The Dark History of Pregnancy Health

Prenatal Yoga is a beautiful format to teach. I love the sense of connection, community, and safety in the room. In 2013, I led my first pre and post-natal yoga teacher training. In preparation for this, I wanted to learn more about and to share a timeline of the history of pregnancy health and women’s health in the United States related to pregnancy. After all, it was not so long ago that women were given laughing gas (nitrous oxide) to deliver babies, while being strapped down onto hospital beds. This is in stark contrast to the essential oils, soothing oceanic sounds, and flameless candles that may people use today (when these practices are integrated).

In digging a little deeper into the history of pregnancy health, there are some very ugly chapters that many do not know about. As a little girl I was taught the words “lest we forget” in reference to the Holocaust and the atrocities committed, some of which were at the hands of Doctors. I now feel a responsibility to shine a light on some of the uglier parts of American women’s history related to pregnancy, so that we do not forget how we arrived here.

Every time I lead a pre and post-natal teacher training, I pause to say a prayer for the women who were victimized by Doctors and systems that should have protected them. If we are to progress as a society, women need to come together for education and change. The community of women that surround and support me are my friends and my teachers, and I learn from them each day. One of these beautiful women is an amazing doula, midwife, life coach and advocate for women’s rights, Haize Hawke Rosen. Haize has contributed her voice to this piece and together we represent different elements of the BIPOC experience. Here is our brief look at our nation’s experience, lest we forget…

Haize Hawke Rosen and Desi Bartlett

Consent—the Lack of—in the 1800s

Dr. J. Marion Sims was originally born in South Carolina, and later moved to Louisiana. While in Louisiana, Dr. Sims worked as a gynecologist, specifically with a minimum of 10 black female slaves. During this time, slave owners wanted the female slaves to bear children, that they might continue the lineage of bondage. It was from this heartbreaking tradition that Dr. Sims decided to not only work with enslaved women, but to focus intently on repairing vesicovaginal fistulas (VVF) and rectovaginal fistulas (RVF).

Dr. Sims did not record all of the names of the women that he experimented on, but did refer to three women, Lucy, Betsy, and Anarcha. Anarcha was a seventeen-year-old slave who was in labor for three days, which left her with both a VVF and RV fistula. Dr. Sims performed no less than 30 surgeries on her in an attempt to repair the fistula. Anarcha was stripped of human dignity as each of these procedures was performed while she was naked in front of various male white doctors. Anarcha did not give her consent because at that time, her consent was not needed. Because Anarcha was seen as someone’s property, she also was not given any anesthesia whatsoever, for all 30 surgeries.

Eventually, Dr. J. Marion Sims, repaired Anarcha’s fistula, and as a result, he was called the Father of Gynecology. A statue was erected for Sims in NYC, where he spent he spent the later part of his life. The statue was not taken down until 2018. Every time that I teach a prenatal yoga course, I ask the participants to pause and say a prayer for all of the women who were used for medical experimentation. These women were not given the opportunity to consent (or not), nor were they treated humanely. My heart goes out to them and I send peace to each one through prayer.

The Eugenics Movement and Redlining in the 1900s

The Eugenics Movement refers to the practice of ensuring that only women who are “fit to reproduce,” have the right to bear children. As recently as the 1950s, black women were sterilized without giving their consent. Eugenics fell out of favor because Hitler used it to promote his racist agenda against the Jews. But in the 1960s, neo-eugenics arose with the specific intention of reducing the amount of blacks receiving public assistance. The statutes that had been put into place prior to World War II were used to continue this practice of deciding who was fit to reproduce.

The Jim Crow laws lasted until the mid-1960s—these kept blacks separate from whites after the abolitionist movement, and included very specific geographical delineations between neighborhoods. The policy known as “redlining” refers to the segregation efforts of the Federal Housing Administration in which they refused to insure mortgages in and near African American neighborhoods. During this time, the FHA was subsidizing builders who were mass producing subdivisions for whites and required that none of the homes be sold to African Americans.

This is a clear example of institutional racism in our country since these lines were drawn with the intent to ensure that blacks were not able to purchase property in specific neighborhoods. White dominance was written into these laws that dictated “separate but equal” conditions for blacks and whites. White neighborhoods were more affluent and had better conditions in the hospitals and healthcare system. The black hospitals had higher risk of infant mortality, maternal death during delivery, and many black women were given significantly less pain medication than their white counterparts. Many white doctors and nurses believed that the pain threshold was higher for blacks because the white medical staff thought that black people have thicker skin.

The 1960s were not that long ago and when we look at the Civil Rights movement and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and others, we can see that the black community was crying out for equality. The African slaves were brought over in chains at the same time that many European settlers came to the U.S., and many people fought against the dream of equality. The system was built on the reality that African slaves arrived here in chains, and European settlers did not, and the gulf of the disparity must be recognized if we are to understand the insidious role of systemic racism in women’s health.

Racism and Division in the 2000s

In 2008, the United States elected the first African American president, Barak Obama. With his message of hope, came a new chapter for the American people. Finally, there was diversity in the highest office in the American government. However, there were still people who could not accept or respect the elected official’s family, and a governor’s wife called First Lady Michelle Obama, an ape in a dress. Not only did the racism continue into the turn of this century, but there were still those that saw black Americans as less than human.

