A Busy Mom’s Guide To A Mind-Body Connection
Motherhood is a whirlwind— from running on little sleep, to trying to establish routines, to remembering what’s in your fridge for lunch. It's easy to feel disconnected from yourself when you're constantly tending to little ones. The thing is, practicing a mind-body connection doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Small, intentional moments throughout your day can help you feel more present, grounded, and in tune with yourself.
Here’s how you can incorporate mindful practices into your routine, no matter where you are in your motherhood journey.
First time moms
While your baby is learning how to be a baby in this world, you are learning how to be a mom right beside them. During this learning period, you’ll find times where your cup feels empty and your brain foggy. When those days pop up, treat yourself with some extra compassion. You’re doing a lot of hard work! Here’s how to bring small moments of mindfulness into your day:
Breathe with baby: When you feed or rock your baby to sleep, take deep, nourishing breaths. Inhale for 3-5 seconds, hold it at the top, then exhale slowly. Feel the rise and fall of your breath as a grounding exercise. This is a skill we practice at the beginning of every baby&me yoga class, as it grounds both you and your baby.
Body check-ins: Notice where you hold tension—shoulders, jaw, back. Set a reminder on your phone to do a quick body scan and release tightness. Think about what stretches we took in our prenatal yoga classes that helped alleviate that tension for you. You can take this movement when you’re practicing tummy time with your little one.
Gratitude pause: At the end of the day, reflect on one small moment that brought you joy, even if it was just the fact that your body carried you through another day.
Pregnant moms with toddlers at home
Pregnancy while managing everyday responsibilities can leave you feeling stretched thin. It’s a lot different being pregnant when you are keeping up with busy toddler feet.
Taking even a few moments for yourself can help you restore balance and reconnect with your body:
Shifting your mindset: It’s easy to say, I don’t have the time for that. Your day is busy, that’s valid! Try shifting your mindset to prioritize time for yourself and find yourself saying, I choose to make time for this. I find it helpful to have distractions such as my phone out of sight, TV turned off, and surrounding myself with peaceful noises to help me feel re-connected with myself.
Breath Awareness: Take a few deep breaths throughout the day, focusing on how your body expands and contracts with each inhale and exhale. This is a great skill to practice with your toddlers to model breathing for emotional regulation. (read more on navigating toddler emotions here)
Intentional tactile movement: Often, it can be difficult to feel the bond with your second + babies as easily as you did with your first. Find your favorite lotion or oil to rub across your belly. You can do this sitting, laying down, or even looking in the mirror. This helps both you and baby bond with each other.
Right before and after birth
The final few weeks of pregnancy and first few weeks of postpartum are often full of emotions, exhaustion, and stress. While it will pass and you will get through it, it can feel overwhelming, and rightly so. In these short few weeks, a lot of change happens to you and your life.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to help you reestablish your mind-body connection during this trying period.
Leading up to giving birth:
Deep breathing: Practice slow, controlled breaths to help regulate anxiety and prepare your body for labor. With each exhale, try to release a stressful thought that is no longer serving you. This deep breath taps into your nervous system and sends the message, I am safe, to your body.
Visualization: As you start to lay down to rest, picture your body sinking into the comfort of your couch, bed, pillows, or blankets that surround you. See your breath rising and falling like waves, sending you into a peaceful rest.
Helpful mantra: One of the most popular mantra from our prenatal yoga classes is, I trust my body, I trust my baby. This mantra helps to remind you that you and your body are working together as a team.
After giving birth:
Finding your strength again: Gentle core engagement exercises and breathwork can help you rebuild strength and stability.
Thanking your body: I know that it can take a while to feel love for your body after giving birth. Even if you don’t love your body at the moment, you can still practice gratitude for your body. Take a full-body scan and thank your body for what it’s done that day
Thank you hands, for being able to change diapers. Thank you arms, for holding my baby. Thank you mouth, for creating soothing sounds for my baby. Thank you belly, for being my baby’s first home. Thank you legs for keeping me moving.
Slow, Intentional Movement: Whether it’s stretching, slowly standing up from the floor, or mindful posture adjustments, moving with awareness helps restore balance. When you feel ready to find more rhythmic movement, join us for postpartum yoga in Berlin, Connecticut. If you’re not local, check out these mindful virtual offerings that can be done in 20 minutes or less at home.
Mind-body connection is a practice, not a destination. Through deep breathing, mindful awareness of your body’s signals, and gratitude, you can cultivate a sense of peace within yourself. Take it slow, be gentle, and allow yourself the grace to reconnect with your inner self. Your body is your guide—listen, honor, and trust it through every stage of motherhood.
Our yoga classes offer all of this, plus the power of community. To be surrounded by moms who get it, who are going through it themselves, and who will hold space for you as you navigate your journey, can make the world of a difference through all four trimesters. Join our community and I will help to guide you to deepen your mind-body connection.
