Meditation for Moms or Those Approaching Motherhood
5 ways to start meditation today to manage stress, improve emotional well-being, and regain health through mindfulness practices.
As women embark on their motherhood era, awareness around improving one’s emotional well-being and regaining physical health becomes urgent and important.
Take it from me: I started a yoga practice 15 years ago and had experience with the health and wellness space, and my pregnancy was still very difficult physically and emotionally. I do not say this to instill fear in anyone approaching or hoping to approach motherhood but to stress the importance of discovering ways to manage your stress and care for yourself holistically.
One of the most accessible and simplest ways to find ways to reduce stress, improve your emotional, physical, and mental well-being, and develop a deep self-care practice is to begin to meditate.
If you want to read more about my pregnancy or my journey towards a consistent meditation practice (20 minutes twice daily), read my post, The Power of Meditation: How my practice changed my life.
This post, however, is specific to women who are mothers, who are approaching motherhood, or who hope to approach motherhood in that it provides simple and loving ways to begin your meditation journey.
This post will cover:
The importance of meditation as it relates to pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood.
Where to find free and simple guided meditations.
How to create the space to meditate.
How to become comfortable being still with yourself and your fears lovingly.
How to find like minded women to share your practice with.
How to find additional support for your practice.
The importance of meditation as it relates to pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood.
Motherhood is an evolution, a journey, much like meditation. Both motherhood and meditation have taught me how imperative it is to find a calm, loving center when making mindful, supportive choices for yourself and your family.
With any evolution, there are intense moments of pain before we find relief. With motherhood, that might look like labor before the birth of your child or sitting through a tantrum before finding time to take a moment to yourself. What meditation can provide during this intense time is infinite, but at its base, is a restful, stress-relieving practice to better equip you to approach caring for yourself and caring for your baby, whether it be your future baby, the baby in your belly, or the baby in your arms.
Mothers are the greatest influence on their children, so they must be well cared for and have the skills to manage stress, cope with difficult emotions, and feel safe and healthy in their bodies. Meditation is scientifically proven to provide all of these benefits. So, before purchasing any programs and trying to drastically change your way of living to better your emotional, physical, or mental well-being, I recommend developing a simple and easy meditation practice to approach yourself and your well-being holistically.
Step One: Access free guided meditations and meditation tools.
It is rare that one masters a skill at the first attempt. The cool thing about meditation, though a developed skill, is that there is nothing to master. The point of meditation is to genuinely be with oneself in stillness, acceptance, and love. It is not the outcome that matters; it is the intent and consistency with which you show up for yourself and the forgiveness you provide yourself when you fail to show up because we are human, which can sometimes be hard.
So, before you leave this post with the judgment that you are too busy in your life or in your mind to meditate, consider that you do not have to be any which way to begin; to begin is to have a meditation practice.
Still, attempting to sit in stillness and navigate your thoughts and feelings in complete silence can be difficult and uncomfortable for those new to the practice. My suggestion is to access free guided meditations and meditation tools.
Many free guided meditations are offered on YouTube and apps like HeadSpace, Insight Timer, and Calm. At the end of this post, I will offer a free downloadable guided meditation that I wrote specifically for new moms or anyone who could use extra love in their lives—which is always for all of us.
Step Two: Create the space to meditate.
One of the most prevalent excuses for not starting a meditation practice is that there is nowhere to practice or insufficient time. We can always make time for the things that are most important to us. So, although it might feel that time or space does not exist, that is only your mind and body resisting beginning a new habit; it is not actually true that you do not have the time and space; you just have to create it.
For new moms or those approaching motherhood, I recommend creating a small sanctuary for your practice, whether that be a corner of your home in a comfy chair with a pair of cozy socks and your favorite candle, your bathtub, or shower with some essential oils, or, if you have the space in your home, your own meditation room (this might be a part of your bedroom or your office). Still, it is important to remember that even if you cannot create this kind of meditation sanctuary, the opportunity to practice meditation is available to you in any space at any time.
I find it best to choose a consistent time of day to implement your meditation practice, whether the early morning before the rest of your family wakes, during your morning shower, or in the evening after you wash your face and brush your teeth. Again, if you miss your scheduled time for meditation, you can move it to another time. It is more important that you show up to the practice every day and less important when and where you practice.