This hatred of “otherness” is still reflected in women’s health and in pregnancy health. To this day, there are still those that think that black women literally have thicker skin and do not need as much pain medication as white women. The rate of breast cancer amongst black women is higher than the national average, and the morbidity rate is higher as well. Black women receive less prenatal and neonatal care on average, and this is all just on a clinical level. On a personal/social/emotional level, there was recently a black woman quoted as saying that she dresses up to go to the OB/GYN in hopes that she will be treated better. The fallout from redlining is still being reflected in the current numbers of poor birth outcomes and high mortality and morbidity rates in African American women and babies. African American mothers are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than their white counterparts. African American babies have more than twice the rate of mortality than white babies. Something must change.

Our history has brought us to this day, when men, women, and children of every race witnessed the George Floyd as he cried out for his Mama. His cries called out to the heart of all mothers everywhere.

Speaking up Against Injustice

As teachers of prenatal yoga and philosophy, it is up to each one of us to speak up against injustice. It is up to each of us to send prayers to the slaves that were experimented on, to teach the truth of our history, and to make sure that there is real, concrete change. Some things that you can do to help enact change in women’s health and pregnancy health include:

• Share the message of black doulas and midwives on your social media platforms.
• Study why there is still a huge disparity in our health care system.
• Vote for leaders who will fight against systemic racism.
• Use your voice and when you see racism in any venue, especially in a studio setting, speak up and let people know, “not in my house.”
• Celebrate cultural differences.
• Check yourself and your own cultural biases and educate yourself on our nation’s history.
• Be an example of inclusivity, speak to everyone in the room and stay sensitive to different experiences.
• Lead with compassion.

Call to Change

Now is the time to make a change, and to realize that BIPOC people have a unique experience of pregnancy health and the journey of motherhood. The fear of mortality is real, the stress of feeling “other” is real, and it is up to us as a community of women to speak up for one another. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, “History will have to record the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” May we all use our voices to empower one another and to fight injustice everywhere.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

The post The Importance of Studying History and Advocacy for Prenatal Yoga and Pregnancy Health appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Our Current Challenge: Reflecting on Applying the Lessons of Yoga to the Events of 2020

To say the least, 2020 has been a roller coaster. The global pandemic was unexpected. It brought our country, and our world to a screeching pause. In the blink of an eye, our neighbors became both people to physically avoid, as well as our emotional lifelines. Tragically, many have lost family and friends to COVID-19 and the terms “hero” and “front line workers” took on new meanings. We quickly learned to live with masks of protection as well as a six feet of space between us.

In the midst of the global health crisis, another tragedy has come to light and the senseless killing of George Floyd became the straw that broke the camel’s back in a long line of atrocities committed by those who hate others based on the color of their skin. The evils of slavery still have a resounding echo and with each generation, we have to look at our role in how we have contributed to either the healing or the hurting of the racial divide.

Maya Angelou wrote, “The plague of racism is insidious, entering into our minds as smoothly and quietly and invisibly as floating airborne microbes enter into our bodies to find lifelong purchase in our bloodstreams.” These words are both haunting and accurate as we bear the burden of two separate plagues, one that is primarily physical, and another that is spiritual. COVID-19 named for the corona virus of 2019 has an all too familiar graphic of a red cell with several spikey crowns. Racism is the name for the ugliness that has plagued our country for centuries, and still has not been cured.

The two plagues have familiar images that we have seen daily. We have been bombarded with images of the red cell that bears many crowns, and even our children are familiar with the image. The spikey crown gets lodged in the hair-like structures of the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. The ugliness of racism is something that we feel in the same physical area of the body, the level of the emotional heart center, and it also led to the heartbreaking words of George Floyd saying, “I can’t breathe.”

Breath as Prayer, Breath as Life

As Yoga practitioners, our breath is our prayer, it is with us throughout our lives and we dance with the inhalation and exhalation in many different ways. In the lessons of yoga, we have been taught different types of breathing techniques, and have learned that the breath is not only our life line, but helps to regulate all of our systems. When there is no breath, there is no life. On May 25, 2020, the world witnessed as George Floyd’s breath left his body and it replayed through all of our familiar cultural platforms, from YouTube to TikTok. It is human nature to want to share, and video is a powerful medium, which can also go “viral.”

In Yogic philosophy, we are taught that we cannot control our circumstances, only our reaction to our circumstances. 2020 has been a year of many opportunities to learn this lesson again and again. We have no control over a global pandemic, nor did we have control over the four police officers that participated in George Floyd’s murder. In these instances, it can feel like controlling our reaction is not possible. Our grief, anxiety, and anger is so profound, that we have taken to the streets to say “no more.” Our reactions are evolving into conscious acts of activism as we step up and serve the whole.

This year, 2020 has been called “the great awakening.” We are waking up to the fact that we have to start thinking about others in a profound way. As Yogis we have a responsibility to serve one another on the path of karma yoga (the discipline of selfless action). Our actions create a ripple effect and when we move from “me” to “we” in a mature and tangible way, we have an opportunity to empower others through the lessons of yoga.

