Baby Om

Om is the oldest, the most sacred sound in the practice of yoga, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The mantra of Om represents the union of mind, body, and spirit and the whole universe compressed together into one single sound.

Chet is our Baby Om. He was welcomed into this world and into my body on a weekend that represented the union of mind, body and spirit for Christian and me. He represents everything Christian and I love in this universe in one tiny body. He was conceived on a weekend yoga/biking trip in DC to see the cherry blossoms in 2011. Christian and I made the trip to DC to getaway, to refocus our relationship, to celebrate being a couple, and to take in the beauty of nature. We biked around the city. We practiced yoga in front of the Washington Monument. Chet began his existence on a weekend filled with loved. It’s no surprise that Chet has always loved yoga.

Chet’s love of yoga continued throughout my pregnancy. He was so happy and content in my belly during prenatal yoga. Thursday nights at 6pm was our bonding time together. Every week I knew I had an hour to refocus, to recenter, to bond more deeply with my baby, and to use my body to massage the baby growing inside me. There was always a peace in my heart and my belly on Thursday nights.

Although Chet didn’t decide his own birthday, I’m not surprised that he was born on Thursday night. In the early hours of my labor, Chet and his heart rate were not happy. Although I moved from position to position to encourage his heart rate to remain consistent after each contraction, the only position my Baby Om found comfort in was in the meditative position of half lotus. His heart rate remained consistent. My labor progressed. It was in this position that my body finally progressed passed 5cm. My baby boy loves everything yoga.

I think Chet loves yoga so much that he waited for our weekly date at 6pm on Thursday night for him to decide to enter the world. It was right at 6pm that my body started to respond to labor. While I was laboring, my yoga classes dedicated their final Oms to Chet. It was at the exact same time that my body transitioned. It was at this point that I knew I would have my baby the way I intended to have him. Less than one hour later, Chet was born.

I believe in energy. I believe in the power of our planet and our universe. I believe in the rhythm and the vibrations in our world. I know that Chet felt the Oms sent to him by yoga class. I also believe that over the 40 weeks of my pregnancy Chet found comfort in our weekly routine. It was a safe place for him. He found comfort in my breath and the repetition of movement. He chose this moment of comfort to make his journey into the world because it felt safe to him.

This morning Chet and I returned to our place of comfort. We attended our first mommy and me yoga class. I finally got to show him off to our teacher. He smiled when he heard her voice. Just like he did during all of our prenatal classes, Chet curled up and found comfort in the sounds and the rhythm of yoga. He slept the entire class while he was surround my talkative active babies. I know as he grows he will turn into one of those talkative active babies, but today he slept peacefully through his first baby yoga class.

Mama got to stretch and breathe. I have missed yoga.

It felt so good to stretch. It felt so good to breathe. It felt great to have my hands at hearts center again. Chet and I now have a date on Wednesday mornings with eachother and yoga.

I think it’s also time for me to make a date with myself and my yoga mat without a baby. After practicing for almost year with a baby companion, I’m also ready for some solo time with my mat.