December Newsletter
December Newsletter

I teach yoga at a beautiful private studio - many of you have joined me there. It’s everything you’d expect from an ideal practice space - vaulted ceilings, wide-planked bamboo floors, an abundance of props, thoughtfully placed altar, soft lighting. Windows serve as a transparent boundary on three sides, offering views of a small pond and a parade of chickens and peacocks. 

The peacocks are of particular interest to many of us, and we spend large swaths of time devoted to peacock pondering before and after practice.

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LaurenComment
Gratitude in Real Life
Gratitude in Real Life

One day a few weeks ago I had a radical thought. Me, Stephanie, a wife and mama to 5 decided that I was going to be intentional about operating in gratitude. I envisioned myself as one of those gracious women, that walk on air and their spirit of gratefulness and gratitude emanate from me. In that moment I had chosen to appreciate all of life, small and large. I had made up my mind that this is who I was going to be, and it was effective immediately. No, I wasn’t joking, but I may have been a bit delusional about the ease of it all…

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StephanieComment
Liminal Spaces
Liminal Spaces

I was born in 1978, part of an often-uncategorized generation born between the late 70s and early 80s. I grew up without the internet, like all of Gen X, but the world wide web debuted as I entered high school. 


The Dave Matthews Band also debuted more widely at this time and their 2001 song, The Space Between, has been playing through my head for the past several weeks. About emotional space between two people, it also prompts contemplation of the many in-between spaces we inhabit. Having been born during a liminal time, perhaps I feel a sort of camaraderie with all things nebulous and peripheral.

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Whole Mama, Yoga in the Real WorldLaurenComment
Why I Teach Baby and Me Yoga
Why I Teach Baby and Me Yoga

Although I do NOT support the idea of “bouncing back” after labor & delivery, I knew that returning to a few familiar parts of myself was important as gradually moved into motherhood. For me, one of those parts was my yoga practice. I had to figure out how to integrate yoga into a new version of my life. One that involved a seemingly permanent (albeit tiny) ride along (I’m referring to my infant son…). And even though I have a partnership that strives for parental & domestic equity, and I already had a well established at home yoga practice, and my baby napped really, really well…I still couldn’t figure out how to make time for this important part of my life.

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Baby Baby BabyErinbaby and me yoga, postnatal yoga, mindfulness, mindful parentingComment
Meet Erin
Meet Erin

Allow us to introduce you to Erin, one of our Whole Mama Yoga Collective Members & our Media Manager. Erin is a kids yoga & mindfulness instructor, a perinatal yoga teacher, a drama teaching artist, a freelance marketing professional & a mother. Erin is passionate about enabling children to stand tall, feel confident in their body and find their own unique voice, and she works most regularly with postpartum birthing folks in a weekly Baby & Me Yoga class and a weekly online class called Embodied Mothering Yoga. Keep reading to learn more!

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Whole MamaErinyoga teacher, baby and me yoga, baby and me yoga teacherComment
Pandemic Parents: Making Meaning & Moving Forward
Pandemic Parents: Making Meaning & Moving Forward

What a ride y’all. Being pregnant, giving birth and coming into motherhood - all during a global pandemic. I’ve been trying to make meaning out of it all, and part of my way of doing that has been to plan and lead pandemic grief support groups and workshop series for fellow “pandeparents.”

I have learned a lot along the way. And it’s left me with more questions than answers. But that in itself is an answer. 

Let me explain.

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ParentingJennapandemic parents, postnatal, communityComment
Why Breastfeeding Was Not Easy for Me (and How I Got Support)
Why Breastfeeding Was Not Easy for Me (and How I Got Support)

Breastfeeding is hard. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It can be both scary and gratifying. If you desire to breastfeed your child, my suggestion is to do your own research and find friends or other supportive individuals in your circle to share their experiences. Find out more about Rebecca’s breastfeeding journey here.

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PostnatalRebeccabreast feeding support, breastfeeding, postnatal, PostpartumComment
When to See a Perinatal Mental Health Expert ( and How They Can Help)
When to See a Perinatal Mental Health Expert ( and How They Can Help)

As a non-pregnant person, I’ve dealt with mental health concerns for most of my adult life. I was prepared for some postpartum depression and anxiety when I had both of my boys. I was not, in any way, prepared for postpartum rage. And I was definitely not prepared for the voice in my head that one night, while washing dishes, said, “they’d be better off without you.”

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PostnatalRebeccamental health, postpartum yoga, postpartum depression, perinatal mental health Comment
Meet Rebecca
Meet Rebecca

Allow us to introduce you to Rebecca, one of our Whole Mama Yoga Collective Members. Rebecca is a Public Health Practitioner with a specialization in Maternal and Child Health. She has been in public health for 10+ years & is especially passionate about developing innovative programs to address quality and equity in perinatal healthcare. She is also a pre & postnatal yoga teacher! Keep reading to learn more!

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Whole MamaRebeccayoga teacher, postnatal, perinatal public healthComment
Meet Stephanie
Meet Stephanie

We want you to meet Stephanie, one of our Whole Mama Yoga Collective Members. Stephanie is a wife and Mama of 5. In addition to her work as a perinatal yoga teacher, Stephanie has been a breastfeeding peer counselor for 3 years with LLL USA where she also serves as a Board Member. Stephanie is also the Founder and President of Nourish & Thrive which is a non profit organization that focuses on breastfeeding equity. Keep reading to learn more!

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Whole MamaStephaniebreast feeding support, yoga teacher, birthing equity, breast feeding equityComment
Meet Ellese
Meet Ellese

Allow us to introduce you to Ellese, one of our Whole Mama Yoga Collective Members. Ellese is a pelvic floor physical therapist, a new mom & a yoga teacher. Looking for pelvic floor PT, wellness coaching or other perinatal services? Keep reading to learn more!

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ElleseComment