Our hearts hurt for the people that have lost their breath to COVID-19 and to the ugliness of racism. By helping to take care of each other’s hearts, we help take a step forward into a new chapter in human history. Each of us has a different skill set, each of us has different soul gifts to share. Whether you are teaching pranayama to help soothe a student’s frazzled nervous system, or protesting injustice in this world, your voice is needed. The importance of the breath is not just physical or technique driven, it is a gift to remember the simultaneous strength and fragility of life.

The two plagues have brought us back to the teachings of yoga.

• Nothing is permanent.
• We cannot control external circumstances.
• Service to one another is the path.
• Breath is life.
• We are all connected.

As we move forward into this new reality, each one of us has a role. When we lift one another we are in fact lifting ourselves. May we all care for one another and learn the lessons of the two plagues with grace and strength, even when grief and anger make it hard to breathe. COVID-19 has taught us that our breath is a gift and that we are all one. George Floyd’s death taught us that our breath is a gift and that we are all one. Now is the time for us to learn the lessons of yoga and bring them forward into a new chapter.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

The post Lessons of Yoga & the Two Plagues of 2020 appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Desi Barlett Photo by Natiya Guin

Yoga and Sensuality: Explore the 5 Senses with Doctor Natiya Guin

Life dazzles with sensuality when we connect to our five senses. Yet when we hear the word sensuality, we often associate it with sexuality, when in fact it is so much more. Learning to nourish each of our five senses can be an adventure in self-care, opening us up to a full expression of every part of who we are. I asked Naturopathic Doctor Natiya Guin to share her wisdom on the subject of self-care and sensuality.

Desi Bartlett and Natiya Guin

Interview with Doctor Natiya Guin on Yoga and Sensuality

What are your thoughts on the importance of our connection to our sensuality?

When we think about our senses it is important to acknowledge that we experience a duality with sensory input which is happening in the world around us that we respond to, and we also utilize our senses to increase our experiences. As we delve into our senses, we notice that we have the power to choose how we respond to sensory input (the world affecting us) and we also have the power to choose which senses we heighten as we make choices in our own lives (us affecting the world).

Is sensory feedback a choice or is it instinctual?

When we are aware of our experience and we open emotionally, we can more fully experience the world around us. And we can choose how to respond. Instinctually we respond to sounds we hear, lights we see, the smells we take in, the food we taste, and the things we touch. But when we choose to specifically heighten some of these experiences, we have the positive experience of increased sensuality.

How does sensuality go beyond the traditional association with sexuality?

We often think of sensuality as being connected to the person that we have a sexual relationship with, but in actuality, we experience our senses in every connection. An intimate moment with a partner is a simple way to expand on the senses because there is very little outside stimulus. In a quiet shared space partners can increase their sense of sound by only hearing each others’ breathing. Partners are able to be more aware of touch by only having one another’s skin to explore. They can become more aware of smell by using essential oils as they massage. You get the idea.

What if we could take the kind of care and attention that we put into heightening our sensuality with our partner, into our sensory exploration on a daily basis?

Have you ever seen a woman walk down the street and she seems to be enjoying everything more than anyone else you see around you? She has a sway in her step. She is wearing a dress in what must be her favorite color. In her movement you can tell she is loving how the sun she feels on her face, and that she is listening to the sounds of the breeze through the trees lining the avenue, as she takes a bite of strawberry and chews it slowly while smiling to herself?

While everyone else on this same street has their heads down in their cell phones and eating protein bars as quickly as they can while rushing to their next meeting, the woman in her swaying dress seems to have been let in on a secret the rest of us have missed. In actuality, she has just made the choice to take in this moment in time, and experience her senses fully. To be open to her experience, and to choose how to respond using her five senses.

How can we all become more aware of our sensuality in everyday life?

I often ask my clients (and myself) to close their eyes and think about the earlier part of the day, possibly their routine when they woke up, or how they got their kids ready and off to school. Replaying that scene in our mind’s eyes, we can ask ourselves to reflect on it. Could we have tuned outside stimulus down a bit (waited longer to check our cell phones in the morning)? Or could we have hugged our kids more closely before saying, “Wake up, it’s time for school.”

For example, I noticed that I was waking up in the morning and getting into my routine very quickly, allowing in too much outside stimuli, and not controlling my own response. I was feeling the pressure of being a doctor and a mom, and immediately went into business-mode upon waking. One day I realized that I was giving myself a headache each day with this approach. And I really missed my children as I didn’t truly engage with them before sending them off to school.

Now, instead of waking to my alarm and rolling over to immediately check my email and Instagram status and then inching toward the coffee maker, I turn the alarm off. Then I drink a large cup of water I placed by my bed the night before (great for resetting the sense of taste but also resetting metabolism).

I make my way to my three-year-old son where I put my head by his, listen to his sweet sleeping breaths, and then I smell his hair and neck. Next, I make way to my daughters’ room where I take a mental note of the position they are sleeping in because it always makes me smile. (No doubt they have made a 180 degree turn in the night and are drooling on an unsuspecting stuffed animal!) I gently run my index finger along their foreheads to let them know it is a new day and then I head to the coffee machine.

In five minutes, I have experienced all five senses in a beautiful way that starts my day with joy and peace. Had I not made that conscious choice, I may have started my day with the news of people I don’t even know on social media, taken in too much stimuli, and missed the magic right around me.

