A Little Update Post

I actually have time and energy to blog a little tonight, so I figured in addition to promoting myself (hehe) I will also get personal. First, my sweet butterfly baby is sick :(. We have been so blessed to have a rarely sick child. In her 18 months on earth, she has had 2 colds (that lasted roughly 3 days each) and 2 diaper rashes. Well, I knew tonight something was different, she has been SO clingly, uncomfortable, coughing, feverish, and just miserable. I took her into urgent care and sure enough, she has her first ear infection and the start of pneumonia! How scary! She was able to take a dose of medicine tonight, so I hope she starts feeling better in the morning.

I stopped babysitting full time this week. It was a scary step, but I have had so many opportunities for my yoga career, that I couldn't devote to because I was just so busy during the day. Many people don't realize just how much planning goes into 1 yoga class. I like to offer different things with each class. Whether it is sequencing, themes, etc. I couldn't properly prepare for my classes in the way I liked because I had way too much going on. Now that I am adding 6 extra weekly classes this month, that will bring the total number of classes to 12! I am seriously blown away! I never would have thought I would be able to teach yoga as a living, let along teach pregnant mothers and moms and babies! I am sad though, I will miss my adopted little squish baby every week! Leia will miss having someone to "play" with haha!

To keep myself from getting stressed out, I've been really honing in on my personal practice. With the addition of Toddler Yoga and Family Yoga this month, I have decided I need to start practicing more around Leia, and gauging how involved she wants to be. So far, she is pretty happy playing with the yoga blocks and my yoga towel haha! She does do an adorable down dog and forward fold!! I will try to get pictures next time!

I have been saying these little mantras to myself over and over lately. First, I struggle with comparison. A lot. The two most important aspects in my life are being a mother and being a yoga teacher. These are two subjects that also have a ton of different perspectives and opinions on. It's easy to get caught up on comparing yourself to other people, some of which you only know through Instagram or Facebook. While I love having the use of social media at my finger tips, I hate how sometimes scrolling through my feed will make me like I'm less than that person. I see skinny, toned, Lululemon wearing women getting into gorgeous arm balances with such ease. Here I am in my Walmart $12 pants and I hurt my back, so I am only doing Restorative poses. While I am still losing weight, it's at a much slower pace then I am happy with and I will always have the mommy pooch. Then I see the mommas that do creative home schooling or take their babes on sweet outdoor adventures. Sometimes, I just wish I could get Leia to watch tv so I can have a break! All this comparison really begins to ware me down. It's been hard trying to talk myself up when there are times I feel like I am such a failure! I know I'm not: I've got a smart, healthy, laid back babe. I've got 12 yoga classes a week that I teach. I've reached my pre-pregnancy weight (not that it should matter, but it's an accomplishment to me). I am healing my body so that I can practice deeper and get into those beautiful balancing poses. I have everything going for me, and yet I still feel like it isn't enough. Our minds are tricky aren't they?

Trying to find balance amongst life is not easy. No matter whether you seek it in work, personal life, family life, with friends....it can be an uphill battle just to feel like everything is running smoothly! Just because I teach 12 classes a week doesn't mean I am a better yoga teacher than one that teaches once a week. Just because someone can get into Handstand like it's a joke, doesn't mean that they are more enlightened. Just because my class may not have resonated with the students, doesn't mean I am a bad teacher. All these things I've attached myself to could all leave at any moment. I am working on letting those attachments go and just focusing on the HERE and NOW. Because I don't have any control over anything, except for how I show up in this world.


Phew, enough of that! Hopefully there are still some people reading so that they can see my updated schedule for the month of March (thank you if you are).
Here it is:

March 2015

Tuesday:
Prenatal Yoga 9am - 10:15am at Modern Milk
Mommy and Me Yoga 10:30am - 11:30am  Modern Milk

Wednesday:
Prenatal Yoga 4:30pm - 5:30pm at Ha Yoga 

Thursday:
Prenatal Yoga 9am - 10:15am at Modern Milk
Mommy and Me Yoga 10:30am - 11:30am at Modern Milk
Yin Restorative Yoga 7pm - 8pm at Aloha Yoga and Hula

