It's different for every new mom, but the pressure to return to your old self, physically, is annoying. Even though your loved ones and friends say otherwise, the unspoken pressure is there. Our culture demands it. I never thought I'd give into it. Well, at least I wanted to not give into it. But, there's no way around it. I have good days where I don't give a crap and then most days I feel frumpy, soft, ugly...nothing fits or looks good on and though everyone says I look great, I just can't believe them.
I created the most beautiful baby boy so why do I even waste my time on this petty BS?! I wonder that myself. Hmmph. Maybe if I was a more robust woman to begin with, then I wouldn't notice or feel that judgement from others. But, it's super hard to have been someone who has worked hard her entire life to be an athlete and be in shape. I feel like I'm a teenager/early 20's again. That's when I used to care, too. But the deeper I got into my yoga practice, the more I learned to let go of all that stuff. And then the last 2 years or so have been even better it seems, because I found love and learned to live life even more true and not be so strict about my practice, my diet, etc. And I got pregnant! Just when it all came together and I didn't quite think about those things anymore.
I was so excited to get pregnant. And going in, I had all these thoughts of the type of pregnant yogini woman I would be. Yeah, that didn't happen. Life doesn't work that way. You can't predict or force how it all turns out. I was super nauseated and tired for 2 months. I couldn't teach as much, I couldn't hardly practice, and all I wanted to eat were carbs. So, the weight started piling on. You couldn't necessarily tell because it was discreet (adding slowly to my hips and thighs before my belly). But, by half way through the pregnancy, I had already gained upward 20 pounds and I still had a long way to go. I remember doing the Shiva Rea prenatal dvd and she had said in the beginning that she gained 50 pounds during a pregnancy, and you just have to do what feels right to you. You see, that's just it. I was doing that! I was hungry for crying out loud! It was winter and I was too tired and cold to drudge out in the snow for exercise. All I did was yoga, which slowly tapered as it went on to be more and more gentle. I felt strong, though. As I knew my strength in certain muscle groups was diminishing, I also knew that my baby was strong and I had that foundation there. I stopped caring at some point because my midwife told me not too and that my weight gain was fine. And with the huge belly by the end, it all sort of works out proportionally.
And you all know my birth story (read the previous blog post). I had an amazing all natural birth. The nurses kept raving about how strong my baby's heart was the entire labor. And how strong I was. So, why do I care now that I carry all this extra weight postpartum? It will come off at some point...
I guess because I look in the mirror and I don't recognize myself. At least when Isak was still inside of me, it was me, just with him in there, too. Now, it's me with a lot of extra baggage! You see, I gained 50 pounds. Yes, my boobs are bigger now, but my belly, thighs, hips, booty are all bigger too. Ha! When I practice yoga now, I still feel like my old self in many ways. I have the flexibility in most poses and my underlying strength is still there. But just as it took me 9 months to pile all the weight on, it's probably going to take the same to get it off! And it's going to take time to rebuild my practice. Headstand? Crow? Side plank? Yeah, I'll meet you again. In fact, I'll probably be a better teacher because of all this. I have to re-learn many things and now I can relate to beginners even more. When I get back to teaching in a few months, I know I'll be grateful for the whole experience.
