Sorry Boy Scouts…Being Prepared Sometimes Doesn’t Matter!

The last 48 hours have given me quite the yoga lesson. Yoga teaches us to be present…no regrets about the past, no worries about the future.  Learn to let go of the control, and let life happen.
Of the hundreds of thousands of us affected by Thursday night’s storm here in the Northeast, who really [...]

The Maze of Motherhood

It’s Friday afternoon.  Dozens of children are swirling about, running, jumping, laughing…Disney music blares as parents shout to be heard above all the commotion.  I am sitting in an aluminum and canvas chair, normally found poolside or in the beauty of a quiet garden on a summer afternoon, with nearly the same amount of peace.
On [...]

In 2010, Listen to your Inner Child

It’s a new year.  A new beginning.  Time to reflect on your past and make plans for the future.  2009 brought The PranaMama to life, as I began to listen to my heart and do more for myself than ever before.   As a result, I am a happier mother than I was one year [...]

Christmas Presence

OK, I admit it.  For all of my thoughts about wellness and suggestions for ways we moms can make time for ourselves, this month finds me feeling like a failure.  I’m totally not living up to my own standards.
Three weeks ago I wrote about Tapas (discipline), and vowed to train for a New Year’s Day [...]

Reflections of Gratitude

If there is one thing that makes teaching yoga to children easy, it’s a holiday.  As a former kids instructor, I enjoyed lesson planning immensely, perhaps sometimes more than carrying out the lesson in the studio or classroom!  (It must have been the creative side of me eeking its way out to the world)  Nothing [...]

Off the Mat Moms: Lesson 3 Asteya

Last year, my good friend Carrie was expecting a baby.  She and her husband John were over the moon with excitement, and couldn’t wait to dive head first into their new role as parents.   John comes from a big family, and as the first to marry, his parents had been asking bluntly “so when are [...]

Off the Mat Moms – Lesson 2: Satya

“Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth.” — Benjamin Disraeli, Former Prime Minister  of England
One day last month, I had one of those eye-opening parenting moments.
My daughter, a normally laid back child, had come home from school in a terrible mood.   Unlike most other days when she’d [...]

Off the Mat Practice Makes us all Better Moms

Excuses, excuses…I could come up with at least a dozen right now.  Excuses of why I haven’t written a fresh post, why I haven’t been running as often, why my yoga mat is lonely in the dark basement which is my home practice area, why I haven’t cleaned my bathroom or put away my clean [...]

Was Ferris a Yogi?

If you think this blog is all about being a serious, studious and meditative yogi 100% of the time, then you’ll be pretty surprised when I break out an embarassing bit of 80s pop culture to make my point.
“Life Moves Pretty Fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could [...]

Race to the Top

Motherhood brings many surprises.  It seems no matter how well you think you have packed for a day trip, how easily your baby accepts new foods or how unbelievably tired you are, something will inevitably surprise you.  Your child may go through all of the packed snacks in the first half hour of the ride, [...]

Mom-as-Movie-Star or Movie-Star-as-Mom?

Today, this great article landed in my inbox, and I had a chuckle over its irony.  The article lists the Top 10 Ways Motherhood Makes You Feel Like a Celebrity, and I laughed at the title, thinking about how we ordinary moms might be compared to a glamorous celebrity, when mommyhood seems to be all the rage [...]

Yoga for Slackers?

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra #1.14:  sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih: “a practice is firmly established only if one engages in it seriously and respectfully over a long uninterrupted period.”
When I signed up for a 30-day Lifestyle Intensive last February, I really had no idea what I was in for.
I knew I [...]

Honoring the Woman Within the Mom

I have amazing friends.  I am so blessed to live in a supportive, friendly town where one stop by for a cold drink on a bide ride home, run into school friends at the playground, or call another mom for help when you’ve lost your car keys, or better yet, locked them in your running [...]

The Power of Positive Thinking

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.”
-Helen Keller
It was a great run.  Although I stayed within my normal pace range, tonight I felt freer and faster than my last several workouts.  As my sneakers pounded the pavement in perfect rhythm, old injuries were suddenly relieved, my lungs pushed me forward [...]

A Mommy Union

Labor Day has come and gone, and with it marks the passing of summer.  Gone are the carefree days of lounging in PJs for hours or a picnic dinner on the lawn of the town elementary school, mingling with friends, and watching kids dance and play while enjoying some great local music.  It’s been a [...]

Are you an Alpha Mom or a Beta Mom?

I just found this great clip from The Today Show, discussing the differences between Alpha Moms (everything must be perfect!) and the Beta (Slacker) Mom (living in the moment, accepts that she cannot be perfect.). The women interviewed give wonderful insight into both worlds!
Which kind of mom are you? Which do you aspire [...]

A Peaceful Life through Yoga and Organization

As a follow-up to a previous post last month entitled “Bless This Mess,” The PranaMama is proud to welcome Professional Organizer and Author Lea Schneider as its first guest blogger.

Seated on my yoga mat, I inhaled deeply of the gentle scent of incense. Stretching, my vision moved across the shiny hardwood floor and [...]

In Search of the Forgotten Backrub

I was at my gym’s outdoor, family-friendly pool yesterday for one of the last times this summer, having a fabulous time people-watching as my kids splashed and played in the walk-in shallow end for a change.  I couldn’t help but notice this crazy glow coming from every direction!  As I sat there on the water’s [...]

Making Sense of the Sutras

Most people associate the practice of yoga with the physical asana practice. I often hear friends say things like “I tried yoga once,” or “I need to get back into yoga.” For many years, I, too, had similar thoughts, not fully realizing the actual meaning behind the word “yoga.” I knew [...]

Is it Fun Being a Mommy?

One of the best parts about writing this blog is having no official instructions to follow or demands to meet.  I definitely try to balance the topics between the various subcategories of yoga, fitness, food, and overall wellness, but as a general rule, I wait for inspiration from events of my own life as a [...]

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