What many of us forget is that we experience and utilize our senses all day every day from the moment that we wake up and we hear the birds outside, or hear the garbage truck driving by. We take that information in and decide what to do with it. How our senses respond to outside stimuli affects our mood, our health, and our interactions with others.

Please walk us through each of the senses and how we can help choose to awaken them effectively.

Four of our five senses are connected directly to cranial nerves, so it helps to notice that our vision, taste, smell, and hearing immediately affect our brain. Our sense of touch is felt all over the body and is part of the somatosensory system. It is a complex system of neurons and pathways triggered by receptors in the skin, our largest organ. Through our practices, we can connect to all aspects of our sensuality.

READ ABOUT PRACTICES TO ACCESS YOUR SENSES.

Natiya Guin

Natiya Guin ND is a dedicated mother of three, a passionate yoga photographer and Naturopathic Doctor; encompassing the healing arts with her business Portrait of Health. Natiya’s highly published photography celebrates and shares the stories of health and healing worldwide: natiya.com

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

The post Yoga and Sensuality: A Discussion of the Senses appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Telling the Truth of Transformation

Peter Sterios is a fierce truth-teller as well as an author, architect, visionary yoga teacher, Manduka creator, and philanthropist. I have known him for two years now and his humor and incredible candor come through on every page of Gravity & Grace. Here Peter reveals the truths of his path in yoga with love, laughter, and the elegant wisdom befitting a teacher who knows how to share his own lessons so that we may learn.

Noted teacher Eoin Finn says, “Gravity & Grace is precisely the direction in which modern yoga needs to move. There are plenty of books that teach the technique of each asana: ‘Move the ribs this way; make the leg straight.’ But learning the language of the subtle body so that yoga is no longer one size fits all, but instead unique to the needs of every body, is something that yoga practitioners are thirsting for. Even the ones who don’t yet know they are thirsting for it will be when they read these insights.”

Exploring Effort and Ease

In Gravity & Grace, Peter crafts the stories of how his life and work, his practice and his study, his meetings with teachers and even his own injuries helped him to develop the unique style of yoga he teaches. His approach is an elegant marriage of softening into gravity with the delicate grace found in the breath. “Hatha Yoga is a discipline of effort and challenge interwoven with non-effort and ease.” This is the dynamic nature of practice with the subtle body. As Peter says within Gravity & Grace, his goal is to “access the transformative grace of a practice tuned to present-moment experience and learn to use the natural gift of subtle energies that we are all born with in service of our growth and healing.”

An experience that affected Peter’s explorations of his dharmic path was when a student literally fell on him. Peter saw a man in handstand about to take a tumble and leapt into action. He broke the fall but hurt himself. For healing, Peter Sterios accessed the principles of gravity and grace in his personal practice to inspire an approach thoughtfully outlined in Gravity & Grace, designed to “awaken in the practitioner the self-authority for creating movement safely and efficiently in each practice.”

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

The post In Gravity & Grace, Peter Sterios Shares Transformation appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Desi Barlett and her kids practicing family yoga. Photo by Natiya Guin

Reflecting on a Changing Practice

One of the many characteristics of yoga is how the practice can change to meet the needs we have at any point of our lives. We practice solo yoga and family yoga and a lot of other variations in between. As a busy mom of two active children, I’m aware that my practice today is very different than my practice was in the days before kids. When my husband and I were first married in 2003, we lived in Hermosa Beach. At the time, I was working as a personal trainer and yoga teacher in Redondo Beach. A typical day would involve waking up at 6 am to drive to Venice and practice with Saul David Raye at 7 am. Then I would head back to the South Bay and work a full schedule of teaching and training.

Looking back, I see that I was using the drive as my alone time. My morning practice helped me to feel centered and strong for the day. These days, I cannot imagine taking a three-hour chunk out of my day to drive to a yoga class!

My days now involve working as the community director for Manduka and lots of time with my family and friends. In order to make time for my physical practice, I joyfully invite my boys to come play on my new round yoga mat.

Being Creative Practicing Family Yoga at Home

When I am practicing yoga at home (yes at home, because who has time for a three-hour yoga excursion?) my ten-year-old son Cruz is happy to join for about 20 minutes. Since he is an athlete on two baseball teams, I adjust the sequence to focus more on flexibility. My five-year-old, Rocket, just wants to jump on me while I practice. He loves for me to carry him on my back, sit on my quad in a lunge, lay on me in a forward fold, you get the picture. When Rocket is in the room I let go of flexibility work and focus on strength and stability, partially because I enjoy that type of practice, and also because he weighs 58 pounds.

Desi Barlett, Cruz, and Rocket. Photo by Natiya Guin.

My boys have taught me to favor quality over quantity. A 30-minute home practice with my favorite music, allows me time to breathe into the fullness of this life. Some days when I need alone time, I will wake up very early to practice and find center. Other days I come to my mat knowing that I will have company.

As I think about the future while I listen to the song “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks, I realize that there will be a time when I can go on a three-hour yoga excursion again. When my boys grow up and move into the fullness of their own lives, I will miss these days. Making my older son giggle in a twist, or having my younger son’s baby teeth smile in my face while I am in a standing pose makes my heart very happy.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

The post The Happy Heart Found in Family Yoga appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Desi Bartlett photographed by Fluid Frame Photography

Train Like a Yogi and Integrate strength training into your practice to find the core of the bandhas.