Start small and commit only five minutes a day to your meditation practice. With time, you will soon crave more meditation and can sit longer.
Step Three: Easy ways to become comfortable being still with yourself and your fears lovingly.
There have been many periods of my life where it was uncomfortable for me to be still with myself because it meant confronting my fears and even some hard truths about myself and my life. I know I am not alone in this struggle. So, if this is you right now, rest assured that there are some easy ways to overcome this; with time, it becomes more comfortable, and eventually, it becomes so peaceful and easy that you will crave it all the time.
If you find it uncomfortable to be in stillness with yourself in loving ways, I recommend starting with guided walking meditations.
If you want to be still instead of active but find it difficult, set yourself up for success by getting as comfy and cozy as possible during your practice. Put on your favorite sweatshirt and cuddle up with your favorite blanket.
Additionally, when it is hard to be still with yourself lovingly, listening to a guided meditation by a teacher you trust and feel safe with will help you set yourself up for success.
My favorite meditation teacher is Dora Kamau. I discovered her on the HeadSpace app and found so much comfort in the tone and cadence of her voice, as well as her kind words in her guided meditation practices, and now, when I use guided meditations, I practice with her almost every time. Having a guide or teacher who makes you feel safe, even through your computer screen or headphones, can make a world of difference when starting your practice or as you continue later. Truly, you should check out Dora.
Additionally, I have created a free, guided, loving-kindness meditation that is comforting and easy to practice. At the bottom of this post, there will be a space to enter your email address and subscribe to my website for free resources, more intimate storytelling, and letters sent to your email inbox.
Dora has been a great inspiration when developing my own style of guided meditation. I aim to embody the same care, comfort, love, and strength she provides through her practices. If you listen to mine, let me know your experience in the comment section of this post.
Step Four: Find like-minded women with whom to share your practice.
Any accountability when beginning a new practice or skill is imperative to finding success. I recommend finding like-minded women interested in embarking on self-care practices to talk about meditation and other self-care habits. More specifically, finding a group of like-minded women who are becoming or are new mothers can be incredibly helpful. They will understand your feelings and experiences, and you can better support one another as you face similar challenges and moments of joy.
When I was pregnant, I found a group of like-minded women becoming mothers by taking prenatal yoga classes at my local yoga studio, and for you, this could also be a great place to start. Additionally, there are many online communities, like the one I am creating here, for you to discuss your meditation practice and find accountability and support.
Step Five: Find additional support for your practice.
I found it somewhat difficult to find support in my area of the country when it came to learning more holistic stress-relieving practices to approach my emotional, mental, and physical well-being during pregnancy and postpartum. I hope that more resources are readily available to you, but that is why I have created this blog to provide support.
Still, it is important that, in addition to finding community, you are able to access professional healthcare advisors in your area when you need more serious recommendations related to your motherhood journey.
Recently, I have been working to raise money for Postpartum Support International. This non-profit organization provides peer support for mothers, training support for medical professionals, and creates a bridge between mothers and medical professionals to provide the best care and resources for those on their motherhood journey. You can visit their website to access more specific resources to support your pregnancy and postpartum journey in your area of the country: https://www.postpartum.net/
Additionally, they have a hotline number to call if your needs are not being met: 1-800-944-47731
I found it so freeing when I learned that caring for myself deeply was the best way to learn to care for my baby. Developing a simple meditation practice is an excellent way for those embarking on their motherhood journey to care for both themselves and their children.
I would love to offer you my free guided meditation for new moms. When you enter your email address below, you will be directed to the meditation and can begin your practice today. I created this practice with so much love and I promise it will leave you feeling relaxed, loved, and inspired.
My drive to share my knowledge and resources comes from hitting rock bottom and crawling my way out. I understand that life can be whatever we want when we let go of what the world expects. Additionally, I want to provide women with a place to learn ways to reclaim their health and self-worth for free.
In this post, I discussed how important holistic stress-relieving practices are for those wanting to become moms and those who are on their motherhood journey, as well as easy and supportive ways to begin your practice today. The point is that we all want to be happy and healthy and show up as the best version of ourselves for our children and our families. You can do that by beginning a meditation practice.
Create a Pinterest board titled “Meditation” and save this post and others to have an organized folder with helpful resources as you begin your practice.
Take care of yourself so you can care for others.
More soon,
