Motherhood on the Mat: The Gifts & Grief

A Note from Abigail Tague, LICSW and Baby's Breath Therapeutic Yoga Instructor

I always loved the saying “Take it to the mat.” The context that I’ve heard it used is when someone is wrestling with something in their life. I mean REALLY facing something hardcore and determined to get to the bottom of it. Usually how I have actually heard it, is someone saying “Take it to the f*#%king mat.” Excuse my French. But it’s fitting! There’s a power in it. There’s a grief in it. And equally, so many gifts when we take something to the mat. 

The grief of what it feels like to be unsettled and uncertain where things will land with the struggle. The gift of caring so much about something you’re pulled from the naval to face it squarely. To me the saying is communicating… this is hard, and important, and I’m going to be here with it 100%.

I have totally taken motherhood to the mat. 

8 months postpartum. 5 months back at work. Brain fog. Sick with gratitude, and worry, and joy about my son and witnessing him blossom every day. The days are long and weeks are

short or fast or something like that. There have been endless seasons of hard and beautiful, beautiful and hard and beautiful again that sometimes fits into a day a week or an actual season. All of the gifts and grief wrapped up in a fever dream, time warped, love drunk, cyclone of; 

Here. Now. This. 

Does that make sense? 

Maybe not because as I said; brain fog lol. What makes sense to me this season of motherhood and my first holiday season as a Mom is that I feel best “taking it to the mat” when I can slow down for a minute. And while I know that, and am a trained yoga teacher… ask my how many times I have actually gotten on my actual yoga mat since having him? Let’s just say it’s less than I can count on one hand. 

It feels so true when I say I don’t have time.

But I think what it really means is that I need dedicated time. I need support around that pocket of time. I need to be around other parents that can remind me; Here. Now. THIS! 

We teach what we need. I need a space to get on my mat with my baby. I need to see parents showing up with there’s’. I need a space with few expectations and someone cheering me on for getting my little one out of the house. I need this community. And my therapy practice teaches me that if I feel something or need something, others do too.

And that’s where the Baby’s Breath Yoga Therapy Support Circle came to be. From a new parent needing a space to get on her mat. It came from needing you guys!

It’s been a gift to get back on my mat with my baby. And I cringe a little bit saying this because it’s so cliché and corny, but I think if you brought you and your baby(and anyone else who's a support to you) to the Baby’s Breath group, it would be a gift for you too! 

See you on the mat friends.

Xx Abby