Owner: Yoga Mama URL:http://ramamama.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:21:03 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: By day, I'm a stressed out corporate, worker bee and at night I change into a peaceful yoga teacher expecting my first baby. Come share this journey with me. Site statistics:Click here
A boy or a girl? 2008-03-07 22:55:34 Salma Hayek had an interesting story in People about becoming a new mother, and I related to her desire of wanting a boy. I've been thinking I really would like having a boy - remember we aren't finding out the sex of our baby until he or she is born. When asked why she felt this way, Hayek responded by saying, '"Probably because I was afraid. I think women suffer a bit more than boys, and there is always conflict between mothers and daughters."'Not that I had a negative relationship with my mom (far from it!), yet it is tougher for daughters and mothers to connect, I think because mothers are more worried about their daughter's decisions since they were once in the same shoes. Fathers don't have the same fear and therefore girls become "daddy's girl."I guess I just want to have a special
Another yoga mama 2008-03-07 07:25:51 Found a review for Crunch: Yoga Mama dvd - guess I'm not the only Yoga Mama out there! The review was a little iffy - rated a three out of five with the following comment. "Easy pace yoga routine for women in their third trimester."If you have a Netflix subscription, you should try it because it's available as a play now option right on your computer so you don't have to wait for it to arrive in the mail. Netflix rocks my world!Tried it this morning. As the review states, the practice does move slowly and is more focused on flexibility, so it's not my favorite. However, if you're pregnant and new to yoga or are in your third trimester, it's a good place to start. It's also a fairly short routine - about 40 minutes - which makes it easier to fit into your day.
A New Earth 2008-03-06 11:52:26 Along with the rest of the world, I'm reading "A New Earth
: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" to take Oprah's online course with author Eckhart Tolle exploring its meaning. The hubby and I tried to watch the first live webcast this Monday, but due to so many viewers (over 500,000!), our Internet connection kept stalling. It didn't surprise me since I work closely with the webcast group in my corporate day job and know the technology can get overloaded with far fewer numbers. I still give credit to Oprah for being a pioneer and for being smart by offering a web and audio replay (I still need to watch the rest of Monday's!).A few friends at work are also reading the book; one of them said it wasn't clicking with her. A few years ago, I tried to read Tolle's first book "The Power of Now," but
CANCELED: prenatal yoga workshop in KC for YMCA members 2008-03-06 09:51:10 Updated (3/6/08)Unfortunately this workshop has been canceled. Floor work is being done during the week at the Paul Henson YMCA that may be unsafe to pregnant women. I apologize greatly for any inconvenience._____________________________________________For those in the Kansas city area who are YMCA members, I have exciting news! I will be teaching a prenatal yoga workshop on Saturday, March 15 at the Paul Henson YMCA in Prairie Village, Kan., from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Beginning the last trimester 2008-03-04 22:21:34 How am I already 28 weeks pregnant AND beginning the third trimester
? Where does the time fly?Counting the baby's movements is something I apparently should start doing to monitor the baby's health, according to a Web article I found the other day. The average times a baby will move is about 10 times within a two-hour period by week 28. The little squirt has been moving a ton lately, which is reassuring yet freaky at the same time. Especially since it is 2.4 pounds and the size of a Chinese cabbage - I'll never look at vegetables the same way again after this little cabbage sprouts!
A historic day in many ways 2008-03-03 09:38:37 Tomorrow will be a historic
day in U.S. presidential history since it will probably decide the 2008 Democratic nominee. Hillary Clinton must sweep the primaries in Texas and Ohio to have a chance over Barack Obama.I have mixed emotions on the outcome. Either candidate will hopefully bring change desperately needed for the country and the world. Not sure if it's because I was raised by a history teacher, but I've always been intrigued by politics; in fact it was my minor in college. In 1998 I worked on the White House project, which was created to promote women in leadership - the goal to have a woman president by 2008. Here we are, scarily for me 10 years later (Seems like yesterday I was at Iowa State!), and the possibility of having a woman president is a reality! It's like a dream come
Last Hoorah before baby 2008-03-01 21:42:07 Possibly our last weekend getaway before baby arrives, the hubby and I traveled to my hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa to see the Foo Fighters for the third time in concert. The first time we saw the band was also in the Omaha area about five years ago and the second in Atlanta on the first date of the group's last tour a few years ago.The band recently won the Grammy for best rock album and seeing them in concert again showed why. Not that I'm a huge Foo Fighters fan like the hub, but the group does put on a kick-ass show.I took some photos and video (not the best footage but I had to be cool like the "kids" and take some!)
