Category Archives: workout

RELAUNCHING PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL YOGA & MOVEMENT CLASSES

Posted by Feb 5, 2024 Burlington, Doula, fitness, Happiness, health, motherhood, new year's resolutions, Oakville, Oakville Doula, parenthood, parenting, Postnatal Doula, Pregnancy, Prenatal Yoga, workout, yoga Leave a Comment
RELAUNCHING PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL YOGA & MOVEMENT CLASSES

For 12 years I supported young families in Halton through prenatal yoga, postnatal yoga and fitness classes. It was through these classes that doula work found me. I grew a lovely community of parents and their babies and I’ve stayed in contact with many of them. When lockdowns closed studios, my classes ended abruptly. I tried to do online classes on zoom for a while but it just wasn’t for me. I was asked by multiple studios to come back and start weekly classes again but it just wasn’t ever the right fit for me and the work I do as a doula. 

I am now happy to say that I am offering in-home yoga and movement classes again in Halton region. I have limited day-time slots available for individuals or small groups. Clients commit to at least 4 weeks of classes. I come to your home with yoga props to make it very convenient for you. 

Prenatal Yoga & Movement:

One-hour session designed to alleviate pregnancy discomforts and prepare the body for birth and parenthood. Movements are tailored to your body. Each session contains active and restful components leaving you feeling energized and peaceful.

Baby and Me Yoga & Movement:

One-hour session designed to promote strengthening and healing through movement and breath work. Baby stays close and might be incorporated into some of the exercises. All movements are designed with postpartum healing in mind.

Grab some gal pals and make a commitment to yourself.

Contact me for rates and availability. Spots are limited!

Mindset matters during labour and birth

Posted by Jan 8, 2024 Birth, Burlington, Burlington Doula, Doula, Happiness, health, motherhood, Oakville, Oakville Doula, parenthood, parenting, Pregnancy, Prenatal Yoga, workout Leave a Comment
Mindset matters during labour and birth

During labour your mind responds similarly to when you begin a new workout or physical activity. In the beginning it feels difficult and you start an inner dialogue around whether you think you can last the entire time. In that moment it feels like it will always be this tough. Perhaps you tense up, you allow your mind to go elsewhere and start to rationalize the idea of leaving this discomfort. RIGHT HERE is where your mindset can have a massive impact on your experience and endurance, physically and emotionally. 

If you say to yourself “you can do this!”, “you are strong!”, “you were meant to do this!” You just might find that it gets easier. You get used to it. You find a rhythm or a ritual. As a doula I see this in clients in early labour when their bodies are just starting to get used to labour as well as anytime there is an increase in intensity; often just as active labour is starting or during transition (8cm to 10cm). It’s not easy for you to change your mindset on your own so discuss this with your care team and communicate ways they can encourage and support you. Even people who have done a lot of preparation or have birthed before doubt themselves at some point during labour. 

Here are just a few ways you can practice a positive mindset before the intensity of labour begins:

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt challenged physically or mentally in your life. How did you get through it? Were you surprised that you did? What did you learn about yourself through that experience?
  2. Practice mindfulness every day and notice your thoughts when you are in uncomfortable situations. What happens in your body? Where do your thoughts go? What changes can you do to make the moment more comfortable for you? 
  3. Learn about birth. Learn what to expect to help with any anxieties, concerns or doubts. When your mind has an idea what to expect it is easier to manage when you get to that point. With labour and birth it is difficult to practice or anticipate exactly how it will feel but even a small amount of understanding can make a difference. 
  4. Prepare your birth team. Speak to them about what you need to have a positive mindset. That might include learning your non-verbal cues and discussing how you will communicate in the moment. Giving them some phrases, strategies or techniques to help you through the difficult times and help you to come back to your ideal mindset, over and over again!

So just like that tough workout when you want to quit, give up and get back to being more comfortable labour can force you to face challenging moments that, with proper support and preparation, can leave you feeling strong and confident as you transition to parenthood. 

How Prenatal Yoga prepares you for Birth

Posted by Feb 25, 2019 Birth, Burlington, Burlington Doula, Doula, fitness, health, motherhood, Oakville, Oakville Doula, parenthood, parenting, passion, Pregnancy, Prenatal Yoga, workout, yoga , , , , Leave a Comment
How Prenatal Yoga prepares you for Birth

There is a reason I am so passionate about teaching prenatal yoga. Actually, there are many reasons and I can talk for hours about the benefits to birthing persons, partners and families. Through my own birth experiences and my experiences as a yoga teacher and birth doula, I can say without a doubt that practicing prenatal yoga regularly (one or more times per week) is great for preparing yourself for birth. Many will say that labour is called labour for a reason, it’s hard work! You may also hear that you need to train yourself for birth like you might for an intense athletic event. I am not just referring to the physical demands of labour but also the energetic and emotional demands. Yoga may seem to be simply be a type of workout focusing on stretching to some, but those who dedicate themselves to a consistent practice know that it is much more than that. Yoga can be an hour long asana practice, a 15 minute meditation, a few restorative poses, a mindful strength practice etc. All forms of yoga will benefit you during pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond. Here are some ways;

