I used to go live on Instagram every Tuesday night and lead a guided meditation. But now I am going to be posting them to my blog and my YouTube Channel. This way they can be saved and accessed whenever they are needed by you.

My first meditation to be posted is a guided meditation that you can do on it's own or before/after your personal yoga practice. You can do it seated or laying down in bed before going to sleep. It is a meditation to help live more in the moment and enjoy it more fully. I have incorporated some breathing exercises as well as visual and auditory tools to achieve this goal. This meditation can be done quickly whenever you are needing it or you can extend it out and continue it for however long you feel necessary.
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A handstand is one of the most advanced yoga poses out there. It can be intimidating, and even some of the most advanced yogis are never able to get it down. We all know that yoga is NOT about the poses and which poses you can and can't do, but every now and then I like to challenge myself with a pose I am unable to do. By doing so, it builds more strength and confidence in myself.
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I am one of those that have never been able to do a handstand! So I have been working hard on it and I have been determined to get it down. Below are three basic steps that I have used to help achieve my handstand.

​With the help of these three steps, you can achieve my handstand. Persistence and hard work pays off! Now on to the next challenging pose... :)

Breastfeeding my second baby is what you could call 'breastfeeding bliss'. He was so much easier to breastfeed and he latched on without any problem. This doesn't mean it was perfect... I still had moments of frustration and dealt with a lot of pain, but I can honestly say that I loved it from the very beginning!

Breastfeeding my first was a completely different story. She wouldn't latch on and I couldn't produce enough milk. We got hooked on the nipple shield and I had the hardest time getting her off of it. And then because I was using it, I wasn't being stimulated enough to product enough milk for her. I was a mess and she was a mess... it was a disaster. It was so hard that I wanted to quit! It wasn't until around 9 months when I really started to love it.

​Why such a drastic difference?!

I think about this almost every time I nurse my little boy. There are so many things I did differently this time around. I have listed them below with hopes to help others as well as remember them myself.

1. Breastfeed right when they are born.
When my little boy was born, I brought him to my chest and nursed him right after the umbilical cord was cut. He latched on right away without any problems. Amazingly enough, this is actually a natural instinct right after they are born! How incredible!

2. Nurse nonstop!
For the first little bit I nursed nonstop! This healed me physically, mentally, and emotionally in so many different ways! AND not to mention it kicked my body into gear and told it that it needed to produce milk, milk, and more MILK!

3. Get a good nipple butter cream. 
Regardless of how much easier my little man was compared to my first, I was still in PAIN! My nipples were so raw and I was so afraid they would crack and bleed. A friend of mine gave me a natural nipple butter cream that I used every time after I nursed and it saved my life!! (click here to see what I used... I buy it now as a gift for every new mom I know!)

4.  Get a portable hand pump.
With my first I had an electric breast pump and I had to hook myself up to the wall, put on my bra, and sit there for 15 mins or more each time. This was ridiculous and it made me loose my mind! With my second, I had a friend give me a portable hand pump to try instead (thank goodness for these good friends of mine.. notice the trend? haha). I literally would take it in the car with me and pump as we drove. Also, because it was a hand pump, there was more stimulation, so I was able to get more milk in a smaller amount of time! (click here for the pump I use)

5. If you choose to cover in public, get a 'FULL coverage' nursing cover.
I tried everything with my first to cover up in public and I ended up only frustrated and spending too many hours hiding out in the car. With my second I found a nursing cover that wrapped completely around me! This was a GAME CHANGER! I had no problem after that! (here is the link to the nursing/car seat covers I use)

​What is yoga?

To me it's more than just a physical practice. It's more than just moving my body to my breath. To me it's a constant awareness of my mind and body connecting together and the world around me. I believe yoga helps me to become the best mom, wife, sister, daughter, etc. that I can become.

THE PRESENT MOMENT
       Yoga to me is the practice of awareness and connection to the present moment no matter where I am or what I am doing. For me, yoga goes beyond just my mat. It's in everything I do and it's in my everyday. I want to be more aware when I am at home with my kids. I want to soak up each moment and enjoy it before it becomes only a memory. My kids will only be little once and one day I will look back on this moment and my heart may ache with the pain of wanting it back. I need to enjoy it now while I have it and before it's gone.

SELF CONTROL
       Because yoga helps me live in the moment, it helps me strive to have better self control. Self control in my thoughts, my actions, my words, and my habits. Because I have the ability to live in the moment, I have the ability to control the moment. I can say the things that need to be said and not say the things that don't. I can choose to become the kind of mother and woman I want to become now instead of waiting. Not only can I become a better example for my children when I practice self control, but I become a better person all together by making the right decisions with each passing moment.
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FINDING PEACE
       We have so many distractions these days. We have social media, tv, music, and movies and then being a mom brings on its own challenges and distractions. Each of these are constantly pulling us in different directions. Sometimes, we just need to sit and listen. Yoga helps me to slow down and calm down. It helps me to listen to the quiet around me and ignore the noise and chaos that may be going on inside my head.

Without yoga, I could be lost. It has helped me to become a better mom everyday. I am no where near perfection, but I try to become better for my kids and yoga has become a tool for me to achieve the progression I seek.