There is a sacred stillness I’ve always loved about the early morning hours when I find myself up before the tiny footsteps, before the kitchen hums to life, before the day unfurls its long list of needs. Setting the heart of our family home for the day ahead is an important ritual in this time - filing it with the sound of birdsong, incense burning and flooding the space with soft light before it welcomes the children for the morning rush. It’s often in these moments of stillness that I remember who I am, who I was before motherhood, and how different the person looking back at me in the mirror is now.

Just as the changes women experience in adolescence or menopause are given recognition, there is now a term to describe the effects of the life-changing event that is motherhood: Matrescence. Whilst we have been giving birth for thousands of years, the science is now proving that these significant psychological and physiological changes that occur during the postpartum period may last a lifetime.

Focusing on self-care practices can help us to navigate this change with a greater sense of calm and grounding.

There is so much happiness and joy in life, but we have to open our eyes to see it, to feel it, to touch it. Gratitude will do that for you.

YOGI MA’s top yoga poses to aid digestion over the festive season.

Understand why breathing exercises are key to calming the mind and reducing anxiety.