How yoga prepares the physical body for birth:
Labour and birth requires the soft tissues around the pelvis to lengthen, stretch and relax. Most of us sit for lengthy periods of time during the day causing our hips and back to be restricted. Prenatal yoga poses focus on stretching these areas and when performed throughout pregnancy and labour can have significant positive effects on how quickly labour progresses and a shorter second phase (pushing). Deep breathing and proper cues for breathing in yoga can help one to become more aware of their pelvic floor muscles. This awareness is also key when yielding to the downward pressure of baby’s head crowing and work with contractions instead of being tight and pressing back against baby. When we practice poses repeatedly our bodies get used to them and our nervous system responds favorably. A pose like a squat is very helpful in labour for pain relief and getting baby in a good position but if a woman has not performed a squat in many months she may tense up and be uncomfortable. Gentle inversions, open twists, concave-back forward folds and subtle back bends can all contribute to optimal baby positioning when the time is right for baby to move, resulting in baby being head down and occiput anterior (ideal position for a vaginal birth).

How yoga breathing prepares you for birth:
A prenatal yoga class should contain some pranayama (breath exercises) that are safe for pregnancy. When we regularly practice breathing that is full and focused it gives us a tool to find peace and comfort. Between contractions there is time to use your breathing to release tension and conserve energy for the next wave. When your birth support team reminds you to breathe deeply you can be reminded of all those yoga classes that you did and you can find the same calm feeling, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Some times in a yoga practice we do a movement or stretch that is difficult for you and you might be cued to breathe into the space where you feel restriction. You can do this also in labour! Imagine your back feels tight and sore and when you take a deep inhale you send it there and exhale to let some of that tension go. We obviously breathe all the time but right breathing takes practice. Find a teacher who teaches pranayama then give it a go at home or any where else that works for you, like a birthing suite 😉

How yoga prepares you emotionally for birth:
Labour and birth are intense, awesome and amazing. Full of sensations and feelings that are unfamiliar and overpowering. The thoughts can go in many different ways. Fear, doubt, sadness, anger are all common emotions that come up during birth. Regular yoga and meditation are practices that allow us to notice our thought patterns and habits and learn to observe them rather than react to them or create a story around them. Maybe during your formal seated meditation you notice that you are still thinking about a heated argument you had with your partner. You acknowledge that thought and then you let it pass. Maybe it comes again and you find yourself clinging to it so you let it go again, and again. This practice will serve you well when each wave rises and you feel like it is a part of you, then you detach from the sensation, take a breath and feel it go. This is not easy to do. It’s best if non-attachment is practiced often in pregnancy to prepare you. Yoga teaches us how to surrender. How to be in the present moment, not the past, not anticipating the future. That is birth! Visualization can happen in many ways during a yoga practice. For example, I often lead my students through a meditation where they visualize their baby wrapped in white light energy which offers warmth, nurturing, protection and love. This would be wonderful to do in labour if there is any concern or fear for the baby’s well being. Allowing the birthing person to minimize her fears and allow her body and her baby to work together

I often tell my yoga students to think about their yoga practice when they are in labour. Allow yourself to be intuitive and tap into the self-discovery you have been working on as part of your practice.
There are definitely more ways that yoga prepares you for birth. I would love to hear how it helped you!

Oh Baby it’s cold outside! – How to entertain a toddler at home.

Posted by Jan 10, 2019 adventure, Burlington, Doula, fitness, Happiness, health, kids, motherhood, Oakville, parenthood, parenting, workout, yoga Leave a Comment

Well, what can we expect from a Canadian winter right?! Truth is we have been lucky this season so far with some mild temps and now the cold, frigid winter wind is here. When my kids were much younger there were definitely cold days when I didn’t want to take them far. We would hunker down and make the best of our time together indoors. Don’t get me wrong…I am all for bundling up and heading outside for some outdoor adventures but when the cold gets to you and those cheeks turn rosy red it’s time to head back in to the warmth.

Here are my 5 favourite things to do with the kiddos at home on a frosty day;

  1. Play dress up! Kind of like a ‘Choose your own adventure’. If you don’t already have a Tickle trunk of your own choose some items from their closets and let their imaginations do the rest. Then you can play pretend on where you are going. This was always one of our go-to’s.
  2. Build a couch fort. Grab those cushions and blankets and build away! Then maybe you can do some reading or colouring inside your fort. My kids would some times even take a nap in there because it felt cozy and safe and they made it themselves.
  3. Do a craft, make some art. Let their creative minds roam. Pinterest is always a great resource if you need some ideas.
  4. Do some exercise together! I like Cosmic kids on Youtube for some storytelling yoga time. You don’t need any fancy equipment and you can even do it in your jammies!
  5. Take a nap! We used to love family naps in my bed. I’m not going to lie, it some times took over an hour to get everyone to sleep but when it happened it felt amazing! Cold outside and warm in bed..perfect time to catch up on sleep.

So bundle up and head out to the park for some playtime fun and when the shivers get you then head home with no guilt and have some fun with your littles. That cold, brisk air is sure to tire out even the most energetic one. These moments are fleeting so enjoy!