On Becoming a Mother…by Anna Marcela Wakeham

Before being a mum I was a successful yoga teacher, traveling the world teaching yoga, working full time in studios around London, teaching just one part of me, a quite shallow and I guess inexperienced side of me.

It was good, I teach my best trying to stay truthful to my teachings, but I guess all was about a fast flow yoga practice, a type of acrobatic yoga teaching telling all about me, feeling good about yourself if you succeed if you achieve this or that advance posture teaching stile.

When I became Pregnant nothing change I kept my speed, due to my over flexibility and hormonal changes I manage to over stretch my sacroiliac joints. It was painful I couldn't walk, but thanks to my anatomy knowledge I manage to keep my muscles strong to help the pelvis stable while my uterus was growing. Delivery was long and painful, but finally after 30 hours I give born to a baby boy, Dion.

After delivery my pelvis was so tender and damage, the only I could do is to lie down on the floor and restore the balance in my bones. I came across a magnificent book called Core Awareness by Liz Koch, which talks about the Psoas muscle, and how doing less and paying attention to the innate wisdom of the body, which has the capacity to heal itself I can heal my injury.

Being bounded at home and not having other option than slow down is how I discover myself. Patience, tolerance and acceptance start to be more embodied concepts. Motherhood gave me the time to hear my own innate wisdom, to be patient and learn how to listen. All those moments when I felt more in despair and alone, now I realize that they were the golden times of maturation.

All this virtues extended to my son and people around me. Thanks to motherhood and my injury I continue to explore my newly me, I discover qualities as playfulness, and being curious, which is all about of being with a baby or a child.

My yoga practice change radically I start to teach from other level of reality, a reality with more depth and truthful not just for me, but for someone else. Knowing how to heal my injuries I could tune with a body, which is in pain. I understand compassion. I applied to me again and again. I saw pain in the world, relationships and students with other eyes. My anatomy and physiology knowledge grew abundantly.

I see motherhood as my Masters in my career as a Yoga Teacher, I became more mature and confident with myself I feel stronger as a person. Now I can stop to see life unfolding in front of me as I see my son Dion growing up, students growing up in their practice. Life just became richer in the whole spectrum of emotions.

We did it together I say to my self every time I see Dion smiling and being so confident in his little heart.

I am a better version of myself thanks to Motherhood, hence teaching Pregnancy Yoga and post-natal yoga and Pilates classes are so important aspects of my teachings, as they are the golden times in womanhood.

For more information about upcoming classes and workshops with Marcela, please email UMEspace@umeusfoundation.org

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