Read your way to a healthy pregnancy 2008-03-01 20:28:25 I'm not enrolled in a Lamaze class to prepare for the late May birth of my baby (is that a mistake?). However I was checking out the Lamaze Web site and found a quick sheet you can reference of "2008 Recommended Resources for Pregnant Women and their families" that may be of interest if you're expecting too.A few books I hadn't heard of before that stood out to me:Nurturing Baby and me during Pregnancy (book and CD with ways to bond with your baby)Breathe your way through birth with yogaMama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding (One Amazon reviewer called it a "Fun Breastfeeding 'Manual' for Moms." Received five stars from six customer reviews.)I'm all about utilizing free resources - that's what you get for being raised by teachers - so I'm looking them up at the local librar Read more:healthy
Office yoga for TGIF 2008-02-29 08:35:16 TGIF! I used to make fun of this acronym, but now that I've been in the hamster wheel of corporate America for a while, I understand the phrase more and more. Since it's Friday I hope you're not stressed out today, but I have a few yoga moves you can do while at work, even if you can't get away from your desk.iYogalife.com has a short video and article on a couple of yoga postures that can be done during a two-minute break. Who doesn't have two minutes?On my desk at work, I keep the book Office Yoga front and center to remind me to take little breaks every hour or so. Especially being pregnant, I need to move around so I don't get edema (swelling) or back pain. The book has yoga moves I can do right in my chair in the safety of my cube, although there are a few that may appear odd if someo
Celeb bumps GALORE! 2008-02-28 07:01:17 The bump can't hide any longer - Brangelina is definitely preggers. Looks like she's at least four to five months along, but I guess women show earlier on in their second pregnancy.In my post on Jan. 30 I blogged about the possibility, and it apparently is true since her fairly apparent bump is showing in her nice, snug black dress (take that Team Aniston - I can't let go, ok?!). Much different than the muumuu she wore to the SAG awards. The U.S. birth rate hit a 35-year high in 2007, and it seems like the celebs are reflecting the country's trend. Every day another one literally pops up - Minnie Driver is another new example. Jon Stewart even did a bit within the Oscars this last Sunday about all the pregnant actresses attending the awards show - watch it below if you missed it. Read more:bumps
, GALORE
New search tool 2008-02-27 21:44:08 Notice anything new on the ol' blog???? Hmmmmmmmmmmm? Really, you give up already? Okay, fine don't play along! Check out the new search widget called Lijit I installed on the top left for your convenience.I'm pumped about the search tool because it allows you to seek specific information on my blog plus related content on Web sites I've saved in del.icio.us (social bookmarking site, which is very cool itself) and various other Web sources (Facebook, YouTube and other blogs I like, etc.). Try it out.Here's about a three-minute clip from Jennifer Wolfe's 15-minute prenatal yoga DVD I found on YouTube. I love her Prenatal Vinyasa DVD - my only pet peeve about it was that it was about 90 minutes without chapters so it looks like she's created another one with segments! Although this clip is s
Sun Salutations for the bump 2008-02-27 13:19:34 Other pregnant ladies ask me how to modify yoga postures for the bump. I found a good modification for sun salutations. Never heard of camper's pose, but it looks interesting and good for opening the hips.If you're in the Kansas City area and you're a YMCA member, looks like I may teach a prenatal yoga workshop at my local YMCA in Prairie Village, Kan., in mid March. I'm really excited about the opportunity, and I'll post more about it later when it gets solidified. Thank you Aunalise for commenting and asking me about it. Motivated me to pitch the idea!