Friday:
Toddler Yoga 3pm-4pm at Aloha Yoga and Hula (STARTS MARCH 20TH)

Saturday:
Restorative Bliss Yoga 10:45am - 11:45am at Aloha Yoga and Hula

Sunday:
Prenatal Yoga 10am - 11:15am at Modern Milk
Mommy and Me Yoga 11:30am - 12:30pm at Modern Milk
Prenatal Yoga at 1pm - 2:15pm (MARCH 8TH & 22ND) or Mommy and Me Yoga at 1pm - 2pm (MARCH 1ST, 15TH, & 29TH) at Spa Lamar.
Family Yoga 3:30pm - 4:30pm at Aloha Yoga and Hula (STARTS MARCH 22ND)

I am looking forward to seeing you at these classes! Remember, Mommy and Me classes are for babies 6 weeks up to a year! Prenatal is for all trimesters, as long as you are cleared by your doctor to exercise. Yin and Restorative are classes for every body! Toddler yoga will be for babes 18 months up to 4 years. Family yoga will be for everyone 6 years old and up!

I hope you guys have a fabulous weekend!! Talk to you soon!
Namaste.

Starting At Modern Milk This Sunday!

Happy Thursday friends!
This Tuesday was the grand opening of the new and awesome gathering place for moms called Modern Milk! I am so happy to be there and to be a part of such an awesome community of moms. They are offering Prenatal and Mommy and Me classes every Saturday and Sunday. I am the Sunday teacher, so here is my schedule for that day! Hope to see you there!

Prenatal Yoga at 10AM
Mommy and Me Yoga at 11:30AM

This week will also be Prenatal Yoga at Spa Lamar at 1pm. 

Saturday, I am teaching Restorative at 10:45am at Aloha Yoga in Chandler! You can find the description of Restorative Bliss Yoga here!

For fun, here is a little pic of my baby girl and I rockin bow pose! have a great weekend everyone!

Things To Look Forward To In 2015

Hello! I just wanted to let you guys know of some exciting changes happening to my schedule for the New Year!
First, Saturdays at 10:45am with now be Restorative/Yin Yoga at Aloha Yoga and Hula. The class will still be a safe and soothing practice for expecting mommas. A restorative class is a great way to start the weekend feeling renewed and recharged! Yoga gurus say if yoga were a buffet, restorative would be the dessert bar :) But this class won't make you gain weight, just love!

I will also start teaching Wednesday evenings at the newly expanded Ha Yoga in Tempe! Classes will be Wednesday from 6:30-7:30pm. I will have more information on both of these classes in the upcoming weeks!

There are no classes scheduled this weekend as I am assisting the wonderful Gila Shire in the Prenatal Yoga Course at SWIHA. I think there is still time to register (the first portion of the class starts tonight, at 6pm). This class was life changing for me and my career. I highly recommend it, whether your a yoga teacher looking to add a new teaching skill, someone passionate about women's birth rights and natural births, or just a momma wanting to have more information about safe yoga practices while pregnant! It is a beautiful, informative, powerful class that I highly recommend!

That is all for now, hope your week has been a great one! Write soon,
Namaste

Where you can find me this week Saturday Nov. 29th-Sunday Nov. 30th.

Hi all!  Here are the places you can find me this week:

Prenatal Yoga at Aloha Yoga and Hula in Chandler

Also, Prenatal Yoga at Spa Lamar in Scottsdale

Both have groupons and holiday packages available, so make sure to stop by and check out the discounts and deals!

I have another exciting announcement! I was asked to assist in the 20 hour prenatal yoga course at SWIHA! This is just so awesome because I was in love with the class and it really solidified my want to teach prenatal yoga. The instructor, Gila, is an excellent mentor and one that I look up to deeply. She is also a doula, which I hope to be one day. You don't have to be a YTT student to sign up for the class, in fact most aren't! If you want to learn about natural birthing, breastfeeding, natural parenting, safe yoga poses for pregnant women, and so much more, consider signing up! You will not be disappointed! You can register HERE. I will be teaching a 30 minute prenatal sequence as well during the course.

