Like you, we’re constantly navigating big shifts and transitions with our little ones. Heading back to work after mat leave. Little ones starting daycare. The arrival of a new baby brother or sister. Heading off to kindergarten.

We’re old ladies…er, experienced moms. 👩🏻‍🦰👱🏼‍♀️✌🏽 So over the years we’ve learned to navigate these challenging times a little better so we can stay more calm and grounded.

Of course we still deal with anxiety when things are hectic but we’ve learned to recognize it and draw on tools to help us out of our head and back into the present moment.

We’ve found Restorative Yoga to be an incredibly powerful tool for our mama lives.

We used to be all “cardio! stretch! pushups!”… and we still find it difficult to take a step back and slow down.

But we’re also all “rest! breathe! be still!” because we’ve learned our bodies feel and perform best when we balance all that pushing and sweating with releasing and recovering.

Long releases of the shoulders and hips, like in Restorative Yoga poses, offer a holistic brain-body fix. They can help quiet the part of your brain that tends to fixate on things while also stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system, sending a signal to your brain that your body is safe and able to relax.

The exact opposite of what you might be doing in bed to relax. ??‍????

Grab some pillows and blankets and try these 3 restorative poses 
in bed tonight. 

Legs up the Wall Pose 

Take a minute to turn yourself so you’re facing the headboard or the wall behind the bed. Try to sit with your bum as close to the wall as possible and stretch your legs upward so they rest as close to the wall as possible. There may be some space between your legs and the wall, which is totally fine.

You can place a pillow in the small of your lower back for some extra support and to encourage a slightly untucked pelvis, to allow your pelvic floor muscles to relax.

Spend anywhere from 1-5 minutes in this position, hugging the knees in toward you to take a break whenever you need it.

Reclining Butterfly

The perfect position if you’re dealing with pelvic floor tension or are feeling tense in your abdomen and hips.

Bring your feet to touch and allow your knees to fall away from each other. Place a pillow under both knees for some support.

Practice core breathing in this position, allowing your ribs, belly and pelvic floor to expand as you inhale and just allow everything to relax and soften as you exhale.

You can relax in this position from 1-5 minutes, breathing fully and relaxing into the bed below you.

Side Lying Stretch

If you’re feeling anxious and notice it hard to take full, deep breaths, give this pose a try.

Lay on your side with a small pillow under your bottom waist. Extend your top leg and reach your top arm over your head. Take conscious full breaths into your ribcage. They don’t have to be long, forced breaths you could even try imaging that you were breathing in through a straw, slow and consistent rather than one big dramatic breath in.

Rest here for as long as your comfortable.

Feel free to practice these poses throughout your day, when you have time, or in the comfort of your bed, to help you fall asleep more easily.