10 Ways to Add Yoga to Your Daily Life

1.  Start your day off with yoga.  Before you even get out of bed do a simple child's pose or cat/cow.  If you are even more motivated, do a couple of sun saluations and literally greet the sun with yoga!

2.  While in the car driving, you can chant Om or Sat Nam.  This is great to do if you are feeling rushed and scattered.  It's also a double wammy of distracting a fussy baby/toddler.  Penelope loves to chant Om with me.

3.  I usually to a modified down dog in the shower, like I do at the couch sometimes.  I also usually roll my shoulders and stretch my neck, by dropping my ear towards my shoulder on both sides, while the hot water beats down on my muscles.

4. Play a yoga game with your little one.  Penelope likes to help me stretch these days by pressing on my back as I do a forward bend to reach my toes. Or she likes to crawl underneath me and play peek a boo while I do Down Dog.

5.  While I am laying down and nursing her to sleep, I like to roll and stretch my ankles.  I point and flex my feet several times. Often times this is called "pumping" your feet, and it is a great way to increase circulation to your feet and help your lymphatic system work better (which is what helps take out toxins in your body), if you are pregnant or just tired and on your feet all day, read: All Moms.  Sometimes if I can finagle it, I will even bring both my feet into the air and do legs up the wall pose.

6. Before I sit down at the computer to write, I stretch my wrists in all directions.  I also roll my neck and shoulders.

7. If I pass a door way, I try and stop and stretch my shoulders by facing the door way and putting my hand on the wall then slowly turning my body away from the wall.

8. Do yoga with your child.   In order for your child to learn the yoga poses, you have to actually get up and show them how to do it.  Take full advantage of this time and enjoy the stretch for yourself as well as teach your little one.

9. If you are cleaning up a toy box or sorting laundry, try doing it while squatting.  This is a powerful yoga pose for any woman, it aids in digestion, promotes blood flow and circulation to reproductive organs and keeps inner thighs strong and flexible.

10. Take 10 deep breaths while doing the dishes or folding laundry.  Try to breath in through your nose and out through your nose as slow and even as you can. At the same time, try to focus completely on your breath.  Bringing your full awareness to your breath.  If your mind wanders, and trust me it will, just be kind and come right back to your breath and try again.  Remember that in order for stretching to be yoga, all you have to do is breath.  No matter what your pose looks like, as long as you breathing you are doing yoga.

What do you do to incorporate yoga into your daily life?