What's your vibe? 2008-02-25 21:04:51 "The child is thinking and receiving vibrational thought from you on the day that he enters your environment. That is the reason that beliefs are transmitted so easily from parent to child, from parent to child, from parent to child. The child is vibrationally receiving your fears, your beliefs, even without your spoken word... If you want to do that which is of greatest value for your child, give thought only to that which you want, and your child will receive only those wanted thoughts." ~Excerpted from a workshop in “The Law of Attraction, The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham” on July 1, 2006Daily I receive e-mails from Abraham - you can sign up too. I've been saving the quote above, and today seems ideal to post it because I have been feeling a lot of fear about the future. Abo
I'm a Weeble Wobble 2008-02-24 15:51:49 Do you remember playing with Weeble Wobbles growing up? I've reached the point in my pregnancy where I'm shaped like the egg-shaped toys that never fall down. The Weebles' advertising slogan became somewhat of a catchphrase: "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down." Apparently pregnant chicks follow the same logic according to Web article, "Why pregnant women don't topple over."Scientists think they’ve found the answer: There’s slight differences between women and men in one lower back vertebrae and a joint in the hip, which allow women to adjust their center of gravity.Tests were performed to display that the slight changes in evolution allowed women walking on two feet to carry the extra belly weight minus falling over and the back pain one would expect.Isn't the body miraculous how
27 weeks down, only 13 more to go? 2008-02-23 13:22:16 Another article about the benefits of prenatal yoga and how to approach your yoga practice during pregnancy (found in Yoga Journal).This morning I did a little yoga with my husband (which is rare and infrequent) because his neck and upper back has been bothering him. It seemed to help a little, although he can't seem to not laugh through it... I hope he tries to do a little a day because he is stiff for being a young man! Then I did about 10 minutes of seated meditation followed by an hour of Shiva Rea's Prenatal Yoga dvd, which is excellent.Today marks week 27, meaning ONE week left in the second trimester! Can't believe it's flown by so quickly; guess because I've felt fairly well after being so drained and icky during the first trimester. I just pray I don't blow up like a balloon the n
The proof is in the pudding 2008-02-22 07:32:07 Am I completely making up this saying? I swear I've heard the "the proof is in the pudding" before, and I think it goes well with an article I found on Prevention.com, "Yoga Therapy Delivers" discussing the benefits of prenatal yoga. I have no idea where the phrase originated; what's a girl to do but Google it? Lo and behold, I'm not crazy (at least not about this!). It is a saying but was shortened up from "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" - interesting. The saying meaning "results are what count."So back to the article that shows the results of a study of pregnant women doing yoga versus another form of exercise. Some did yoga (including meditation and breathing exercies) and some walked twice a day for 30 minutes. Those in the yoga group had significantly lower "preterm labor,
Be steady and Comfortable 2008-02-21 07:19:27 sthira-sukham asanam"The posture should be steady and comfortable."~ Yoga Sutra 2:46Oh Cathy, you silly lady. I actually hadn't read a Cathy comic for years - although I have a journalism degree, I'm not much of a newspaper reader. However, my parents told me the strip had been running a long series of yoga cartoons.Thought this was a good one to discuss the Yoga Sutra's definition of asana or postures of yoga. I began reading Judith Lasiter's book Living your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life where she delves into the Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, both spiritual texts of yoga (remember it's not a religion).One of the first chapters broaches self-judgment through this sutra. Many of us get into a yoga posture and criticize ourselves the entire team or we push ourselves to a more
The belly solicits ALL types of comments 2008-02-21 07:18:36 My belly
is becoming more and more prominent so everyone wants to share with me their personal pregnancy stories ... or their friends' pregnancy story ... or their cousin's friend's experience. When random strangers share cute anecdotes, it's kind of heartwarming. Like the other night, our server at my favorite Chinese restaurant was going on and on about various oddities that occured during her two pregnancies. However, I dread those who love to share the long labor stories or anything to do with how difficult it will be when the baby arrives. No negativity please! Not interested!Guess I should be jubilant random peeps haven't begun touching and rubbing my bump yet. Don't know how I'm going to feel about that. I'm actually a fairly touchy person so it probably won't be so excruciating, bu Read more:types
