The thought occurred to me on a chilly Friday morning as I nestled into a room filled with mats, moms and babies. It was my weekly Moms & Tots yoga class.  As I sat on my mat and settled in with my son for some stretching and breathing exercises, my zen moment was suddenly interrupted as the peaceful silence quickly turned to the sound of chatter…A group of moms (mostly first-timers) shuffled into the loft space gossiping and giggling like school girls picking up on the latest trend.  And that’s exactly what it was to them, a trend.  As they opened up their designer gym bags and unbundled their matching outfit-clad babies, I realized that for them, it wasn’t about the experience and wellness that yoga brings, but rather the experience of seeing and being seen that mattered. 

They believed that by practicing yoga, they were a part of the “in” thing to do. I’m all for discovering new things but if you’re in it for the social scene, then Chiclets, I can recommend a wealth of playgroups and settings through which to best accomplish this and my Friday yoga class ain’t one of them.  Are we clear here?
It wouldn’t bother me so much if they were to actually make an effort to participate, but instead they all chirp back and forth from pose to pose, bursting out into hysterics if one such Chiclet loses her balance.  It felt like Grade 8 phys ed class all over again. 
My weekly hope of a little bit of harmony, peace and quiet were quickly fading.  This is where I come to unwind, detach and reconnect with both my newborn and myself, but how can I do so in such an environment?  Luckily, I have experience blocking out annoying sounds.  I mean after all, I am a mother of 2, but still…! ; )

I’m not saying that I’m a complete yogaphile either, I’m just a mom trying to find some balance, and yoga, both pre & post pregnancy, has always provided me with that. And now the bubble gum bunch thinks that they’re going to take that away from me?  Well hear me now girls, it’s cool to practice something if you believe in it.  In this case, you’re all merely jumping on the bandwagon (psst…here’s a bit of trivia for you, the origins of yoga date back to over 2 000 years.)  A little late are we? 

Don’t fabricate a lifestyle for yourself to appear on the cusp of greatness to others, instead why not try to adopt a little bit of the principles into your existing lifestyle, not just in the public eye, but behind closed doors too. In doing so, you too may find some balance and wellness in all of this.
So what am I going to do next Friday?  Well, I’m going to pack up my tiny one, my mat and myself and give it another go and maybe the other bodies occupying the space will take a moment to focus and something magical will happen…they’ll discover inner peace and take a moment for themselves.  Inhale…Exhale…and if you don’t get it Chiclets, I’ll be sure to redirect you to the Gymboree just up the street!   

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