Martial Arts Postpartum
For me, life with 2 kids is beautiful, unconventional, physically involved and so very rewarding! When I realized I would be coming back on this post pregnancy journey for the second time, I promised that I would be patient with myself. But in my approach to getting back to training, I must confess that my mental strength feels strong but my physical body is still catching up, lingering in what feels like the echoes of recovery. While, I did give birth just a mere few weeks ago, I still feel this more or less, self imposed pressure as a martial artist.
Being a martial artist means an ability to pivot and bounce back from adversity, have mental focus and clarity etc…I have been training for moments like this my entire martial arts life. What are all these new emotions and challenges? I have been on this road before, so why does it seem so different this time? These are honest questions that I have wrestled with since giving birth to my second child.
As I climb into a new routine with my two girls, I have also focused on what I need to feel reconnected to my training. So far, this means I spend a few minutes each day on low impact skills and meditation. I have long been a meditative person, but have found renewed strength in how it is helping me mitigate and manage new life stresses. Whether I am catching a brief moment alone or breastfeeding my newest addition, I embrace the focus and calm of my meditative state. What’s next for me is to increase my strength training and return to technical development over the coming weeks. Each day I try and add a little more on.
With my first baby, when I returned to training and later teaching I was fortunate to have very supportive students. There were times I was teaching and breastfeeding my little one at the same time. As my newest little one grows, and I regain more of my physical grounding each day, I am hopeful to experience similar sentiments. I am reflective now that my oldest daughter moved from latching onto to me, following my movements, to becoming her own martial artist. Perhaps my greatest joy is knowing that I will have both my girls be part of my martial arts journey and help lead them down their own paths as well.