Classes taught this week: November 16th to the 23rd.

 This week, I teach tomorrow, November 16th Prenatal Yoga at Spa Lamar in Scottsdale, 1pm-2:15pm.

Then Saturday, November 22nd I teach Prenatal Yoga at Aloha Yoga & Hula in Chandler, 10:45am-11:45am. Please share with anyone you know who is expecting! There are no previous yoga requirements, and as long as you are cleared for exercise by your doctor, you are welcome to come! Poses are always modified for the individual! Hope to see you there my friends!
Namaste!

Why Prenatal Is So Beneficial

Hi friends!
So you may have figured out that I teach prenatal yoga...and you may have even noticed that I am pretty passionate about it. You also may be wondering why I think it is so beneficial. Sure it's good to move your body and "exercise" right? Yes, but when you are pregnant, the specific movements that you will find in a prenatal class can not only impact your new body, but the life growing inside it as well.

Say whaaaat.

I know. So, here is a little (by all means NOT inclusive) list of why you should consider doing Prenatal Yoga when you are pregnant:

Breath Awareness
This is something you should find in any good yoga class. There are three parts to yoga: asana (poses), meditation, and breath. Bringing attention to the breath has a calming effect on the mind and thus the body. When you are asked to focus on your breath in class (you will usually be taught a breath such as Ujjayi or 3 Part Breath)your drawing your attention inward. Your breaths are deeper, more penetrating. You bring awareness into filling the belly, expanding the rib cage, and lifting the chest. Your oxygen levels literally power up! Amazing. For pregnant women, this can mean bringing the breath back into tight spaces that have been replaced by a growing babe. Having awareness and control of the breath also comes handy when it comes to labor and delivery, regardless of your birth plan. Taking yoga class early in your pregnancy will help you to learn about breathing techniques sooner and help you to use them when it is time to deliver your baby.

Strengthening of the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles that form a bowl attached to the pelvis. This muscle supports the vital reproductive and digestion organs, as well as the baby during pregnancy. Why is knowing this important? Well the weight that accumulates on the pelvic floor while pregnant weakens it, which can cause a multitude of problems down the road including prolapse or sagging of the uterus, bladder, and rectum and urinary/stool incontinence. Yikes right? In prenatal yoga classes, you are taught how to strengthen your pelvic floor with the asana and breath. After you go through the process of delivering and stretching all those muscles, you can use these techniques to strengthen them back up. Even if you are having a cesarean section, there is still weight put on the pelvic floor during pregnancy, so these exercises are still very beneficial to you.


Aches, Pains, & Circulation
It's no secret that your body will change while pregnant. Your center of gravity will shift as you get bigger, your blood circulation will be directed towards the baby causing swelling in the extremities, and your shoulders and backs will ache as the number on scale goes up. Fun stuff. So how does yoga help? Well for starters, we work on poses that will ease tension in the typically painful areas of the body during pregnancy. Hint, there are a lot of hip openers! Which are juicy poses for everyone, not just expecting mommas. Hip opening poses such as pigeon, goddess, and bound ankle pose release the lower back, stretch the adductor muscle, and relieve tension. Balancing postures such as tree pose, warrior 3 at the wall, and warrior 2 increase blood circulation throughout the legs, decreasing the chance of blood clots forming and swelling. These postures, modified and done safely, will provide the ultimate relief for any aches and pains associated with pregnancy. Restorative yoga, again modified for a pregnant woman, can also provide deep relaxation and releasing of the muscles.

Prenatal classes are also fun! They are a chance to meet other moms and they provide a moment to bond with your growing baby. They pull together movement with breath and meditation to form a truly unique experience. Check out your local prenatal classes!

You can find myself teaching at Spa Lamar in Scottsdale and Aloha Yoga in Chandler.
Tempe moms, stay tuned for Prenatal coming to you very soon :)
Namaste!

Prenatal Yoga At Aloha Yoga and Hula

Hi there!! I hope everyone is having a lovely day!
I wanted to share that I am teaching the first Prenatal Yoga class this Saturday, November 8th at Aloha Yoga and Hula in Chandler, Az!!

I hope to see my expecting mommas there!