Got a case of the Mondays 2008-02-18 22:12:13 Back to Monday. Oh Monday, why do we hate you so? Why are you the least favorite day of the week for most "regularly scheduled" workers? Oh why Monday do you annoy us so?I tried to use reverse psychology on myself this morning by putting "YAY Monday" on my Facebook profile. Didn't work. My negative vibe kept attracting more negativity (there's that darn law of attraction); I discovered what I thought was my compensation during my maternity leave was no where close to reality, which really brought me down.Why Monday, WHY?Today I also noticed a few on-going oddities in my body that seem to have become worse. First, my right eye has been twitching since the middle of last week. Apparently, eye twitches may be caused by stress or fatigue - didn't think I was much of either, but apparently I am Read more:Mondays
26 weeks and starting to nest 2008-02-17 14:36:39 Feeling an abrupt stream of motivation, I prepared immensely for baby this weekend. Good for me!Finally began a list of "baby to dos" on Excel, started organizing my maternity leave paperwork, enrolled for a "Baby 101" class at a local hospital, and I think I found a pediatrician for the baby! Pause.... inhale, exhale ... must add to spreadsheet to continue breathing throughout tackling my to-do list.My mother-in-law Donna and I also began our second store registry for the baby at Target. I was very apprehensive about setting it up there since it has such a Hitler-return policy (Remember to send receipts, people!). However, I adore Target and was actually an employee in high school and college so I couldn't shun the retailer. Hopefully I won't regret it. So now we're all set at Babies R's
Some flicks for pregnant chicks 2008-02-15 13:55:08 This weekend I inadvertently watched two movies about women going through pregnancy. Both portrayed women in very different circumstances during their nine months than the typical, "everything is perfect" pregnancy, which was kind of refreshing to me for some reason. First I viewed the DVD Waitress with Keri Russell as the lead. I had no idea that Waitress was about a pregnant
woman nor did I know how odd the story line was going to be, but it was worth seeing, especially being an expectant mother myself.My hubby and I were more than ready to go out Saturday night after we both were sick all week, and we chose to see the flick Juno, about a teen mom's journey from conception to labor. Can't say enough great things about this film - we laughed out loud the majority of it.I'm not a big "go-t
Give the gift of Metta for Valentine's Day 2008-02-14 09:49:20 Last night I taught my power yoga class at the Y. Since it's Valentine
's Day today, I thought I should have a related theme so I incorporated metta or lovingkindness ideas from a Yoga Journal article into the practice.As the article suggested, we began in a Supta Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose). Unfortunately the YMCA doesn't have bolsters, so I asked people to bring their shoulders in and underneath and lift their chests to open their hearts while having an awareness of their heart center and the feelings that arise there. Then I asked them to set the intention of acting with metta towards themselves throughout the practice - to give unconditional love and nurturing to themselves and to send thoughts of metta directly to "problem" areas when having trouble with a specific posture.We fl
If someone says FLEXIBILITY one more time... 2008-02-13 07:41:02 "So yoga's all about flexibility?" I loathe when people ask me this... sorry Maria (my friend/coworker who attended my power yoga class for the first time Monday night. Apparently I didn't teach a lot of "power" last night if she only felt her hamstrings stretching.).I believe it was Maria's second yoga class in her life (Another friend/coworker and I took her to a hatha-flow class at a wonderful yoga studio in town called Yoga Gallery.) and was hoping she would enjoy it. She's been a faithful reader of Yoga Mama and requested to come to one of my classes with her friend Angie so I was delighted at the chance to share my passion.The next morning at work, Maria and I began our IM banter when she asked me the age-old, misconstrued question about yoga that makes me cringe (again, my apologies
Open up your hip and back mama 2008-02-12 07:37:23 Felt like trying something new yoga-wise this a.m. so I checked out two online prenatal-yoga practices. One I already posted about but hadn't done called Alleviating back pain and the second one was Helpful hip openers, both from Prenatal Yoga Center.Expectant mothers should definitely try them out. Both move safely from posture to posture while also having smooth and even verbal and visual instruction. I practiced the hip opener sequence first, which lasted almost 20 minutes. Since I had time, I decided to follow it up with the practice focused on the back that was 16 minutes in length and added my own five minute savasana at the end. There are a few repeated postures between the practices, but I didn't mind.Ah - I feel open and ready for the day!