When we consider the practice of modern yoga, we can consider using all the tools available to us from the equipment at the gym to techniques from physical therapy, physical fitness, and strength training.

Using everything available to us in the context of yoga can help us to be more intelligent in how we use our body in practice. I have seen first-hand how strength training can help with some of the more challenging asanas. Strength training gives power to our larger muscle groups for strong poses like handstands. Done with awareness, strength training can also help us become more adept at yoga’s subtle effects. One of the most subtle and important actions that we enjoy in yoga is the ability to engage our bandhas.

Bandhas, Fitness, Strength, and Yoga

The Sanskrit word bandha translates as ‘lock.’ In the West, the bandhas that we most often speak of are mula bhanda (root lock), and uddiana bandha (abdominal lock). There is a third bandha less commonly practiced, at the jaw (jalandhara bandha); and the fourth, which is engaging all three bandhas (maha bandha).
Mula bandha refers to the root lock. Some systems describe this as being similar to a Kegel exercise (controlling the pubococcygeus muscle or PC muscle as you might when you need to urinate). There is a very clear sense of lifting the muscles of the pelvic floor when practicing the root lock. During advanced breathing exercises, this lift can be experienced as a subtle heat that helps to contain the energy in the body at the root. If this sounds a bit elusive, it can feel that way in yoga too. The exercise I have found that helps to teach this pelvic floor lift is borrowed from the worlds of fitness and physical therapy.

The Swiss ball has many names: physio ball, stability ball, even birthing ball. Originally it began its life as a physical therapy tool in Switzerland, and has made its way into American gyms as an effective device for training the stabilizers of the body. By sitting and bouncing on the Swiss ball while keeping your feet hooked under it, you can feel a contraction in your hamstrings. After about five or six jumps, you can also locate a feeling of ‘lifting’ in your pelvic floor. You have to lift the muscles of the pelvic floor to get an effective bounce. This is a way to experience what the muscles should be doing when practicing mula bandha.

Rather than sitting calmly and imagining the pelvic floor muscles lifting (which usually leads to making funny faces), you can feel the lift and apply it to your jumps in vinyasa class or practice. When the instructor says “engage mula bandha,” or “lift your pelvic floor,” or the even more challenging cue, “float into chaturanga,” you will know which muscles to lift and how, by feeling them while enjoying the ball exercise. I say “enjoying” intentionally, because it really is a lot of fun to bounce on the ball.

Uddiyana Bandha and the Ab Sling

Uddiyana bandha refers to the lock that is created at the abdomen. The word uddiyana means to “fly up.” Again, this is a concept that can feel a little intangible. How exactly are we supposed to feel our belly fly up and lock? For those who have started to practice different pranayama techniques, you have probably begun to notice that at the end of the exhalation, there is a feeling of lifting the lower abdomen up and in. At the end of an exhalation, the diaphragm moves up (to help push the air out), and our deeper belly muscles (the transverse abdominis or TVA) contract in so there is a sensation of the waist being smaller and the breath moving up and out. I have found that there is an exercise that we practice at the gym that can help us to feel this lift and contraction of the waist muscles. The ab sling has been around for many years and is a great way to train to feel uddiyana bandha.

With the ab sling attached to a stable/fixed bar, you can place your upper arms in the slings and hold on with your hands. Exhale, and lift your knees towards your chest. You can also take the knees side to side.

In the gym this is used to train the TVA, the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles), and the obliques. You can apply this type of training as a functional exercise for handstands, jump backs, and the jump through to a seated position. In order to effectively float forward and back in your vinyasa practice, the deeper belly muscles have to be trained to contract at the end of your exhalation. That is why you will hear your yoga teacher saying something like “empty all of the breath and then jump to the front of the mat.”

While some purists may say that we need to practice more pranayama to learn the bandhas, there are absolutely ways that we can train our anatomy to support these actions.

Functional Test

Once you feel comfortable with the jump on the ball and the ab sling exercise, you can test your ability to engage your bandhas with a traditional pull-up at the gym. Find a fixed/stable bar at the gym or your local park. Place your hands (facing you to recruit your biceps) a little wider than shoulder’s distance apart and lift your chin towards the bar. Inhale as you straighten your arms and lower your body. Exhale and lift your body again.

Notice how the top of the movement is the end of the exhalation, and that is your prime opportunity to feel the lift in the pelvic floor and the lift and contraction of the abdomen. Once you can feel these actions, you have begun to support the anatomical actions that house the energy of the bandhas.

Bonus Movement for Our Modern World

While the ancient yogis of the texts were exploring the inner worlds of bandhas and pranayama, modern yogis have the added postural stress of present-day life. We drive in cars, work at computers, and lean forward a lot more as a result of longer windows of sitting.

The TRX row can work to strengthen the rhomboids which help us to stand up straight. It is also a movement that can strengthen the mid-trapezius and build stability for upward rotation of the scapula. Just like backbends can be a counter pose for hunching over, the row can train and strengthen the muscles of the mid-back to provide stability.