So, new mamas out there, try not to hold yourself up to the standards of our society and other people around you. I'm trying to do the same. Who cares if so and so in Hollywood is back in a bikini after 3 months. I have a real, healthy body with no extra help around. I have to figure out life with this new creature on my own (with my husband of course, who fantastically thinks I'm beautiful any which way), find time to work out, cook healthy meals, sleep, and just function. Just yesterday I was dreading the summer and having to put on a bathing suit or shorts. But, let me take all my new cellulite, my soft belly with the dark line down the middle, my wide hips, my no longer sculpted arms and bring it! It's the question of our time...what defines beauty? Well, maybe it's a woman on the verge of turning 30 who usually embraces all sorts of bodies, and who now, after giving birth, must learn to embrace her own again.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
My Birthing Experience
Three weeks ago today I gave birth to my strong baby boy. Time has already flown and I've decided to document the happenings of that magical day as requested by friends/family, as well as for my own sake. So here we go:
My 40 week due date was Friday, March 11. I had had the feeling that my baby was to come a little bit early since I had been feeling symptoms of labor for a couple weeks already. And he was pressing so much on my pelvic region with each step I took. As usual, people kept calling or writing to see if I was giving birth yet or if anything was happening. Turns out, my little guy was just extremely punctual and wanted to come exactly on time! After just a couple hours of sleep, early that Friday morning around 1:30 am, I woke to use the toilet and discovered my mucous plug had started releasing. I began feeling surges and crampiness that existed at a regular pattern and so I laid there the rest of that early morning knowing that everything was beginning. I tried to sleep more but those waves of uterine contractions make that a little difficult. Somewhere between 5-6am, my water started releasing. It happened in a couple of gushes within those morning hours. I texted my sister (who has a toddler) and then we ended up talking it all out, which was of such help. Then I called my doula, who wanted me to start timing the surges before we did anything else. And so by 7 or so I woke my husband. I figured he should at least be rested somewhat! I was hungry so I ate some toast and drank some berry juice, but my anxiety about throwing up during labor prevented me from eating much of anything else.
By this point, it's not too hard to simply focus and breathe slowly through each surge. I talked with my mom a few times, alerted my best friends, and just kept going with it. We discovered the surges were only about 3 min. apart but they were less than 1 minute in length, which meant I was in the early stages of labor. By 10:30am or so, they were definitely 1 minute long, so my doula headed our way. I got in the shower to rinse and feel nice and then parked it by my bed with my birthing playlist on. Spent lots of time on my knees over the bed to breathe through each wave. Our doula arrived and helped us keep things light and positive. We eventually decided to try to get out for a walk. It was a gray day with misty rain (very Icelandic) and it felt like just the right kind of day for this baby to want to come out. In my old sweatshirt and sweatpants, uggs, glasses on, and hair in a messy ponytail, we ventured outside. We made it down the block and back which was a success since every couple of minutes I had to stop and hang on to my husband to concentrate and breathe through. Upon coming back in, I tried to eat some avocado on toast and drink more juice and water. We made a plan and decided we'd leave for the hospital in the 2:00 hour.
Getting in the car to leave was strange and hard because I knew that the simple walk from front door to car might take awhile due to the surges. Luckily the ride to Mt. Auburn Hospital is not very long from our house, but the bumps in the road were pretty unpleasant at this point. All in all, I was still in a pretty upbeat mood and just taking it one at a time. We arrived close to 3:00 and went straight up to the delivery floor. They took us to our room and we began to settle in. The nurses and the midwife on call were all very friendly and kind. I settled in so they could do the initial fetal monitoring. After 20 min. or so it came off and I was able to freely move around. My husband put on the ipod and I was soothed throughout the evening with all of my favorite mellow music (Jonsi & Alex, Krisha Das, Mum, Leona Naess, Sigur Ros, Amiina...). For someone with such a strong affinity to her music, this was huge and so important! I also began focusing on all of the things my dear friends who had done this before me had told me. So, I began to drink water between each surge diligently and I tuned into that place that I teach about in my yoga classes. If I didn't know where that place was, I might not have been able to last as long as I did. I am pretty certain of this.
Our doula had me sitting up in kind of like a butterfly pose. I also stood up leaning over the bed, slow danced with my husband, sat on the exercise ball, got in cat/cow on the bed, etc. Since my water had released and my surges were so close together, they did not do an internal exam. We all figured I would push this baby out by evening. Well, once evening came (say between 7-8 pm), things were more or less the same. The midwife on duty was switching and so were the nurses. Our new midwife suggested she do a pelvic internal exam so we can assess the situation better. If only we had done it earlier...
She discovered that his head was very far down but baby was turned on his side and my cervix was still behind the head and I was only about 3 1/2 cm dilated! Imagine the mental state this put me in. I had already worked so hard for so many hours with a positive attitude through the most intense physical feelings I had ever felt and so to hear I had a long way to go was devastating.