Returning to the mat 2008-02-10 13:03:49 After being sick with the flu for about a week, I hadn't practiced yoga the entire time. Typically I try to do some yoga every day, even if it's just for five minutes, so I really missed it. But even though I longed for it, it was very difficult for me to return to my mat. Have you ever had this trouble with any habit that was temporarily stalled?So Saturday I putted around the house for a while and sat in my morning meditation, which I've also been neglecting for a week, yet I still didn't want to lay out my yoga mat. Finally I compromised with my ego and bribed it by turning on the TV while I dragged out my mat and began my asanas or postures. I know, I know, obviously not the most conducive way to hold a yoga practice, but I thought if that's what it took, it was better than nothing. I
Squeeze it mama 2008-03-12 19:51:52 Whenever I'm looking for anything related to pregnancy, I'm always reminded in big, neon print: DO YOUR KEGELS! So why do I always forget to do them? I think because they seem so odd and elusive... how do I know I'm really doing them right?Squeezing the same place you would to stop and start the flow of #1 in the powder room is how you find your PC muscles (pubococcygeus muscles). I've also wondered where the name Kegel originated - seems odd to me. Apparently the practice was coined after Dr. Arnold Kegel who created the exercise in the 1940s to help with urinary incontinence after childbirth. How does a man know how to do these, by the way, when I feel like I'm not even doing them right, and I have the correct anatomy?The cool thing about Kegels is that you can do them anywhere and at an Read more:Squeeze
Stay out of the darkroom 2008-03-11 09:39:16 "Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed."~ Michael PritchardThis quote arrived today in my inbox (subscribe here). It's one I hadn't heard before so I thought I'd share it with you since it's so powerful. Don't let yourself enter the darkroom! Remember F.E.A.R. stands for:FalseEvidenceAppearingRealPrenatal yoga move:Another item I'd like to be more focused on posting is recommending various yoga moves or modifications for pregnant chicas. Standing cat and dog is one of my FAVORITES and is great to do standing up in the shower with the water beating on your sacrum/low back. Check out the video and let me know what you think.
Birth plan - realistic or nonsense? 2008-03-10 07:35:28 Since beginning my third trimester, I've been trying to prepare more and more for the baby. Having a written birth plan upon arrival at the hospital seems to be all the rage these days, but it just doesn't seem realistic to me...Here's my birth plan so far:Soothing music - check. Baby out within five minutes of first contraction - check. Nothing rips or tears - checkNo odd or embarrassing bodily fluids leave my body - check.Deep down, I just don't believe labor is an experience one can really plan out. Type A mothers-to-be must have invented the "necessity" of a birth plan (not that I haven't be labeled type A, but I have parameters). It seems to be out of my hands how this miraculous process will flow, and I'd hate to set myself up for failure or disappointment.Where does one even begin a
Preparing for baby - one purchase closer 2008-03-08 23:46:18 Our baby has a place to sleep! Yippeee - one item to check off of my baby-to-do list. After window shopping at a few local furniture stores and Babies R' Us, I finally decided to purchase the crib on Target.com today since it had furniture over $125 for 15% off this week.For the money, Target had the best selection in conversion cribs, although I wasn't anticipating the immense shipping and handling. (Unfortunately most of the cribs at the retail chain are only available online.) After debating whether it was worth the price with the tacked on shipping, it still seemed fairly reasonable considering it converts into a daybed and full bed headboard and footboard. Plus the finish will match the dresser and nightstand we already have in the baby's room.Here's what our baby will be sleeping in Read more:closer
Can you feel the power? 2008-03-14 13:06:14 If you enjoy practicing power
-vinyasa style yoga, Baron Baptiste is an instructor I highly recommend (Probably not so great for preggers though, especially if you weren't practicing this style before pregnancy.). I'm a big fan of his CDs, DVDs and books (check out lists on the left side of my blog).Within the archives of Hay House radio online, I saw Baptiste was one of the featured guests on Power Thoughts, episode "Make things happen." It does require a a subscription, but it's free. Baron Baptiste is the first interview of the show and speaks of the benefits of yoga.Below is a video I found on YouTube about Baptiste as well.
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