For the TRX back row, keep your body straight and lean back to approximately a 45 degree angle with the floor. Using an overhand grip, row the handles back towards your shoulders, feeling your shoulder blades moving in towards your spine. Repeat for three to four sets of 12-15 reps remembering to exhale on the exertion, which in this case refers to the shoulder blades drawing back and together.

Photo of Desi Bartlett by Fluid Frame Photography

Putting it all together in Handstand

Handstands are not just asana gymnastics. They are a prime opportunity to apply your strength and knowledge of bandhas. Begin with your hands shoulder width apart. Take a deep breath in and out. At the end of your exhalation, float (or slow kick with control) up into your handstand. At the end of each exhalation, feel the pelvic floor lifting (in this case towards your head because you are upside down).

At the same time, feel the deeper belly muscles draw in and support the lift. The pelvic floor muscles and the deeper abdominal muscles interdigitate, meaning that they connect sort of like interlaced fingers. When you find the relationship between the breath and the bandhas, floating is a lot more fun and you can play with variations.

Photo of Desi Bartlett in Handstand by Fluid Frame Photography

Integration

Movement is medicine. Movement brings strength, encourages flexibility, increases endurance, and establishes sustainable posture. Yoga gives us the gift of going within and finding inner strength and peace, in addition to powerfully training our tonic muscles; the muscles responsible for long holds and posture. A program of mind-body fitness gives us the amazing benefit of functional strength. We can train for our daily activities in a way that allows us to apply that strength and remain empowered in all that we do.

Fitness activities—specifically weight training—train the phasic muscles of our body, which are the muscles responsible for short bursts of activity and heavy lifting. By uniting the strength training techniques found in the fitness world with the breath, awareness, posture, and meditative techniques of yoga, we reap the benefits of training both the tonic and phasic systems, which provides a balanced means of being in the body. It’s also fun to play in the gym and bring that spirit of play into our work with bandhas and then into our inversion practice.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

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The female body is miraculous and ever-changing. The pre-pregnancy body is often the body that we are attached to; we have that body for many years and it feels comfortable and familiar. The pregnant body is a wild and wonderful adventure into daily changes of shape, size, and weight distribution. The post-baby body is not the same as the pre-pregnancy body; people may assume that this means that the new body is heavier or carries extra inches around the waist. In fact, the opposite can be true; the post-baby body can be stronger and leaner. How is this possible? In a word… Postpartum Pilates.

Pilates helps us to love our bodies, because there is both the feeling of a return to center, as we connect to our “powerhouse,” as well as the aesthetic benefit of having a longer, leaner torso. We look stronger, because we are stronger. The powerhouse muscles are the source of this strength. Powerhouse refers to your abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, lower back, and gluteal muscles. In order to activate these muscles correctly, it is important to be mindful of our movements, and focus on the details that help the body train effectively and efficiently.

Two fantastic movements for focusing on your powerhouse after baby are bridge, and double knee lift. It is not necessary to enjoy these movements with your baby, but it is a lot of fun.

photos by Victoria Davis

Bridge

Bridge is a great exercise for gaining strength in your lower body, specifically in your gluteal muscles. Begin with your feet hips width apart, and a neutral pelvis (not tucked). If you are working with baby, place your baby on your lap and hold baby steady with your hands. If your baby does not yet have neck control, it is fine for baby to lie on your chest. Slowly lift your hips to the sky. At the very top of the movement, feel the gluteal muscles contract, and hold for five seconds. Slowly lower your hips, controlling the speed of the descent. Work towards three sets of 15. If you would like to sing “London Bridge,” to your baby during the exercise, it can lead to some really great belly laughs.

Double Knee Lift

The double knee lift can increase the strength of your lower abdomen. Begin lying down on your back with a neutral pelvis. If you are enjoying the movement with your baby, it is often easier to start the exercise sitting up so that you can help place the baby on your shins. Either way, you will begin the movement lying down with both knees bent in towards your chest at a slight angle (as shown). It is normal for the ribs to flare out a little after pregnancy, so think about grounding your ribcage at your bra line. Begin to lift your legs up towards 90 degrees (until the feet are parallel with the floor) and contract your abdominal muscles as you do. Traditionally this is done with the hands behind the head and the upper body lifted to engage the upper portion of the abdominal wall also. This variation is a gentle way to ease back into core work after baby.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

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The post Love Your Post Baby Body with Easy Postpartum Pilates Exercises appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

The Sanskrit word santosha means contentment. Contentment is a slippery idea: If we say that we are not content, or feeling discontented, there are those who will look upon us as being ungrateful, or needing to work harder. If we say that we are content, there is sometimes the illusion of complacency. How can we teach our children gratitude and contentment, when we often struggle with our own relationship to contentment and what it means?

In order to teach something, it is important to fully understand it ourselves. One of my favorite definitions for the word contentment is “an ease of heart.” This implies that the need to struggle has been lifted, and we can flow with the waves of life. As parents, if we remember the first time that we settled into a chair embracing our newborn children, then we can remember the magical moment when we felt not just an ease of heart, but also a filling of the heart.