I saw glimpses of negativity in my mind and had moments of wanting to breakdown and sob or give up. But, who are we kidding...I am a strong, healthy, brilliant woman that couldn't wait to finally hold this baby! And even when it got harder than anything else I have ever experienced, I knew that staying focused and calm was the only way to make it through. Crying or causing stress in my body would only make it worse (thank you hypnobirthing and yoga for installing this in my brain).
So what did we do? The midwife was so awesome at this point. She just took control and was with me for the rest of the time. She knew I had to get on my side to try to turn my baby's head, so I got on my left side in bed for 30 min. then switched to the right side for 30 min. She would massage my low back for me and my husband was at my front so I could grab onto him when I needed. At this point I was beyond exhausted and quite delirious. I just remember that I kept saying, "Help me. Can you help me? Please?" Yet I knew full well that I was the only one who could help me. Haha. This hour was by far the hardest work I had to do yet. For some reason being in that position made the surges even more intense (maybe because it was working to get my baby to turn his head). After that hour, I decided I would take up the midwife's suggestion to move to the bathtub. She got the water nice and warm and we made our way to the tub. How lucky we were to have such a nice hospital with all the amenities and such supportive people around. Once in the tub, just when I thought the surges couldn't get any stronger...boy was I wrong. Now, this, was the hardest work yet! My husband poured water over my belly while I held on tight to the sides of the tub as each surge presented itself. By now I was definitely vocal with each exhale (not screaming by any means, but sort of releasing a moan/om/song) and going deep, deep within to make it all work. Wow, it was powerful. After at least a half hour in the tub, I suddenly felt the urge that my body wanted to push! What a crazy feeling! I said so, and the midwife sort of got in the tub to feel for the head. Sure enough, she thought I was ready, so we all helped me out of the tub and I made my way back to the bed. She did a quick internal exam and I was 9 1/2 cm dilated! Woohoo! It was around 10:45pm or so. I got in more cat/cow to finish the work of dilating. When it was time to start pushing, they got me back on my side, where I stayed for a good 20 min. or so with the initial onset of pushing.
This point of the labor was so surreal and beyond describing. All I can say is that your body certainly takes over and you cannot control it. It is ready to push and so you do! (And yes, it really does feel a lot like you have to take the biggest crap of your life...ha! Except, you're about to birth your greatest creation in life!) After that first part of pushing, the midwife told me I could switch positions to speed things up, so I was all about that. I got into a sort of laying down squat. The nurse had one foot and my husband had the other. This is where more of the hardest work came. Whoa. I haven't eaten for almost 24 hours or slept, I am sweating, a bit out of my head, and just want this all to be over and holding my baby! So, I pushed. Something divine and other than myself took over. I thought of all the other women who had done this before me. I thought of other things that took strength in life and nothing seemed to compare to this. I knew that I was completely capable. By 11:50, they were telling me the baby could be born that day or on the 12th. My body needed to take it's time by that point. I was pushing for about an hour then and I also didn't want to tear. There was no forcing anything. It was simply my baby and I working together now for the best possible moment.
At 12:22 am, on Saturday, March 12th, my boy emerged from my womb and his dad placed him right up on my belly. The three of us were in complete awe of it all. We got to spend a good amount of time like this and Isak latched to feed right away. He was born a big boy (they measured him at 9 lbs 2 oz, but there might have been some scale issues). Needless to say he's a healthy, hungry guy and was back up to 9 lbs 4 oz at 2 weeks! And I made it out with just 1 stitch and some soreness...go yoga!
There ya have it. Yes, I did it completely natural and for over 20 hours. It was well worth feeling every single surge. But that was how it was supposed to be for me. It may not be anything close to the next woman in that very room. The main thing is that I have joined motherhood now. And that it's all true how mothers feel. Instant worry for this creation of yours, instant emotional connection to all of life, instant love. Just when you think you know all that love is, more of it rushes in.
