Meditation for mums, and using breathwork to fight fatigue
Guest article by Nikki Veliz Merzliakov
Dear Mama,
I know you’re tired AF and you might be feel like that’s just part of being a mum.
You might feel like everyone else seems to have their sh*t together. But the truth is, it’s not just you.
(Not so) fun fact: I used to cry every night before going to bed because I knew my baby would feed relentlessly overnight and I’d hardly sleep.
The good news? You can do something about feeling sleep deprived, and it doesn’t even require you leaving the house! Handy, given it’s hard enough to manage having a shower some days.
The juggle is real. (Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash)
There’s good reason why breath meditation is used in some prenatal classes and while birthing our babies. And as a meditation coach and mama, I know firsthand how beneficial meditation for mums is – and meditation for everyone for that matter.
Meditation can:
Release endorphins, which are those feel good hormones you get from exercising, eating chocolate and having sex!
Trigger the relaxation response in your body. (Perfect for breastfeeding mamas who can’t have a glass of red!)
Release melatonin in your body, which helps you sleep. (Good to know you don’t need those melatonin pills; use that cash for a manicure instead!)
Better still, meditation can help you:
- Gain energy so you can function without endless cups of coffee. (Side note, too much coffee can mess with your hormones, which are already messed up enough from being sleep deprived!)
- Relax, so you can enjoy the time you spend with your baby, instead of feeling resentful of the baby who keeps you up at night!
- Get improved sleep, so you don’t always feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus or feeling run down and getting all the bugs going around
But when you’re a sleep-deprived mama, getting up early to meditate for half an hour like a Buddhist monk living in the mountains will just feel like another impossible task on your to-do list.
Meditation for mums is meditation that fits into your day
Stuck in traffic driving to your mother’s group? Washing dishes / clothes / your baby? Standing in the check out line with your baby crying? These are all opportunities to mediate.
You can either…
- Be present with whatever you’re doing e.g. being focused on putting dirty onesies in the washing machine, or,
- Breathe the power of three soft sighs. Read on…
Breathe it all in. Love it all out. (Photo by Julia Caesar on Unsplash)
Meditation for mums can be as simple as three soft sighs
Inhale deeply through your nose.
Exhale with a long sigh through your mouth.
(When you sigh, make sure you can hear the air coming out of your mouth)
Repeat this three times.
Now, notice how you feel…
It may sounds ridiculously simple but you just meditated – without adding more to your overwhelming to-do list.
So, when you’re feeling tired, practice three soft sighs.
When you’re feeling stressed, practice three soft sighs.
Before you fall asleep, practice three soft sighs.
I promise you, the more often you practice three soft sighs the better you will feel.
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About Nikki Veliz Merzliakov
Nikki Veliz Merzliakov is a survivor of chronic sleep deprivation and a stay at home mama to Maya and Baby Sol. Her expertise is in nursing, yoga, meditation and reiki.
You can connect with Nikki on Facebook and Instagram