Children are naturally pretty content with whatever activity they are absorbed in at the moment, but with the challenge of so much advertising teaching them to ‘want’ more, how can we as parents help them to maintain the contentment of living in the moment? The holiday season is a perfect opportunity to explore this with our children. During Thanksgiving, it is customary to speak of that which we are thankful for in our lives. Thankfulness for what we do have, and an awareness of the richness of the familial bond can help bring a sense of safety and contentment to our children. Here are some simple activities that you can try at home to help cultivate gratitude, and ultimately contentment.

Toddlers: Ask them who they love. They will often say mommy, daddy, grandparents or the family pet. As parents, we can draw an outline of these people and pets, and let them color it in. Place it on the fridge, and bring it to the holiday table. Not only will children have pride in their artwork, but they will have a budding awareness of the richness of family love. Just a little heads up on this tip, hearing your child talk about who they love can lead to tears of joy in mommy and daddy. Have a handkerchief nearby.

Grammar School Kids: Now we can start to ask our kids who and what they are grateful for. Younger kids can paint a picture of those that they are grateful for and share it on Thanksgiving. Older kids can write letters of gratitude to whomever they feel grateful. This is also a time when we can talk about our philosophical and spiritual beliefs. If your child says that they are grateful to God, Divine Spirit, Mother Nature; have then write a letter to the Divine. This is an opportunity to enrich the feeling of belonging, as well as being loved, protected and guided.

Teenagers: Meditation and pranayama are fantastic tools for teaching santosha. Next time you are headed to your Yoga class, call the studio and see what age requirements they have for practicing. Many studios will allow participants ages 13 years and older to attend class. Or there may be classes scheduled for this age group. The meditation, the deep breathing, as well as postures, can promote a sense of gratitude. Talk with your teenager after class about what they enjoyed, and what they are grateful for. Feeling grateful for time together, grateful for a strong healthy body, or other qualities mentioned, is a way to segue onto the topic of contentment. This can be especially important during this stage of life when many kids are facing body image issues, issues with bullying, and issues of acceptance.

Let us remember all that we are grateful for in our lives, especially the miracle of our sons and daughters. As we start to grow in our own feelings of gratitude and contentment, we model this for our children, and teach them about an ‘ease of the heart.’ We can also show our children simple ways to express their gratitude, and ultimately, their feelings of contentment.

Let our hearts overflow with thankfulness ––Colossians 2:7

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

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Many of us in the Yoga community believe in the idea of reincarnation. If you subscribe to this thought, then perhaps you have had the awareness that your child is wise far beyond their years. Sometimes it feels like we are living with ancient, wise Buddhas, who just happen to be running around in Seventh Generation diapers. These beautiful beings have much to teach us, especially with respect to the practice of Yoga.

Many Yoga teacher training programs take the time to teach alignment, pranayama, sometimes even meditation and if we’re lucky, basic Yogic philosophy. As parents, we are in a unique position to learn some of the most profound teachings in the sanctity of our own family. Two lessons that we can learn from our children are Beginner’s Mind and Staying in the Moment.

Photo: Adam Latham, angeladam.com

Beginner’s Mind

Witnessing a child’s delight when experiencing nature for the first time can be a powerful reminder to see the world through fresh eyes. Watching a toddler arrive at the beach can be a magical moment. The whole beach is like a giant sandbox waiting to be explored. The best part is that the enchanted reaction happens anew almost every time that they arrive. This awareness, this sense of delight, with no judgment and no projection, can be a powerful reminder to approach the Yoga mat as a fresh, magical place of discovery every time that we practice.

If you have ever practiced next to someone who was mumbling expletives under their breath when falling out of a balance pose, or turning bright purple from holding their breath in an inversion, then you have seen what Yoga looks like when the innocence of child-like play has been lost. Many teachers cue to maintain a childlike approach to the practice, but what does that mean and how can you both learn that approach and learn to teach it (if you are a teacher, not just of Yoga, but all studies)?

If we take the time to observe our children, we can learn the technique.

This four-part technique involves:
1) Slowing down.
2) Letting the inner smile rise.
3) Looking at the mat as a place for exploration and play and…
4) Getting over ourselves. (The practice is not a performance nor a place for comparison to others).

Next time you are practicing a particularly challenging sequence, try these steps and see if you can discover something new, joyous and magical in the intimacy of the marriage of breath and movement.

Staying in the Moment

This is perhaps the single most challenging practice to learn and to teach. It seems to be innate in adults, that there is an almost constant review of the past, “I should have said this, or I wish I would have done that,” and/or an incredible amount of list making for the future. Staying completely centered in the present, in this moment, in this breath, is sort of like taming a wild cat; it can get a little ugly.

Again, we can look to children for our lesson on staying present. If you have ever spent any time with a two-year-old, you know that toddlers are always in the moment. They want to do whatever it is that they want to do, and they want to do it NOW!!! When these amazing little people are on swings or slides, or just singing a song, there is no thought of, “Oh I wish I would not have cc’ed that person on that email,” or “Maybe I should change my Facebook status.” There is only pure, rapt attention on the task at hand. The best part about learning this technique is that you can do so through spending time with your child, playing and having fun.

