Filling up my cup each morning as a new mum
Being a new mum is wonderful, it’s great. Though at times it’s work. A job with many joys, a labor of love.
I’m finding there’s a little extra time in my mornings now, S.Kaur sleeps till 9ish if we’re not rushing to go somewhere. Sometimes, only once recently, I got a full nights sleep, 7 hours.
This brings me to an open window of time, say 4-6am then 6am-9am. Though I am tired beyond getting up if I’ve got up already in the night or not slept well.
There’s a window of opportunity to get up and fill my cup somehow.
The first time this happened on a good nights sleep I was ecstatic! I wasn’t even sure where to put the extra energy. Of course, it didn’t last and I overlooked a key new mum rule – don’t expect every night/day to be the same.
Still, I have this time and it’s golden. It’s not always a tidy space or enlightening experience but it’s Taran time and I love it.
Before I go into what I’ve actually been doing, another fault I found was to do a lot of things, even enjoyable and things like exercise and writing and get so overwhelmed in the doingness of it all, it leaves no time to rest in the silence, the tranquility. Also not having a cut off time can lead to feeling disheartened and a longing to do more.
It instills discipline at least, and good habit making even if the schedule is different slightly every day.
While I haven’t mastered anything just yet, here’s three things that are working now:
A warm shower followed by a cold shower, opens up the capillaries and activates the glandular and the nervous system. It’s being proven now in clinical trials to help depression as it sends many electrical impulses to the brain. This is a huge part of a Kundalini lifestyle and just one reason it’s called
A short yoga set followed by meditation. I’m currently doing 40 days of meditation to burn inner anger and at first, I was doing alternate leg stretches, camel ride and pelvic tilts to wake my body up and focus for meditation. Then, this block of time emerged and I started doing actual yoga sets again! It feels wonderful, I’m feeling like my best self again. The key thing to remember is all yoga Kriyas (unless specified) must be followed by a Savasana or rest of around 3-9 minutes. This is so you rest after all the postures and movements you’ve done and your body is energized and repairs too. You work for your Savasana and that’s where the real work happens.
I ask myself what is the one thing I can do that will drive my business forward. Or one thing I want to get done today. I’m in the process of setting up Yoga classes again, this time regularly in a hall and at home. This requires some learning, planning, admin and being inspired. I start with whatever I can do best with no interruptions and track my progress daily.
I also read Bani (reading Sikh prayers) though I definitely do not have the time nor the energy to sit for an hour and a half at the moment. I spoke about this in the podcast Nitnem, sometimes. What I do do is read the first Banis and they are my one point focus, I have them playing, I do Simran and I read, then listen to the discourse on the daily Hukumnana. Though not necessarily in that order. I’m also making an effort to listen and watch Kathas.
As S.Kaur grows I’m sure it will change, for now, I’m doing the best I can.
What do you find works for you in the mornings? Or as a new mum what are you re-remembering of yourself?
