Progress Over Perfection:
The Power of Small Steps in Motherhood
In the early days of motherhood, I did something I never thought I would—neglect my yoga practice. As someone who had been deeply immersed in yoga for over a decade, and even taught it full-time, this was a huge shift. Yoga was never just a job for me; it was a lifeline, a source of strength, resilience, and peace. To suddenly stop practising was like losing an essential part of myself. But more importantly, it impacted the way I parented, and I felt the strain in every aspect of my life.
For years, yoga had been my constant companion.
It helped me through some of the hardest times in my life, shaping not just my body but also my mind and spirit.
On the mat, I learned patience, self-love, and resilience—qualities that inevitably translated into my life off the mat as well. Yoga wasn’t just a form of exercise; it was one of the most important pieces of my self-care routine.
But when I became a mother, I had a rigid idea of what a “worthwhile” yoga session looked like—at least an uninterrupted 60 minutes in a quiet room with my favourite music and candles. That ideal setup was suddenly out of reach. With my first daughter, who saw sleep as a waste of time, getting in an hour-long practice was a daydream. She would nap for 30 minutes at most, and it often took me longer to put her to sleep than the time she actually slept. Nights were even more challenging, with frequent waking every hour.
So, I dropped my practice. I convinced myself that 10 minutes would not make a difference. But the effects of that decision came quickly. I became cranky, short on patience, and overwhelmed. I accounted it to sleep deprivation, which was certainly a big part of it, but not the only piece of the puzzle. Looking back, I realize that neglecting my yoga practice, and any activity dedicated to myself only deepened my burnout.
When my daughter was six months old, I returned to work. Initially, it broke my heart because I wanted more time with her. But in hindsight, going back to work was a blessing in disguise. I reconnected with my purpose outside of motherhood, and most importantly, I regained my yoga practice. Little by little, as I stepped back onto the mat, I began to rediscover the resilience, joy, and calm that had once been so familiar to me.
Fast forward to the arrival of our second daughter, and the landscape had shifted yet again. We were in lockdown, juggling an 18-month-old toddler and a newborn, while I navigated the loss of my job, my security and the loss of sense of direction. Overwhelm became my new normal, and once again, I let go of my self-care, convincing myself that it just wasn’t possible with so much to do.
The results were predictable. I became extremely short on patience, irritated by the simplest problems, and deeply unhappy with the way I was parenting. I wasn’t showing up as the mother I wanted to be.
My healing journey began when I embraced a new mantra:
Progress Over Perfection.
It became the anchor that pulled me back to myself. Slowly, I started carving out 10-15 minutes each day for my practice and myself, even if it was just stretching and deep breathing. I began to understand that even a short practice was infinitely better than none at all. Flexibility became key—not just in my body but in my approach to life and motherhood. Those small moments on the mat became the stepping stones that helped me reclaim my peace, patience, and joy.
If you’re in the thick of motherhood, overwhelmed and stretched too thin, my advice to you is this: don’t wait for the perfect conditions to take care of yourself. Start small. Progress over perfection, always. Even a few minutes of deep breathing, stretching, reading, or just putting your feet up can make a world of difference. Trust me, you are worth those few minutes. And so are your children.
Motherhood and self-care can coexist—it just takes a little flexibility and a lot of grace.
With love and support,