My 40 week due date was Friday, March 11. I had had the feeling that my baby was to come a little bit early since I had been feeling symptoms of labor for a couple weeks already. And he was pressing so much on my pelvic region with each step I took. As usual, people kept calling or writing to see if I was giving birth yet or if anything was happening. Turns out, my little guy was just extremely punctual and wanted to come exactly on time! After just a couple hours of sleep, early that Friday morning around 1:30 am, I woke to use the toilet and discovered my mucous plug had started releasing. I began feeling surges and crampiness that existed at a regular pattern and so I laid there the rest of that early morning knowing that everything was beginning. I tried to sleep more but those waves of uterine contractions make that a little difficult. Somewhere between 5-6am, my water started releasing. It happened in a couple of gushes within those morning hours. I texted my sister (who has a toddler) and then we ended up talking it all out, which was of such help. Then I called my doula, who wanted me to start timing the surges before we did anything else. And so by 7 or so I woke my husband. I figured he should at least be rested somewhat! I was hungry so I ate some toast and drank some berry juice, but my anxiety about throwing up during labor prevented me from eating much of anything else.
By this point, it's not too hard to simply focus and breathe slowly through each surge. I talked with my mom a few times, alerted my best friends, and just kept going with it. We discovered the surges were only about 3 min. apart but they were less than 1 minute in length, which meant I was in the early stages of labor. By 10:30am or so, they were definitely 1 minute long, so my doula headed our way. I got in the shower to rinse and feel nice and then parked it by my bed with my birthing playlist on. Spent lots of time on my knees over the bed to breathe through each wave. Our doula arrived and helped us keep things light and positive. We eventually decided to try to get out for a walk. It was a gray day with misty rain (very Icelandic) and it felt like just the right kind of day for this baby to want to come out. In my old sweatshirt and sweatpants, uggs, glasses on, and hair in a messy ponytail, we ventured outside. We made it down the block and back which was a success since every couple of minutes I had to stop and hang on to my husband to concentrate and breathe through. Upon coming back in, I tried to eat some avocado on toast and drink more juice and water. We made a plan and decided we'd leave for the hospital in the 2:00 hour.
Getting in the car to leave was strange and hard because I knew that the simple walk from front door to car might take awhile due to the surges. Luckily the ride to Mt. Auburn Hospital is not very long from our house, but the bumps in the road were pretty unpleasant at this point. All in all, I was still in a pretty upbeat mood and just taking it one at a time. We arrived close to 3:00 and went straight up to the delivery floor. They took us to our room and we began to settle in. The nurses and the midwife on call were all very friendly and kind. I settled in so they could do the initial fetal monitoring. After 20 min. or so it came off and I was able to freely move around. My husband put on the ipod and I was soothed throughout the evening with all of my favorite mellow music (Jonsi & Alex, Krisha Das, Mum, Leona Naess, Sigur Ros, Amiina...). For someone with such a strong affinity to her music, this was huge and so important! I also began focusing on all of the things my dear friends who had done this before me had told me. So, I began to drink water between each surge diligently and I tuned into that place that I teach about in my yoga classes. If I didn't know where that place was, I might not have been able to last as long as I did. I am pretty certain of this.
Our doula had me sitting up in kind of like a butterfly pose. I also stood up leaning over the bed, slow danced with my husband, sat on the exercise ball, got in cat/cow on the bed, etc. Since my water had released and my surges were so close together, they did not do an internal exam. We all figured I would push this baby out by evening. Well, once evening came (say between 7-8 pm), things were more or less the same. The midwife on duty was switching and so were the nurses. Our new midwife suggested she do a pelvic internal exam so we can assess the situation better. If only we had done it earlier...
She discovered that his head was very far down but baby was turned on his side and my cervix was still behind the head and I was only about 3 1/2 cm dilated! Imagine the mental state this put me in. I had already worked so hard for so many hours with a positive attitude through the most intense physical feelings I had ever felt and so to hear I had a long way to go was devastating.
I saw glimpses of negativity in my mind and had moments of wanting to breakdown and sob or give up. But, who are we kidding...I am a strong, healthy, brilliant woman that couldn't wait to finally hold this baby! And even when it got harder than anything else I have ever experienced, I knew that staying focused and calm was the only way to make it through. Crying or causing stress in my body would only make it worse (thank you hypnobirthing and yoga for installing this in my brain).
