By Eve Bernfeld

You know the little red arrow on the map of a shopping mall or trailhead: “you are here”?  Ever feel like you need one in life?  Learning to be mindful of where I am and what I am doing right now is a surprising balm to the chaos of life.  But how to practice this amid the busy-ness of pregnancy and parenthood?

Some people turn to yoga, some people go for a run, others meditate (hats off to the person who does all three!).  I am an Alexander Technique teacher, so I find myself turning to the teachings of Frederick Matthias Alexander for practical advice on how to “be here now.”  Here are a few activities that you can try right now to bring you into a more balanced, mindful state.

Stop (Right now!  And a lot, hereafter!)
We are all in a rush and genuinely believe we don’t have time to pause.  But most of the time we actually do have the 1-3 seconds it takes to stop, notice what we’re doing, and let go of what’s not working for us (for example, pulling our shoulders up to our ears!).

Exhale
In the Alexander Technique, we spend a good deal of time attending to breathing coordination.  One thing we never say is “take a breath.”  Nope.  Instead we remind people to let the breath out, so that it can effortlessly come back in.  Try it right now.  Let the breath out.  And again.

Lie Down
Who knew that doing nothing could be so constructive?  If you can carve out 5-20 minutes a day to lie down in a semi-supine position (on back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor) with your head on a book or two, you will give yourself an amazing gift.  This quiet time allows your spine to lengthen, your intervertebral disks to refill with fluid, your tense shoulders to soften, your thoughts to settle.  (If you are pregnant and uncomfortable on your back, you can lie down on your left side, propping yourself with pillows as needed to get comfortable.)

“Prevent the things you have been doing and you are half way home.” –F.M. Alexander

Eve Bernfeld, owner of In Balance Alexander Technique, is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique (AT), mind-body education that increases mindfulness, improves posture, movement and breathing and helps eliminate back pain.  With a special interest (and training) in AT for pregnancy and birth, she helps women navigate the challenges of pregnancy, birth and parenthood with greater ease and balance, teaching them skills in self-management that last a lifetime.  She is also the mother of triplets who keep her practicing what she preaches 24 hours a day!  For more information, check out www.inbalanceat.com.