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When I discovered I was expecting my fourth child I immediately shelved what at the time was a very vigorous and consistent hot yoga practice. I also quickly discontinued the five mile trail runs and 5am spin classes I was frequently peppering into my weekly routine. While there are many folks I know and have witnessed maintaining their same activity level to a T during pregnancy, my body gave me pretty distinct signals to slow way the heck down. And I listened.
I practiced gentle prenatal yoga, and swapped out running for walking. Towards the tail end of the nine months, my activity level included drinking 64 ounce glass containers of creamy chocolate milk, and binge watching Mad Men.
I always knew I would come back to my yoga practice. I never considered giving up running altogether. But it’s fair to say I took a solid step away for a hot minute. After I’d given birth to my son and received clearance to get back to it, I was terribly nervous. I didn’t want to pour myself into my yoga attire. I dreaded holding chair pose, and moving through sun salutations. I knew I was out of practice. I knew it would be hard.
But I also knew coming back to community was exactly what I needed. And the truly beautiful thing about mindfully practicing anything physical - whether it’s yoga, barre, or even running, is that it meets you wherever you happen to be. With zero judgment, or expectation.
We all get pulled away from our practice at times. Life can be complicated and we may need to step away here and there for a multitude of reasons. Taking the first step back after a break is always the most challenging. Just showing up requires a great deal of concerted effort, planning, and bravery.
Please know we’ve all been there, and we want to support you exactly the way you show up. There’s a place for you at Pineapple Life, and if you’ve been away, we want to warmly welcome you back. We are a diverse community here to support you wherever you happen to be.
