Before I dive into this list, let me just be clear that I fully believe that every PERSON needs yoga in their lives—including moms, dads, single people, married people, kids, men, women, grandmas, grandpas, care-givers, employed, unemployed, blue-collar folks, white collar folks, big people, little people … I could go on, but you get the picture. Here at Spoiled Yogi, I focus on moms because the season of life where you’re caring for a small child is such a trying, rewarding, stressful, crazy time where moms give so much to others and don’t take enough time for themselves. Being a yoga mom has saved me.

I’ve found yoga to be an amazing antidote to this epidemic of self-sacrifice (and I truly believe it’s an epidemic) and it’s my mission to help more moms really tap into all the joys of motherhood (You know? The ones that we miss when we’re completely frazzled, haven’t showered in days, and running on coffee fumes and sheer willpower just to get through the day?) through mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation, self-care, etc.. Yoga is the best tool I’ve found to help me not only cope with the challenges of life with a small child, but to enjoy it, too. I know it can help you, too. If I weren’t a yoga mom, I don’t even want to know what kind of mom I’d be!

Need more motivation to make time for your yoga practice? Want to be a calm, present yoga mom? Read on.

Yoga Mom: 10 Reasons Every Mom Should Practice Yoga

1. It’s the most efficient use of your ME time.

It’s true that there are a ton of helpful ways besides yoga to spend your “me time”—meditating, going for a walk in nature, other types of exercise, taking a bath, taking a nap, reading a book, coloring in an adult coloring book, sometimes organizing, and even catching up on your favorite show. However, I would argue that yoga is almost always a better choice because you get the benefits of exercise, focused attention (I would go so far as to call it a moving meditation), rest time for both body and mind. Throw in some soft music and an essential oil you love diffusing next to your mat and you’ve got everything you need to really make yourself feel energized, loved, rested (whatever you need to feel) all in one. For me, it only takes about 30 minutes to notice a BIG shift in my day. And, frankly, that’s usually all the “me time” I get on most days.

See also Science-Backed Proof that Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

2. Kids can be really annoying.

There. I said it. They’re always making loud, obnoxious noises, making big messes, and interrupting you when you’re trying to But as annoying as they can be, you still love those strange little creatures so much you wonder if it’s unhealthy sometimes. You definitely don’t want them to grow up with a parent who reaches a breaking point and snaps at them for asking to hear that same annoying song for the 4,502,439th time that day (or whatever other annoying thing they’ve started asking for this week). Not to mention you know how important it is for you to keep your cool when they do something really bad that requires some disciplinary action. It’s hard to teach a toddler self-control when you don’t have any yourself, you know? While yoga won’t magically make you a more kind and patient parent, it certainly doesn’t hurt to take time everyday to check in with yourself and practice mindfulness in a controlled space. If you can learn to keep calm when you’re holding an annoying, uncomfortable pose you’ll be more likely to keep your cool when your kid is doing something annoying—like running away from you for the fiftieth time when you’re trying to put her pajamas on before bed. Take a deep breath, Yoga Mom, this too shall pass.

3. Learn how NOT to be competitive.

I’m not just looking at all you soccer moms and dads out there. There’s a new kind of competitiveness in parenting that involves Pinterest-perfect handmade party favors, preschool snacks, staged photos, over-the-top Halloween costumes… If you love doing that kind of stuff for your kid, great! Sometimes I feel like doing it, too. Most of the time, though, I’ll be the mom who shows up late to your kids’ birthday party with messy hair and wrinkly clothes with a large coffee in one hand and a cheap gift shoved messily into a recycled gift bag (that you may or may not have given to us at my daughter’s birthday party last month). I could beat myself up for being a hot mess. I fully believe that it’s because of my yoga practice that I’m OK with it. My best on one day might be different than my best on other days (just like my Down Dog) and I’m cool with that—and YOUR best truly does not concern me in the slightest. I think if more parents adopted the non-competitiveness attitude I’ve learned on my yoga mat, we’d all be happier and healthier parents.

4. Savasana is the next best thing to a full night’s sleep.

Most moms don’t get enough sleep. Maybe that’s because you’re up all night nursing a baby, have pregnancy-induced insomnia, or just because you stay up late at night because it’s the only time you have all day to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures you don’t get to enjoy during the day while you’re working and chasing a little one. Sure, it would be ideal to enforce an earlier bedtime for yourself (just like you do with your little one), but if that’s not happening the next best thing is to make sure you give your body time to fully relax during the day. Savasana (Corpse Pose) is a kind of magic for helping us get some rest so our bodies and minds can recover from the busy-ness of our days.

5. Coffee and concealer will only take you so far. Energizing yoga poses last longer.

I’m not knocking coffee (that would be blasphemous!), I’m just saying that when the black stuff wears off, there’s nothing like a backbend or a handstand in the middle of the room to help you feel energized and like you can take on the world. (And we all know that mamas need to take on the world often, am I right?) Not sure what poses to choose for a quick pick-me-up? I’ve done the work for you. See Tired of Being Tired: Yoga Poses for Exhausted Mamas.

6. Melt stress and tension.

Duh. Parenting can be incredibly stressful. Yoga can help you target the areas in your body where you hold your stress and tension (for many of us, that’s our shoulders and neck or hips). And since we know that our mind, body, and nervous system are connected when you get rid of tension in one place, it helps everywhere else.

See also How to Use Yoga Breathing To Ease Stress and More

7. Practice loving your mom bod.

One of the best parts about a regular yoga practice is how it helps you appreciate all the amazing things about your body—and it really takes the emphasis off of how it looks in a bikini. Yes, my body has changed after carrying and birthing a person. I might have spider veins and cellulite, but I can look past that and love my body anyway—it does some pretty amazing things for me. These legs are freaking strong. These arms are capable of supporting me (even at my heaviest) in some pretty amazing arm balances. This belly grew a person who I love more than anything in the world! Whenever I feel a little shame about how my body looks, I remember how well it has served me on my yoga mat and in my life and I love it that much more. That’s a lesson I wouldn’t have learned without practicing yoga.

8. It boosts productivity.

At the risk of contradicting point #1, yoga helps you slow down and focus on one thing at a time. (Multi-tasking self-care, good. Multi-tasking any other time, not good.) It’s just not possible to stand on one foot and stretch your arms toward the ceiling WHILE you think about your to-do list, fold laundry, and check your email. And you know what? You might notice that after you’ve spent some time on your yoga mat, those other things on your to-do list become easier and you fly through them a lot faster. Why? Because yoga brings your mind into focus and it helps you remember that you’re more efficient and effective when you’re present and do ONE thing at a time.

See also A Yoga Practice for Mommy Brain

9. It reminds us how good we can feel.

I don’t know about you, but after a few busy days without enough sleep and my third day without a shower, I need a reminder of how good it feels to be in my body, eat healthy prana-filled foods, and well, function like a normal human (the way I functioned before I became a mom). After a well-rounded yoga practice, I am more inclined to eat healthy foods and take better care of myself for the rest of the day. It’s like I need to practice having control over my body and mind for a few minutes to remember that the way I feel is my choice—that I’m not just a victim of circumstances beyond my control and I have the power to change the things that aren’t working in my life. Yoga motivates me into action when nothing else will.

10. It’s fun.

Sometimes the fact that you enjoy the feeling of your breath in your body as your muscles stretch and strengthen is reason enough. If you love it, you make time for it. And everything is a little bit better and more manageable because you did.

See also A Mom’s Guide to Rocking A Yoga Home Practice

What is YOUR best reason to get on your mat? Let me know in the comments section below.

Featured photo by Celeste Lindell