Sunday, February 22, 2009

Breathe, Relax...

I teach a Mom and Baby Yoga class once a week to a group of moms and their babies. When I first started teaching the class, most of the children were very wee ones who could hardly sit up. Back then the classes were calm and delightful- a real treat for moms in the midst of busy days spent caring for tiny babes with so many moment-to-moment needs. We’d wear the babies as we stretched, using them as weights to help us strengthen. We’d enjoy nice, long relaxations at the end; most of the babies would fall asleep nestled against mom on the yoga mat.
These days our class looks quite different. Our children have grown into active, rambunctious toddlers who have no interest in sitting and stretching. They want to run and climb and push each other around. This, as you may imagine, is not exactly a relaxing and restorative situation.
Most of our time is spent chasing and sweetly scolding. A mother in downward dog glances up to find her son standing on the window sill. Another unwinds from a reclined twist and sees her daughter rifling through someone else’s diaper bag. My own child is known for stealing water bottles and cell phones. THE MADNESS HAS NO END! If one child settles, another is sure to rise up and create some kind of commotion. This, as you can imagine, is not exactly your typical yoga class.
Many times I have asked myself why I bother. I mean, honestly, doesn’t it seem that mothers might leave this class even more exhausted and exasperated than they were when they first came in? And aren’t there better ways for me to spend time with my daughter? One would think that’s the case but, really, every little bit of yoga counts on both the giving and receiving end. The babies are finally starting to practice the poses themselves and my fellow mothers do leave the class smiling and looking serene. Besides, part of what we’re learning here (and what I am learning as the one who holds it all together) is an entirely different kind of yoga.
The postures in a yoga class really serve as metaphors for moments in our lives. When you settle into a pose, even for a few moments, sensations will arise, things will begin to happen inside of you. It seems that when sensations do arise, both physical and emotional, we want to find a way to escape. There will be times when you are holding a pose, breathing deep, and desperately, silently praying for it to be over! When things become the slightest bit uncomfortable or intense, we want to back away. We want to find a way to keep things within our control, tame and predictable. I think it’s safe to say that most of us spend a huge percentage of our time wishing that things would be different than they are. And why wouldn’t we? When your computer crashes, your kid’s got the flu, yet another deal falls through, the dog has fleas, and your mother won’t stop pestering you about when you are going to visit again, things can feel a little overwhelming.
I can tell you that there have definitely been times when I have wanted to run away from it all. During times like this it is important to remember, however, that “wherever you go, there you are.” Life happens, the good and the bad, whether we like it or not. And it’s up to us to learn how to face (and perhaps even embrace) each challenge, each moment, with grace. In fact, our very health depends upon it. Learning to be present, to live in the current moment (for that’s all we really have, anyway) is of the utmost importance.
If you are able to be honest and reasonable with yourself, you will notice that most things are indeed beyond your realm of control, particularly how you feel about things. We can certainly control our reactions, but the feelings are what sneak up on us. It’s the feelings (of anger, stress, sadness, etc.) that we want to back away from, and usually with little or no success. Instead of wasting a great amount of time and vital life force fighting an invisible opponent, try this:

Take a few nice, deep breaths. Notice that as each breath leaves your body, you almost immediately begin to relax. When you are relaxed, you can really feel what is happening. When you can really feel what you are experiencing, watch your mind considering how you’d like to respond. And, finally, instead of responding in some rash and perhaps predictable way, simply allow the moment to unfold, without pushing anything away. The worst thing that can happen is that the moment will pass. The feelings will have settled a bit, and the moment that you were hoping to turn away from will be gone. It’s very simple, really. All you have to do is remember this acronym, BRFWA, and you are that much closer to living in the present moment. You have this simple tool at your fingertips always.

Breathe
Relax
Feel
Watch
Allow


As I finish my writing I wait for my toddler to wake from her nap (and for the chaos to begin again). I take a deep breath…and embrace the experience of this still and silent moment, because this, too, will be over soon enough.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Doula Services and Fees


I am currently accepting new clients for doula services.
My services include:
• 3 Pre-natal appointments (may include accompanying you to a visit with your medical provider or midwife)
• Attendance during labor and birth
• 2 Post-partum visits

Sliding scale $300-$600.00

Current Yoga Class Schedule


As of 1/27/09, you can take classes with me at the following locations:

Om Shala Yoga
, 10th Street, Arcata www.omshalayoga.com
Sunday 10:30am-12:00 noon Multi-level Kripalu Yoga
Wednesday 7:00pm-8:30pm Restorative Yoga

HealthSport Arcata
www.healthsport.com
Monday 6:00pm-7:00pm Yoga
Wednesday 10:00am-11:00am Yoga Basics
Wednesday 11:00am-12:00noon Yoga
Friday 11:00am-12:00 noon Yoga
Friday 12:00-12:30pm BabySport Yoga

General Hospital Burre Conference Room, Eureka childbirth classes at St. Joe's
Last Friday of the Month 1:30-3:00 Prenatal Yoga
(other Fridays taught by K. Maguire)

Doula Inspiration


Shortly before becoming pregnant I was a resident staff member at a yoga retreat center. I had been living and studying there for two and a half years, learning about yoga- not only “on-the mat” practices, but also how to bring what I was learning into my everyday life and out into the world. My yoga was becoming not only a tool to keep my body fit, but also a valuable means to help me face every situation, the blissful and the stressful, with ease and grace.
When I became pregnant with my daughter, it quickly occurred to me that skills and approaches learned through the focused practice of yoga were going to be incredibly valuable throughout my pregnancy, labor, and birth. The ability to take deep, full, calming breaths, and to cultivate acceptance of the present moment helped me through many sick mornings in early pregnancy. My stretching and moving kept me comfortable as my body progressed into late pregnancy. My lack of inhibitions around sounding and chanting, as well as being able to soften and relax around heightened sensation, made my labor and birth feel manageable.
It is because of my experience with yoga and the amazing support that I received during the birth of my child that I have decided to become a doula. I am inspired to share my knowledge and to offer loving support to other women so that they and their families may, too, experience pregnancy and birth as magical and immensely transformative events.