be the hard work of cooking, bathing, and the many physical responsibilities of childcare. Instead, it will be managing the emotional turmoils of her children: the crying, tantrums, hitting, throwing, refusing to eat, refusing to wear, refusing to bathe, and the list goes on. As a mother, yoga has helped me significantly. I find myself more emotionally regulated and relaxed around my children, enabling me to better respond to the many demands of family life. One recent insight from my practice has been that I now see my role as a mom very differently. Yoga has made me more observant, and though I wish there were a way to measure it, I feel I can stand at a little distance from a situation and look at it from an outsider’s perspective without getting too involved. Instead of feeling responsible for everything my kids do and don’t do, I have begun to see my role as someone who holds the space for my children to grow. This means, rather than reacting to their anger and tantrums, I try to create a space where they can freely […]