by Meet Claire Rana the Yoga mum originally from Philippines, now based in India has made Yoga her life. Claire shares her story with Mums and Stories talking about her childhood memories. “I was an island girl, a wild child. All I remember growing up is all the freedom we had walking in the forests, trailing the river, swimming in the sea till the sun sets. Then I remember many times, we were scolded for being in the sun and the sea for too long, nevertheless we were loved and being fed good food for dinner . Filipino moms have a lot of things in common with Indian moms when it comes to parenting.”
Talking about marriage and how she came to India, she shares, “ We got married in the Philippines and then decided to move to India when our second child was born. The journey to India was tough with two small kids, but we knew coming home to India is best. And we were right!
During Pregnancy, there were so many advices from friends and family about what to do and what not during pregnancy, so many were outdated especially when it comes to self-care and strength training.
But I had no idea about it all and went to the hospital for the greatest shock of how painful labor and delivery actually was! I knew I wasn’t going to do the same mistake on my 2nd pregnancy so there I entertained different advices but listened to my body more. I was more in tune and adaptable with all the changes and transitions in pregnancy thanks to Yoga. My second labor and delivery experience was empowering.”
When asked about yoga and pregnancy, Claire shares, “ There’s a lot of fear put on women when it comes to moving and exercising during pregnancy. It all goes back to “what is Yoga?” When people ask if it’s safe to practice Yoga during pregnancy, I hear, is it safe to practice mindfulness and reconnect ourselves to our inner strength and peace while pregnant? Then the answer is a big YES!
We have our Yoga Center here in Rohtak called Yogdham and we closed soon as we saw the situation start to get worse. So we have made the space into our Online Studio for our Yoga method called Yogarambha. We are currently doing courses , classes, and tutorials for students who want to learn Yoga, Kasrat, Vedic Vyayama, and Kali (Filipino Martial Arts) to improve overall health.”
Talking about transition to Indian life, Claire shares, “ I remember this place was already home right when I stepped into the house and the whole family gave me the warmest hug. The wisdom from the elders and even the strangers are gold. I love how relationships are nourished. But I know it’s not the same for a lot of families especially issues about daughter-in-law mother in law relationships. Women should empower each other.”
Claire shares, her kids are quite unaware of her nationality and they don’t see it as a difference. “ Right now, the kids are enjoying their childhood so much they haven’t expressed any concerns about them being different.”
Lastly she wants to share “ Women are the powerhouses of every family. But we usually end up getting drained as we happily provide for everyone’s needs. We need to take good care of ourselves, develop supportive relationships with other women and bring each other up.
Women who are involved are the women who evolve.
Motherhood should not stop us from achieving both our dreams and our best selves. Motherhood gives us even more reasons to be our healthiest and happiest.”
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