So what did we do? The midwife was so awesome at this point. She just took control and was with me for the rest of the time. She knew I had to get on my side to try to turn my baby's head, so I got on my left side in bed for 30 min. then switched to the right side for 30 min. She would massage my low back for me and my husband was at my front so I could grab onto him when I needed. At this point I was beyond exhausted and quite delirious. I just remember that I kept saying, "Help me. Can you help me? Please?" Yet I knew full well that I was the only one who could help me. Haha. This hour was by far the hardest work I had to do yet. For some reason being in that position made the surges even more intense (maybe because it was working to get my baby to turn his head). After that hour, I decided I would take up the midwife's suggestion to move to the bathtub. She got the water nice and warm and we made our way to the tub. How lucky we were to have such a nice hospital with all the amenities and such supportive people around. Once in the tub, just when I thought the surges couldn't get any stronger...boy was I wrong. Now, this, was the hardest work yet! My husband poured water over my belly while I held on tight to the sides of the tub as each surge presented itself. By now I was definitely vocal with each exhale (not screaming by any means, but sort of releasing a moan/om/song) and going deep, deep within to make it all work. Wow, it was powerful. After at least a half hour in the tub, I suddenly felt the urge that my body wanted to push! What a crazy feeling! I said so, and the midwife sort of got in the tub to feel for the head. Sure enough, she thought I was ready, so we all helped me out of the tub and I made my way back to the bed. She did a quick internal exam and I was 9 1/2 cm dilated! Woohoo! It was around 10:45pm or so. I got in more cat/cow to finish the work of dilating. When it was time to start pushing, they got me back on my side, where I stayed for a good 20 min. or so with the initial onset of pushing.
This point of the labor was so surreal and beyond describing. All I can say is that your body certainly takes over and you cannot control it. It is ready to push and so you do! (And yes, it really does feel a lot like you have to take the biggest crap of your life...ha! Except, you're about to birth your greatest creation in life!) After that first part of pushing, the midwife told me I could switch positions to speed things up, so I was all about that. I got into a sort of laying down squat. The nurse had one foot and my husband had the other. This is where more of the hardest work came. Whoa. I haven't eaten for almost 24 hours or slept, I am sweating, a bit out of my head, and just want this all to be over and holding my baby! So, I pushed. Something divine and other than myself took over. I thought of all the other women who had done this before me. I thought of other things that took strength in life and nothing seemed to compare to this. I knew that I was completely capable. By 11:50, they were telling me the baby could be born that day or on the 12th. My body needed to take it's time by that point. I was pushing for about an hour then and I also didn't want to tear. There was no forcing anything. It was simply my baby and I working together now for the best possible moment.
At 12:22 am, on Saturday, March 12th, my boy emerged from my womb and his dad placed him right up on my belly. The three of us were in complete awe of it all. We got to spend a good amount of time like this and Isak latched to feed right away. He was born a big boy (they measured him at 9 lbs 2 oz, but there might have been some scale issues). Needless to say he's a healthy, hungry guy and was back up to 9 lbs 4 oz at 2 weeks! And I made it out with just 1 stitch and some soreness...go yoga!
There ya have it. Yes, I did it completely natural and for over 20 hours. It was well worth feeling every single surge. But that was how it was supposed to be for me. It may not be anything close to the next woman in that very room. The main thing is that I have joined motherhood now. And that it's all true how mothers feel. Instant worry for this creation of yours, instant emotional connection to all of life, instant love. Just when you think you know all that love is, more of it rushes in.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
My baby boy
As many of you already know, I am pleased to announce that I welcomed my baby boy into the world 11 days ago on March 12! Isak James Falk is a healthy, strong boy that we are more than in love with. We had a totally natural birth and I am healing nicely. Going to spend the next month or two just settling into motherhood with this beautiful new life.
Wishing you all a happy spring with an abundance of yoga and wellness in your lives!
Love,
Jenn
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Where would you like to go and practice yoga with me?
