A Private Yoga Success Story

Meet Molly

Molly had been dealing with some heavy stuff since the birth of her second baby.

Mary works with postpartum folks through one on one private yoga sessions to build strength, heal & re-connect with their bodies.

She had a diastasis (abdominal separation) that ran from her xiphoid process down to her pubic bone. Not only was it long, it was deep. It was so deep that when she pushed her fingers into the separated tissue, it felt like she could touch her spine.

She also had pelvic organ prolapse, and the symptoms interfered with her daily life. Bathroom struggles. Trouble pushing a stroller and carrying heavy things, like her kids.

And, back pain. It was so bad it kept her awake at night.

The combination of all these symptoms left Molly feeling overwhelmed and depressed. Can you relate?

Molly wanted to get back to where she had been before kids -- she wanted her strength and flexibility back, and she wanted to feel connected to her body. She was seeing a pelvic PT, which was helping. But she wanted additional support.

So, Molly booked 4 private sessions with me.

Right away, I noticed that Molly had an interesting breathing pattern. She sucked in her stomach toward the end of her inhale, which can create a lot of pressure downward on the pelvic floor. I wondered if I could help her find some different breathing patterns.

She couldn’t feel her glutes, abs or hamstrings working. Squats, nothing. Hamstring curls, nothing. Pyramid Pose, nothing. The only muscles she could really feel were her calves.

And the right side of her lower back was really sensitive. Belly-down poses and movements made it angry. So did one-leg balance poses. Twists, too.

We started exploring different breathing patterns.

How did it feel to breathe into her back ribs?

Mary can work with you right in the comfort of your own home - either online or in-person. She is experienced, thoughtful & compassionate, and is passionate about supporting mothers through the postpartum period.

How did it feel to breathe all the way down into the bottom tips of her lungs, and on the exhale, just let the belly relax?

It felt good!

I found a cue that got her abs working: “narrow your two front hip points toward your midline”. She loves it. To this day, it’s still the only cue that helps her feel her abs.

And after a few sessions, we found that releasing her glutes and hamstrings helped her feel them.

With each session, she started to feel more connected to her body. And she started noticing little improvements in her prolapse symptoms. Less pressure at the end of the day. Molly’s pelvic PT was pleased with her progress, and released Molly from physical therapy. And Molly decided to book a standing appointment with me once a week.

Molly and I have been working together for 8 months. She doesn’t suck in when she breathes anymore. She rarely has any doming, even with Plank. Her prolapse symptoms have significantly improved.

She feels more connected to her body. She notices when she is bearing down (she didn’t notice it before). She can feel her glutes, hamstrings and abdominals.

Pain isn’t keeping her awake at night the way it used to, and her low back isn’t feeling as sensitive. And, she no longer feels depressed or overwhelmed.

If you see yourself in Molly’s story, I highly recommend you consider private yoga. Many of the teachers here at Whole Mama Yoga offer private sessions, both in-person and online (including me!). If you’re interested in learning more, email wholemamayoga@gmail.com to connect with the teacher that is right for you.