Let the lotus of your heart shine forth, spreading love inward and outward.
I love sharing this simple Rainbow flow when guiding Sattva prenatal journeys, and here I adapted it to practice with an infant. Starting at 6 weeks post-partum, I began incorporating asanas with my baby into my practice. Many of the journeys with baby are based around plank or “all-fours” in table pose. Your infant can be on their back with their face in line with yours, so you can maintain eye-contact for most of the practice. Baby will love watching you move towards and away from them. You can sweep your hands to their tummy for tickles between or during poses.
In addition, you can sing or play some of your favorite songs to sing along with. Singing and chanting mantras combine sound and breath promoting a rhythmic breathing which benefits both you and your baby. It can also set a tone, intention, or focus to your practice. *Mantra* translates to heart expansion and liberation. Thus, it is not just creating sounds from your throat but singing or chanting with your full body and soul—spreading out from your heart.
A beautiful and common Sanskrit mantras is: “Om mani padme hum.” *Om* is the sacred sound. *Mani* means jewel, enlightened, compassion, and love. *Padme* means lotus and wisdom. *Hum* means purity, indivisibility, immovable, unfluctuating, that which cannot be disturbed by anything. In my teacher Anand Mehrotra’s words the mantra means:
Let the sacred jewel of my heart bring light and joy to the world and to me. Let the lotus of every heart bloom fully.
The Dalai Lama describes this mantra:
Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[…]
The words “Om mani padme hum” are often written on Tibetan prayer flags and prayer wheels, so as they move with the wind or devoted hands, the words float off the flags and spin off the wheels traveling through the air to reach others. Some Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims travel far distances over many months while chanting this mantra and prostrating flat to the earth with each step. While chanting these words, I am reminded to shine forth my heart, inward and outward to others.
A yoga journey with Rainbow flow and Om mani padme hum kriya
Here is an example of a series which incorporates Rainbow pose. Practice each posture for 1-5 minutes. End your practice with the Om Mani Padme Om kriya for 3-15 minutes.
If you are practicing with your baby, check in with your little one to make sure he or she is ready for you to begin your practice.
Begin in all-fours—you can position your baby on their back right below your head
Cat/cow
- Here is a good place to incorporate some free movement, singing, dancing and bending your elbows up and down. This was a favorite time for me and my baby!
- Alternate leg lifts with alternate arm raises
Back in all-fours, push into hands for a single calf stretch on each side
Rainbow Flow or Creator (photos below)
- Begin in side plank on your right hand and right knee and left arm up
- Move your left arm down towards your right hand (or to your baby’s belly then head) as you exhale and then raise your arm over head as you inhale, then bring your arm down towards your extended left leg and forward again (to your baby) on your exhale, and continue your arm circles with your breath.
Slowly lower your body using your right arm to come into half straddle side bend (with right leg in and left leg straight)
Repeat alternating side plank with left arm up (on the inhale) into half straddle with right arm bending over straight left leg (on the exhale)
End in side plank pose with the left arm and leg up for a moment or a few breaths to balance
Back to all fours and switch sides (often I dance and sing to baby a bit in between sides)
Downward dog
Om Mani Padme Hum kriya (photos below)
- Begin in Tadasana with hands in Namaskar (palms together at your heart)
- Bring arms down, open and out, then overhead and down to Namaskar again, as you chant *om*
- Bring your body to full prostration, forehead resting on the Earth, palms down near your shoulders, while chanting *mani*
- Come into heroes pose (kneeling) with hands in Namaskar, as you chant *padme*
- Return to Tadasana, hands still in Namaskar, while chanting *hum*
- You may modify this kriya during pregnancy or while practicing with your baby by coming into child’s pose while chanting *mani* with your hands on your baby’s body.
End with a seated meditation or Savasana (holding your baby)
Rainbow flow
Om mani padme hum kriya
Version 1
Om:
Mani:
Padme:
Hum:
Version 2
Om:
Mani:
Padme:
Hum:
