*Guest Post From Adrienne Hawk

Have you ever wondered what life would look like upside down?  Perhaps that is a weird question. Maybe it would make more sense if I worded it differently.  Have you ever wondered what life would look like if you could alter your own perspective?

All my life, my mind has always felt like it was going a million miles a minute.  I am always worrying about something or contemplating the what-if in every situation.  It is very difficult for me to just sit back and relax. And let me tell you, motherhood has not helped this at all.  In fact, these tendencies have become much harder to resist.

 

Motherhood is anything but easy, and sometimes it can be emotionally challenging.  At times, I let it get the best of me (more often than I would like to admit, I’m sure).  If you follow me on Instagram, you have definitely seen that I spend a lot of my time upside down.  This has become a way for me to flip my perspective on things. Literally. Getting upside down is physically tough but that is not the hardest part.  The real challenge is that it requires so much mental focus.

 

Yoga requires balance on the mat.  For me, it creates balance off the mat.  It feeds my soul and makes me feel grounded.  It helps me remain physically fit but it also fills a void I never knew I had.  It is my happy place. Since becoming a mom, I find myself constantly questioning whether I am doing things right.  It certainly does not help that just about anybody you get advice from (whether you asked for it or not) has a different opinion on what the “right” thing is.  Unfortunately, motherhood does not come with a manual. It is a lot like practicing yoga. No matter how much help you have, you still have to figure out for yourself what works best for you.  The trial and error is not always easy.

 

Getting upside down requires all the focus I can muster.  It forces me to funnel all of my mental energy into one movement.  What that happens; I can finally clear my mind and forget about everything else.  As I have grown through yoga and gained more experience, it has become a way for me to find peace within myself.  Yoga was with me before, during, and now after my pregnancy. It is no longer about getting abs. It is about creating a healthy mental lifestyle so that I can provide a happy environment for my family and myself.  If not for yoga, I would struggle to find my balance.

 

Every time I am upside down, I think about the power of perspective.  Perspective frames our reality. This technique has allowed me to grow as I navigate and face the emotional challenges of motherhood.  If I could give you one piece of advice, I would say this: try looking at the world from a different point of view. You might be surprised by what you see.  Because after all, seeing the world upside down has a way of changing your perspective. Whether you are pregnant, a new mother like me, or just on this crazy journey called life, my hope for you is that you find your inner peace as I did.