We've made it to March! Spring is just a few more weeks away (officially) and there is reason to keep stepping forward and looking toward the positive each day. I am still pregnant, yes. Just about 39 weeks at that! My little guy is showing signs that he's ready to debut in this world very soon, but of course I do not know when exactly that will be. So, I continue to do my gentle yoga poses that feel good at this point (mostly lots of cat/cow, modified down-dog, butterfly, squats, and other hip-openers). And I continue to enjoy my final days of doing nothing and having moments of stillness to myself. Watching movies, reading, cooking, going for walks, and being with my husband. I yearn for my old body and for getting back into my yoga practice and my teaching practice...but that can all wait! First, I must journey through the adventure of giving birth and learning to be a mother, and that in itself is a practice that is so much more important!
All of my students and yoga are still constantly on my mind, however, and so many thoughts for future getaways keep entering my mind. My most memorable teaching experiences have come in foreign lands, while leading others in life-changing practice and adventures. Here's what I'm thinking for the future and I'd love to hear your thoughts on if/when you'd like to join me.
--This summer (sometime between June-August 2011): Nantucket weekend
My family has roots in Nantucket and I plan to be there with my new baby a lot this summer. Am thinking of organizing either a weekend retreat or simply getting involved with a local studio to lead some classes and workshops.
--Winter 2012 (sometime between January-March): A week in the Caribbean: St. Lucia or Dominica
Am dreaming of leading a family-friendly week-long yoga vacation in the sun, geared toward welcoming families (as I will have a one year old by then), but all will be welome.
--Summer 2012: Iceland
This would be another week-long magical Iceland Adventure open to all.
--Spring/Summer 2013: Croatia
Do I need to say more? I have a contact there and it would be a Mediterranean yoga paradise vacation.
So, let me know if these sound appetizing and post your comments/ideas about anywhere else, other times of year, etc. Would love to take a poll!
K, happy yoga to you all this month and hoping to share the news of my baby soon!
All of my students and yoga are still constantly on my mind, however, and so many thoughts for future getaways keep entering my mind. My most memorable teaching experiences have come in foreign lands, while leading others in life-changing practice and adventures. Here's what I'm thinking for the future and I'd love to hear your thoughts on if/when you'd like to join me.
--This summer (sometime between June-August 2011): Nantucket weekend
My family has roots in Nantucket and I plan to be there with my new baby a lot this summer. Am thinking of organizing either a weekend retreat or simply getting involved with a local studio to lead some classes and workshops.
--Winter 2012 (sometime between January-March): A week in the Caribbean: St. Lucia or Dominica
Am dreaming of leading a family-friendly week-long yoga vacation in the sun, geared toward welcoming families (as I will have a one year old by then), but all will be welome.
--Summer 2012: Iceland
This would be another week-long magical Iceland Adventure open to all.
--Spring/Summer 2013: Croatia
Do I need to say more? I have a contact there and it would be a Mediterranean yoga paradise vacation.
So, let me know if these sound appetizing and post your comments/ideas about anywhere else, other times of year, etc. Would love to take a poll!
K, happy yoga to you all this month and hoping to share the news of my baby soon!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Love this mid-winter
Usually on Valentine's Day, I would bring a special treat to my yoga classes and leave it next to every person during savasana so that they'd awaken to some more love on this day. Most of the time it's something of the dark chocolate assortment, of course! So today I miss doing this...as I think I've done it for about the last 4 years. But, I am sending you all lots of chocolate delighted thoughts of sweet things, and love that should be carried with you each and every day.
I am in my 37th week of carrying this most loved child in my womb, which means by the end of this week I will be technically full-term and that feels so amazing that I can only imagine what the actual birth will feel like! On top of that, it's also 2 years now that my love and I have been together. His love is the truest I could have hoped for and guides me everyday to keep spreading the joy of connection, growth, and compassion that I believe in.
