Mother’s Day chat with my mom

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I love my mom.

I’m learning that is something not to take for granted.  As I travel and live around the world, my mom remains my stable rock.  She is my best friend, sister, researcher, advisor, doctor, and loving mom.

My mom is the source of inspiration behind my work at Kids Yoga Stories.  She introduced my brother and me to yoga when we were children living on a farm in the middle of Canada.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I phoned my mom and had a chat with her about yoga and how she integrates the practice into her life.

A chat with my mom about yoga in honor of Mother’s Day

Giselle (G): What attracted you to yoga?

Mom (M): I began yoga when I was a stay-at-home mother with two small children.  I was interested in healthy eating and exercise, and I found a yoga program with Kareen Zebroff on the television.  It suited my schedule because I could do it at home, and the children were able to join in.  I found it very relaxing and peaceful.  It gave me something for me in the midst of the busy-ness of being a young mom.  The yoga teacher didn’t just provide exercises; she gave a lot of ideas of food prep and healthy eating.  I bought her recipe book and yoga for kids book.

G: Do you still practice yoga now?

M: After my children grew up, I went to yoga classes at the local community center.  I’m not going to classes right now, but I practice at home.  I found that yoga has helped me through my latest illness.  Every morning, I do a sun salute.  The deep breathing really helps me.  It helps me start my day by waking me up.  The stretches and breathing make me feel good and give me energy.  It helps to clear my mind.

G: What are your favorite yoga poses? 

M: The sun salute feels like it takes my breath all throughout my body.  I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s the perfect morning pose.  The tree pose helps me with balance.  When I had a bad back, I used to do the cat-cow poses and child’s pose.  After I come back from dancing, I do the child’s pose and downward-facing dog pose to stretch out my muscles.  The plank pose is helping to get strength back in my shoulders.

G: What are some benefits of practicing yoga?

M: It makes you very aware and mindful of your body.  If you have an ache or pain, then restorative yoga can really help.  It helps to relax your muscles.  Yoga teaches you to breathe, which helps to give you energy and clear your mind.  It also makes you appreciate nature.

G: What does yoga mean to you?

M: Yoga is a way of life.  Yoga is about loving all sentient beings, being grateful for your life, being peaceful, and looking after your body through exercise and eating good food. I practice yoga throughout the day.  Now that I have a frozen shoulder, I practice little poses here and here to try to keep my body moving.

G: What recommendations do you have for someone who would like to start yoga?

M: I recommend going to yoga class at a community center.  You don’t have to be very flexible in your body, by the way.  The whole idea of yoga is that you do what you can do.  You listen to your body.  You go at your own pace and don’t have to tie yourself up like a pretzel.  I’m not flexible, but I still love it.  There are so many different kinds of yoga classes–for example, yoga for children, over 60s, runners, and stress relief.

G: You travel a lot, so how do you take your yoga practice with you?

M: When you are on holiday, have a look for yoga classes near where you are staying.

When we were in France last year, we were on a canal boat tour in Brittany.  We were tied up at a dock, and we saw some ladies arriving at the community hall with yoga mats.  We followed them and joined in on their yoga class, without speaking a word of French!  Yoga is a universal language.  We didn’t understand the yoga teacher’s instructions, but we understood the poses.  It was such a great experience because we just did it in the spur of the moment!  You can join yoga classes wherever you are in the world.   Oh, and I remember doing a yoga class on the beach in Cuba, too!

I remember one time a few years ago, we were traveling in Australia together.  The three of us (you, your dad, and I) just started to practice yoga on the beach with no one around and without talking.  It was such a special moment.

I’m thrilled to pieces that my daughter is writing yoga stories for children.  My son and daughter-in-law also practice yoga and enjoy it.

My mom, my daughter, and I near Whistler, B.C..

I hope you found this mother-daughter chat about yoga inspiring.  Maybe this Mother’s Day, you could also give your mother the gift of your presence, instead of a present.  Maybe do some yoga?  I reckon that when we take time to deeply connect with our mothers, there within lies magic.

Happy Mother’s Day to all women all over the world.

Click here for a printable Happy Mother’s Day card.

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