Episode 157: A story of love, loss, and the path of motherhood with Anne Cushman

I’ve talked a lot on the podcast about how motherhood has changed my yoga practice. I know first-hand how easy it can be to fall into the trap of mom guilt and feeling like you just can’t keep up with your practice and the demands of your family life. So, I’m so excited to share this episode with Anne Cushman with you. Anne writes beautifully about motherhood as a spiritual practice in her new book, The Mama Sutra: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Path of Motherhood. She shares a ton of great insights. Whether you’re a new mom, mom-to-be, or a veteran parent, you’re going to want to listen to this one. Even if you’re not a parent, you’ll appreciate her thoughts on spirituality and yoga as a householder.

We talk about:

• The creative process of writing a book, why it took her until her son went off to college to finish her latest book, and how her yoga and meditation practice helped her to be kind to herself through the whole process
• Why in many ways, motherhood is such a good way to experience spirituality. Plus, how it differs from the types of spirituality practices that have been traditionally passed down by men.
• Anne shares some profound insights for people who feel that they “should” be spending more time on their yoga mats or meditation cushions
• She talks about why she decided to retell the birth of Siddhartha, the Buddha, from his mother’s perspective
• How she coped with experiencing a full-term stillbirth and the anxieties that come with getting pregnant again after a tragic loss like that.

RECOMMENDED AND RELATED LINKS

The Mama Sutra: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Path of Motherhood by Anne Cushman

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