This week, I wish for you all to find something that brings you such love and to cherish and honor it. What else do I cherish? Our 2 sweet cats, my fantastic beyond words friends & family, wholesome soups with hot bread on these February nights, the sunsets, that bite of chocolate to get a gal through the day, that beautiful piece of jewelry that will always make me smile, downward facing dog to relieve my back and let my baby belly hang, soothing music, and these last days of cuddling on the couch before the babe arrives.
If you're looking for something fabulous to gift yourself and cherish this week, then I would highly recommend an inspired work of art by my dear friend, Mel, who creates such things of magic and beauty out in Alaska! Check it out:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MelusinaDesigns
Happy Valentine's Day!!
xoxox
*In memory of my dear Grandmother Ruth Pici, who passed from this life 7 years ago today.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
February Update
My dear yoga friends,
Here we are on another wintry weather Wednesday and another New Moon. I write this "hello" to you all from the comfort of my home, 35 weeks pregnant and counting! I am now on full maternity leave. My last teaching gig before this babe's arrival was this past Saturday when I welcomed 5 other pregnant mama's to be in my prenatal yoga workshop. It was such a joy to teach and share with them all as I go through it as well. Now I wait out this month to see when my little guy would like to enter the world. I miss you all dearly, and I miss my regular vinyasa practice. But, I've still been doing my yoga on a whole other level and storing up the energy I will need for the birth.
For most of you, it's not birth that you're storing energy for, but it's most likely something. On this Aquarius New Moon (and Chinese New Year), I send you all strength to liven up your life here in the middle of winter! Do something that will get you out of that rut. Try a new healthy food, try a new yoga class or teacher, treat yourself to a day of beauty or wellness, go to that music concert, read that book that you've always wanted to, or better yet...book that trip to the place you've always wanted to. It's that time of the year to step out of our personal boundaries and embark on something that will bring back your zest for life!
Something I've been seeing in the media and thinking about lately, is discovering what works for you, personally. This means in all areas of life. You see, it's not so much discussed about in our world how we should go ahead and do this. It's that everything is judged in the media and our society.
So, this got me thinking as to why people aren't talking about the fact that every person is on a path to their own lifestyle discoveries. On NPR, in the New York Times, on Oprah, on network television, (can you tell I've had more time on my hands?)...there are discussions about how you should eat, yoga rebels, relationship choices, political dilemmas (which are never compassionate), and everything else you can imagine. And most of the time, there is only one side of the story told or simply not enough information given for listeners or viewers to decipher a solid feeling about the topic. However, I seem to think that our society and our media continue to shape the way people DO think. And this is what troubles me.
The "Yoga Rebel" article came a couple Sunday's back in the Times about NYC teacher Tara Stiles. Apparently she leaves out any spirituality aspect of yoga and uses the practice as a main form of physical exercise and wellness. And her teaching has been getting attention because she's beautiful, fun, knows how to market herself, and is gaining in popularity. This article (among others published this year) brought some debatable discussions in the yoga community. Tara doesn't like to follow a specific "style" or branch of yoga. She plays pop music a lot. She's getting flack from "true yogis" in her approach.
And then there was the On Point interview/discussion about the new book, Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses. The author is a middle-aged mother who discovered life lessons on the yoga mat, and wanted to talk about the pressures of motherhood in our society. As a mom-to-be, I already feel some of those pressures! That right there shows me more about our society. And even about the yoga community.
And yesterday's Oprah episode showed Oprah and her staffers trying a week-long Vegan challenge. Plus, Michael Pollan was on, and they showed a beef processing plant. It was an eye-opening episode for probably most of her viewers. I found it to be a bit fluffy (what can you expect from just an hour long Oprah episode?!), and the vegan expert they had on was not even a nutritionist and didn't really do a great job at discussing the the proper way to cook really delicious whole foods meals. Michael Pollan was way better and I just wish he would have spoke up more to America's people about the importance of shopping at Farmer's Markets for meat instead of the big chain stores, etc. (Perfect example of my own choice and opinion). In the end, at least Oprah enhanced the thought that everyone needs to be more conscious about their eating habits and do what is best for them, personally.
