Steadiness and Surrender

Hello lovely yoga mamas,

As we move toward a new season for Becoming Mama Yoga, I’ve been reflecting on a beautiful truth woven through yoga and motherhood alike: we are always learning to balance steadiness and surrender.

Whether you’re calling in new life, growing your baby, or finding your way through the early weeks and months postpartum, you’re constantly dancing between:

holding on and letting go

effort and ease

strength and softness

This month, I want to share a little wisdom from yoga philosophy that can support you in this dance — in tiny, practical ways you can feel right away.

And over the next little while, we’ll keep exploring these gentle teachings… because very soon, I’ll be sharing something special that will help you weave them into your daily life with more support and guidance.

More on that to come – stay tuned (in)!

🌟 Monthly Inspiration: Steadiness & Surrender

In ashtanga yoga, we spend a lot of time on Yamas (ethical guidelines) and Niyamas (personal observances). I’ve picked out two of the Niyamas that speak directly to the heart of motherhood for this month:

🔥 Tapas — steadiness, discipline, showing up

Not the harsh kind of discipline. The loving kind. The “I can do this” kind.Tapas is the warmth that builds when you show up for yourself — even for one minute, even when it’s messy.

🌙 Ishvara Pranidhana — surrender, trust, devotion

This is the softening. The exhale.The “I believe all will be well”. Ishvara Pranidhana invites a willingness to release what you can’t control, trust that you will devote yourself to taking the action that is within your power, and that it will all work out for your highest good.

Together, they create a powerful balance: steady enough to stay grounded, soft enough to stay open.

Here are a few mini-practices to explore this month:

✨ 1. One‑minute of Determination - Choose one thing you can do daily for one minute — a breath, a stretch, a pause. Let it be small enough that you can’t fail, and do this daily (remember our Never Zero approach!).

✨ 2. The Soft Surrender - When you feel tension rising, lengthen your exhale by 2–3 seconds.This signals safety to your nervous system and invites surrender.

✨ 3. The “Not Mine to Hold” mantra - Place a hand on your heart, let the mind focus on the first thing that arises that is out of your control, and whisper: “This is not mine to hold.” Let it go — even for a moment.  

🌸 Poses of the Month

Pre‑conception

Navasana (Boat Pose) - watch on youtube

A beautiful expression of Tapas — building inner fire, stability, and confidence.

Sit tall, knees bent, feet on the floor.

Lift your chest, shoulders back down and together, and lean back slightly.

Hold onto backs of legs just above the knee.

Option 1 (gentlest): lift one or both feet until shin/s parallel with the earth.

Option 2 (medium): straighten both legs, still holding onto them. Body ends up ‘V’ shaped.

Option 3 (strongest): let go with the hands, holding them out straight, at shoulder height.

Hold for 3–5 breaths if you can stay steady and soft in the face. Release sooner if needed.

Benefits: Strengthens core and hip flexors, builds resilience, supports reproductive health through improved circulation.

Contraindications: Avoid if experiencing lower back pain; bend knees or keep toes down for support.

Prenatal

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) - watch on youtube

A strong, grounding pose that invites surrender as you strengthen the arms and legs — perfect for pregnancy. 

Stand with feet hip width apart, spine long, arms by the sides in tadasana (mountain).

Move right foot around 3-5 foot-lengths back, turn right toes out to face the short edge of the mat; left toes remain facing straight ahead.

Inhale to extend arms up overhead, palms facing each other.

Exhale to bend left knee so it stacks over the ankle (or less bend if that feels better).

Tailbone tucked lightly under, hip points squared to front of mat (hips and Bump face same direction - less squaring the more heavily pregnant you are).

Draw both thighs lightly towards the midline.

Stay for 3–5 breaths (unless dizzy or light‑headed, or feeling compressive in any way, then come out slowly and rest).

Repeat on other side.

Benefits: Strengthens legs, hips, and pelvic stabilisers. Opens the chest and shoulders, supporting spacious breathing. Builds stamina and supports optimal foetal positioning by creating room in the pelvis. Encourages grounding and confidence — helpful during emotional or physical shifts in pregnancy.

Contraindications: Avoid deep lunging if experiencing symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) or sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) pain; shorten the stance and reduce the bend in the front knee. If shoulders feel strained, keep hands on hips or lower arms to rest.

Postnatal

Plank Pose - watch on youtube

A steady, strengthening shape that reconnects you with your centre and ignites the inner fire (determination).

From hands and knees, exhale to lift pelvic floor and navel to spine.

Walk hands forwards until you could draw a straight line from shoulder through hip to knee (hands and elbows stacked directly under shoulders).

Keep pelvic floor and navel drawing gently in, pelvis in neutral position.

Option to lift off knees if no abdominal doming/downward pressure through midline (that straight line should then extend from shoulder to ankles).

Hold for 3–5 breaths, or as long as comfortable, then return to hands and knees.

Benefits: Builds core and shoulder strength, supports core and pelvic floor recovery when done carefully and with awareness.

Contraindications: Avoid if experiencing abdominal separation symptoms (unless you have appropriate guidance to manage intra-abdominal pressure); keep knees down, option to walk hands forwards only a little instead of full expression.

💬 I’d love to hear from youIf these teachings resonate —

or if you try the practices or poses — reply and let me know. 

Your reflections help shape what I create next.

💌And keep an eye on your inbox…

I have something nurturing and supportive coming soon that I can’t wait to share with you (spoiler: finishing touches are going on my online courses, website under development next, and there’s going to be a free mini-course to celebrate!). 

If you know another mama or mama-to-be who could benefit from this newsletter, please forward this email.

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🌿 Until next time, may you feel steady where you need strength, and soft where you need rest.

I honour the mama you are becoming.

- Emma