Don't you miss your old life?

"Tell me Jasmin, how do you manage with baby and yoga? How much exercise and yoga do you do per day at the moment? How did you get back into your usual rhythm? I'm having such a hard time getting back into my old routine at the moment and I just can't switch off with yoga like I used to."

I have been receiving such and similar messages almost every day since the birth of our little daughter seven months ago. Many of my friends and a large part of my online community are more or less new parents.

So how do you find your way back to your usual sports, yoga, leisure or wellness routine?
I want to turn to the last page of the book because I know that you are really just interested in the answer. My tips and tricks on how to get back to your old routine. Are you ready?

My Tips and Tricks

I don't have one. Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you and say: it doesn't exist.
If you're feeling very disillusioned now, I understand. But maybe you'd like to stay here for a moment and read my explanation. And also the answer I give to this frequently asked question.
So yes, yes. My tips and tricks. But not ones to help you get back to your old routine.

Don't you miss your old life?

Before I finally reach into the Mary Poppins bag of clever answers, I would like to share a few thoughts with you.
In addition to the above question, many people are also interested in whether I miss my old life. And whether I was afraid of giving up my old life before I decided to have a child. Here I can answer with a clear "no".
My counter question would be why would I want my old life back? Why should I expect my life to be the same before and after having a child? After all, I didn't put a vase on the shelf, I had a baby.
The togetherness becomes a small family dynamic.

Even though everyone says that "your life will change completely with a child and nothing will be the same as it once was", I have the feeling that very few people are aware of what that REALLY means. When the day comes when the romantic "baby bubble" of the first few days with a newborn slowly gives way to the new everyday life, the reality check is often intense. Between all the diaper changes and attempts to get the baby to sleep, the question arises as to where there is still room for your own needs.

Only a genius can control chaos

I, too, had to realize that it takes true organizational skills, perfect time management and almost inexhaustible physical energy to master everyday life with a baby.
And in the end, you have to choose between a happy baby and a tidy house. The former always comes out as the clear winner.
So where is there room for your beloved yoga practice? And the evening routine? Now only the baby has that. And after reading to him, washing him, applying cream and putting him to bed, you just want to lie down yourself. The beloved yoga routine is thrown out the window.
I think it's no secret that we tend to put our needs on the back burner, at least for the time being. But maybe it's not about hoping or waiting until it's finally time for our beloved habits again.
It is much more about creating a new, profitable dynamic and lightness.
But how?

Finding silence in the hustle and bustle of everyday life

What I criticize about "social media yoga" is that, in my opinion, it is far removed from reality. Because yoga is not (just) the perfectly balanced 90 minute practice on the mat, accompanied by gentle pan flute music and incense sticks. Nor does meditation and inner peace mean sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed until your bottom is sore.
If you have these expectations of your yoga practice, you will probably despair in the first few months with your baby. The same goes for all other hobbies and lifestyle topics that you have perfectionist (or unrealistic) ideas about.
However, if you think about the original and traditional meaning of yoga, it is this: a series of mental and physical practices to bring body, soul and spirit into harmony.
I think this definition brings with it a certain sense of relief. A feeling of what is possible. Exactly that, a sense of balance and strength, a sense of peace and balance.
In the middle of the chaos.

My yoga routine

While little Plum lies on her back with her toes in her hand in the perfect “Happy Baby Pose,” I bend over her in the “downward dog” position and laugh at her.
She laughs back and her first two baby teeth flash at me. If I waited until I had some peace and quiet to do it, I wouldn't move at all and I'd miss her sweet grin. While we fool around, I step back and forth in the sun salutation, making funny noises in time with my movements each time, because she likes it. As I mentioned in one of my last articles, nothing brings you into the moment like a baby.
On the way to the kitchen I loosen up my back with a short twist against the wall and I stretch my calves as I walk up the stairs.
Just do it and don't wait for the perfect moment or time to arise.
If there's one thing I've learned with my baby, it's to put my perfectionism aside. It's better to do something imperfect than to wait for something perfect.

Release

So I think it's about letting go of your OLD routine, of your "old life". After all, it's a NEW life and it needs to be rearranged.
I also believe that it is not just about accepting what is, but about enjoying it. Giving yourself 100% to it, with the awareness that it will only be exactly as it is now for a very short time anyway.
The first year with a baby is extreme. Extremely beautiful, but also extremely exhausting. Pure chaos. Little space for yourself. The more you accept that and keep creating little niches for yourself, the easier it is.

Tips and Tricks – Now really

So we can redefine our habits.
I would now like to briefly summarize all the do's and don'ts for you. Take a photo and save them. You can then recall them at any time and remember them when your tired brain needs a refresher or positive words:

1. Restart.

We humans are creatures of habit. Take it as your personal challenge and expansion of experience and consciously break away from your old habits and routines with a smile.

2. Just do it.

So whenever you have a few minutes to yourself, with or without your baby, use the time. Read the two lines in your book, do the two exercises for your back or whatever it is that your body or mind needs. Don't wait for the right moment, just do it now.

3. Create space.

A yoga mat that is already rolled out on the floor or a book that is within easy reach next to the baby's toys invites you to use it. Make it as easy as possible for yourself!

4. Get new inspiration

and show you what sport, yoga, art, etc. could look like in life and free yourself from what YOUR definition of it was. Have you been on the rubber mat in your sports clothes? How about on the carpet in your pajamas? Have you ever tensed your bottom when brushing your teeth?

5. Use your baby as a (training) partner.

Our little one loves being carried and I can tell you, my back is at least as fit as it was before my pregnancy! You can find countless ideas online about working out with a baby. Or just start by rolling around on the floor together and just let the moment guide you.

6. Create islands of calm in your everyday life.

This doesn't mean going to a day spa. It's more about putting your legs up for a bit and taking a deep breath. This works great, for example, while your baby is playing on the floor in the living room. Just lie down and put your legs up on the edge of the couch.

Conscious deep abdominal breathing is almost as relaxing as a short Yin Yoga (passive, relaxing yoga) session.

7. Rituals vs. Routine.

If it's challenging to find a routine, whether in your yoga practice, your exercise program or in everyday life in general, then think about rituals. Maybe you can make it a ritual or a habit to do a little stretch once a day, no matter when. Or read a page in a book. The more often you do these little mini self-care sessions, the less mental effort you have to put in to 1. really do them every day and 2. enjoy them as such. Your brain learns to switch off and relax more quickly.

All of this doesn't mean that you have to give up your regular everyday life and your beloved routines. And certainly not forever. Rather, it means that you accept the new situation and allow yourself to be inspired to do something new. Face the challenge with a smile, curiosity and open arms.
For my part, I'm going to end this article now and head out for a walk. My little plum in the front. One of my daily routines in my new life with a baby.