Which now brings me to my point. There is no "true yogi." There is no "right" way to eat. There is no "perfect" way to parent (or birth!). We are all on a path to find our own way. Yes, there are hard-core yogis. There are those who truly take the practice to another level and it's part of their every cell and being. But, there are also those that practice yoga at a gym after lifting weights, or running and they don't want to get any deeper into it than that. They might already have another outlet for spirituality. Some yoga teachers play kirtan music or no music at all. Some play Lady Gaga. And some are somewhere in between trying to find a nice balance in the midst of it all (that would be me). ;)
Of course there are better ways of eating for your health. But, who is to say that someone who is mindful of the meat they eat, and who eats whole veggies and grains as well, is any less than a vegetarian or vegan? And same goes with parenting. Of course there are pressures to buy acceptable toys, foods, clothes for your children and then also have time for yourself. But, who is to say that someone who uses cloth diapers, makes their own baby food, or home-schools their kids are any better than someone who doesn't?
These are all things I miss about teaching right now. Offering up the energy and discussion and awareness to people that it first comes from self-acceptance and discovering your own awareness before you can decide what, in our conglomeration of choices in this world, works best for YOU. So, keep on living day to day and practicing your yoga in whatever form, so that you can figure out your own sense of being. Find out more about something that you're interested in. Don't let the media do the thinking for you. Find out why you like and do the things you do, and then either keep doing them or make that change. We will fail many times and we will change our minds. The important thing is that we are doing it and we are understanding why we are making the decisions that we are.
Whew! Okay, now that I got that out there...
My pose recommendation of the month is to do any hip opener that you love. It's that time of year when we become super tight due to less activity, the coldness in our bones, and the stress. Get down into your favorite lunge, lizard pose, half pigeon, double pigeon, cow-face pose, thread the needle, frog, or anything that (once again) calls out to YOU.
And who should you practice with right now? At Karma Cambridge, I recommend trying Erica's vinyasa classes, Christine's Forrest classes, Kate's Wednesday vinyasa, Caroline's Forrest and/or Yin, and Rachel's vinyasa (once she's fresh back from India in about another week).
And don't forget Bow Street Yoga, to those of you who are in the Somerville area. It's the coziest studio around, with fab vinyasa, yin, and power yoga teachers.
K, that was a long one! Hope you're all staying safe in this crazy winter we are having. I will for sure alert you to the news of my baby's birth after his arrival. You probably won't hear from me until then...
Sending tons of positive vibes and love your way,
Jenn
Friday, January 21, 2011
My Upcoming Prenatal Yoga/Reiki Workshop
A Prenatal Yoga/Reiki Workshop
with Jenn Pici Falk-E-RYT and Steph (Naz) Zabel-reiki practitioner/herbalist
Saturday, January 29, 2011--5:00-6:45pm
Bow Street Yoga-Union Sq. Somerville
> Join us for an introduction to reiki and prenatal teas, then for a 60 min. prenatal yoga practice with Jenn (who is 8 months pregnant herself!) to allow your physical body and your emotional spirit to stabilize and settle into its natural rhythms of creating a baby.
> We will then relax in meditative savasana (prenatal style) to allow Steph to perform reiki on us in order to complete our relaxation/awareness and open our subtle energy points!
> Post-reiki/savasana, Jenn and Steph will open discussion about herbs, teas, foods, remedies, and postures that might aid you during the journey of your pregnancy. Steph will have samples of her Flowerfolk herbal line on hand for us to sample as well.
Jenn Pici Falk has been teaching Vinyasa Flow in the Somerville/Cambridge area for over 4 years, and practicing for 11. She encourages students to honor their bodies and spirit by opening to truth on their mats and staying light hearted. She provides a fun atmosphere with music and positivity to open up the power of yoga to everyone. Yoga has been the stable point of balance that has guided her through her first pregnancy so far.
Steph Zabel is a Reiki practitioner, ethnobotanist, and owner of Flowerfolk, a small local business which creates herbal-based skin care products. Her work is spreading knowledge about the beauty and power of plants. It is her honor to share Reiki healing with others.
Due to the energy and time sensitivity of this practice, space is limited to only 10 students.
Sign-up soon for your spot!
$50/person
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