Have you ever seen a newborn baby do a backbend? Where they arch their back and open their chest while their legs are crossed in swastikasana or extended? A perfect Setu Bandha-heart full of openness and love. The pure light that shines when our babies practice yogasanas is astoundingly natural and beautiful; and the ever watchful mother bathes in the rays of Samadhi as she looks adoringly at her new child. Guruji speaks of this “Cosmic Energy” coming into the body when we practice yogasanas for babies and mama’s alike. Particularly for the postpartum woman, returning to the mat with gentleness is a crucial step to facilitate healing and to support the hormonal demands of this tender time.
The postnatal time is governed by Vata energy according to Ayurveda, the 3,000 year old medical practice of India. Vata energy is quick, erratic and drying. Vata is the mind of a new mother, overcome with waves of extreme joy and wonderment, and times of deep worry and fear. These dualities make for a delicate mental state that, when not supported and nourished, can quickly turn towards sadness and depression. In addition to our minds-fullness, the postpartum body undergoes its most rapid and extreme hormonal changes than at any other time in a woman’s life. From pregnancy, to childbirth, to lactation; finding homeostatis is paramount to sustained peace and calm for the new family.
