While yoga in the Western world is most commonly practiced in a studio, wearing a matching set, and touted as a lean workout option, its roots demand a different interpretation. Yoga is backed by ancient philosophy that has been translated and discussed in depth by modern scholars, many of whom explore the application of these texts to modern society and life.

One of the biggest aspects of yoga that is often lost to the West is that yoga is a lived practice, not only a mat-based practice. Yoga in action describes how we can take the experience we have on the mat, whether in asana (movement practice), meditation, breath work, or deeper explorations, and apply what we learn to our real lives so we may live in greater alignment with the universe.

For working moms, this exploration can set you on a path for more easeful motherhood as you understand what it means to align your personal self with universal intelligence, and in turn what that alignment looks like in your interactions with you children. This article dives into the philosophy of yoga in action and its application to motherhood.

Note: Sutras quoted in this article come from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, an ancient text of yogic wisdom compiled and organized in the Sanskrit language by Patanjali sometime in the early centuries CE. Translations and quotes describing the sutras are from Tantra of the Yoga Sutras: Essential Wisdom for Living with Awareness and Graceby Alan Finger with Wendy Newton.

Yoga in Action According to the Yoga Sutras

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, yoga in action, referred to as kriya yoga is defined in Sutra 2.1.

2.1 Tapah svadhyayesvara pranidhanani kriya yogah

This sutra translates to mean:

The following three practices make up Kriya Yoga, the actions needed for consciousness to be in the Now:

1. Tapas is the effort we use in training, focusing, and purifying the senses, mind, and emotions.

2. Svadyaya is the awareness that is cultivated through study of the unconscious patterning that obscures our true nature as pure consciousness, as well as the teachings that lead us to a direct experience of that true nature.

3. Ishvara pranidhana is the surrender that is needed for the mind and ego to understand that we are part of and governed by universal consciousness.

Together, these practices open the path to samadhi, or the state of total connection to universal intelligence. Ancient yogis may have spent a lifetime in an ashram or other secluded setting using these practices in meditation to move closer to samadhi.

But today's modern world is far from an idyllic riverside or other secluded retreat. We are bombarded with the goings on of our own lives, our kids' and families' lives and activities, our work, the news, and so much more. We can apply these concepts to our yoga practice, but we must also live into them in the real world.

What It Means to Live Your Yoga

Modern yogis can use the concept of yoga in action to move their everyday lives into the direction of greater alignment with the universe and with the truest version of themselves, which they uncover and explore as part of their yoga experience.

Thus, yoga in action means intentionally carrying out our lives differently than the default version. Modern yogis use Sutra 2.1 and other philosophies in the yoga teachings to create a life that aligns with universal intelligence, and thus flows more simply.

Many modern yoga teachers interpret a lived yoga practice on multiple levels, including how we care for and treat ourselves, how we interact with others in our day to day lives, and how we interact with society at large. Only your personal practice can uncover how you understand, interpret, and ultimately apply the yogic teachings to your every day.

Yoga Life as a Working Mom

This may all sound intriguing, but you've also got daycare pickup in ten minutes, dinner to cook, bedtimes to manage, and your own evening routine to try and relax into. When exactly are you supposed to transform your lifestyle into a peaceful yogi vibe? I'm so glad you asked!

Motherhood is a wonderful space to begin to explore yogic concepts, especially as they apply to your relationships and interactions with other people.

Just like a difficult yoga pose can test you, your children can push your buttons. Just as you may glance at the clock during a meditation silent stretch that feels a little too long, you may wonder when (or if) your toddler's tantrum is going to end. Just as you fully relax into a restorative yoga posture, you can experience that surrender while snuggling your babies before bed.

Yoga on the mat creates the container for experiencing your edges and testing what it feels like to play in and beyond them. Yoga expands your capacity and tolerance at your edges in every direction, and that experience can expand your ability to hold and support your children in the difficult moments and to experience newfound joy in the light moments. The application of your mat-based experience comes when you are mothering in real time.

To practice living your yoga, take a few moments after your regular mat-based yoga class to reflect on how it felt and your reaction to the feelings that came up during the class. Then, as you're living your daily life with your kids, when you naturally find yourself at an edge, pause and ask whether this feeling is something you've explored before. Make a conscious decision to react accordingly.

Commit to Slowing Down with these Resources

• The online yoga studio for busy, working moms seeking a slower way of life offers monthly pre-recorded yoga and meditation you can use to sink into a slower pace, plus a slow down framework where you can restructure your most overwhelming challenges into peaceful, rhythmic routines that support you and your family.

• Two-minute Reset Meditations for Routine Calm Days includes ten completely free two-minute meditations for you to capture a moment of calm right now, without spending an hour at the yoga studio or taking paid leave.

• The Mama Naturalist on my website and Substack is a space where I share both conceptual and practical guidance on slowing down, connecting to nature, and living seasonally.

• Mindful Moms Digest offers exclusive yoga and meditation classes, nature stories from a wildlife biologist (me!), and free, supportive resources including links back to every blog post for busy, working moms journeying toward a slower, more seasonal way of life.

• Cultivate Calm Mornings is a structured series of three yoga workshops that supports you in transforming your morning routine from chaotic to calm.