The next time you have an hour free, try putting away all electronics and commit to following your child’s activity. Allow yourself to be fully present and truly engaged in whatever they are doing. Not only will you experience the freedom of living in the moment, but you will give your child the gift of a parent who is present on all levels; physically, mentally and emotionally. Imagine if all of our parents had been able to connect with us in this way, even for an hour a day. In the words of the Van Halen song, “Right Now… It means everything.”

Our children are truly our gurus. They are beloved souls that have come into our lives to teach us innumerable lessons. Call it destiny, karma, or the divine will, out of all of the millions of possibilities in this world, you and your child came together. So, slow down, and take notes on their approach to life. Even better, don’t take notes, because that might take you out of the moment. Try to see the world through their eyes. Everything is new, everything is amazing, and everything that matters is happening right now!

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

The post Conscious Parenting: Our Children, Our Teachers appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Desi Bartlett

Practice Pages: English

Finding A Style Of Practicing Yoga Which Speaks To You

DISCOVERING WHICH STYLE of Yoga speaks to you is largely a matter of taste. In Sanskrit, the word rasa means essence. When you are describing something’s rasa, you are talking about the qualities it has, the feeling behind those qualities, the flavor. Just as each being has its own essence, so does each style of Yoga. Some styles are infused with a lot of emphasis on the spiritual and meditative aspects of the practice, while others spend great amounts of time refining the physical details of the postures and others have more emphasis on a strong, athletic form of movement.

Yoga means union, which can be seen as uniting the individual with the divine or uniting the physical and spiritual aspects of self. Different styles of Yoga approach this union differently. Some techniques work from the inside out while others from the outside in. Discovering the feeling of bliss that comes from the practice is a matter of finding which style speaks to you. Perhaps in practicing you will be surprised by what you enjoy. You might find that you are attracted to a style that is completely different from your normal way of doing things. This can be a wonderful exploration into balance.

Achieving balance is a daily practice. Some days we need a little more output, some days a little more input, some days call for stillness. I encourage you to learn more about some of the styles of Yoga listed below, and get an idea of the rasa which it carries. Then, go out and try two or three different styles. It has been my experience that different styles attract us during different times of our lives.

Some schools of thought encourage you to stick with one style of Yoga, because it might conflict with the teachings of another. Most of the differences are in the physical technique, and the body can adjust accordingly. Once you find the style, the class, the teacher, the time of day which feels right to you, you will know, because you will want to keep going back. In the meantime, explore your options. Try a few different classes. Maybe you will enjoy a strong Ashtanga practice three days a week, and a candelight meditation once a week. Play, explore, and discover the rasa of your personal practice.

Yoga means union, which can be seen as uniting the individual with the divine or uniting the physical and spiritual aspects of self. Different styles of Yoga approach this union differently. Some techniques work from the inside out while others from the outside in.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga ‘Ha,’ means sun, ‘tha’ means moon, and Yoga means union. This style of Yoga seeks to unite the masculine and feminine principles of self, the polarities which exist within. The masculine principles are more solar or yang, and relate to strength and action, the feminine principles are more lunar or yin, and relate to creativity and emotion. The blending of these two energies helps to imbue the practice of Yoga with a sense of balance. Hatha Yoga helps to teach us that there is strength in softness, and softness in strength. Hatha is the most common style of Yoga practiced in the West. Many of the named styles, such as Iyengar, Ashtanga (as taught by the late Shri K. Pattabhi Jois), Bikram, Anusara, Viniyoga, Integral Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, vinyasa flow, power Yoga and Yin Yoga are all different varieties or ways to practice Hatha Yoga. Kundalini Yoga, as disseminated by Yogi Bhajan and his students, was a formerly secretive energetic practice that includes breathing techniques (pranayama), postures (asana), chanting (mantra) and meditation.

Once an obscure form of Yoga, the ancient practice of Hatha Yoga was revitalized in the last century by a number of teachers from India, including Swami Satchitananda, Swami Vishnudevananda, Bishnu Charan Ghosh and perhaps most famously, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, who taught, among others, Indra Devi, Srivasta Ramaswami, B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and the recently deceased Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. Krishnmacharya paid great attention to detail with a lot of focus given to asana practice. Hatha Yoga is the basis for most of the styles practiced today, and can be practiced in a gentle or more challenging manner. If you are going to attend a Hatha Yoga class, consider speaking to the instructor first, and discussing their philosophy and approach to the practice.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

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The post Discovering Your Yoga Style appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

LA Yoga Magazine: July/August 2009

LIKE MANY TRADITIONS, Yoga is handed down from one generation to the next and is often shared within families. In my own family, my mother was a dedicated Yogini. My mother’s guru (teacher) was Goswami Kriyananda, the founder of the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago. I can remember going to initiation as a little girl, and receiving my first mantra [sacred syllable] when I was six years old. I learned pranayama [work with the breath] and meditation when I was very young and continue to practice these techniques daily.

Now that I am a mother, I am excited to share Yoga with my son Cruz. I practiced Yoga throughout my pregnancy, and went back to the physical practice when he was six weeks old. I would lay him down on my mat, and go through my own practice while he cooed and giggled at me. After a few weeks he started to get a little anxious because he wanted to move too! I started to pick him up and involve him more in my practice. This was the birth of our personal Mommy & Me Yoga classes, classes that provided the inspiration for a weekly class I teach that is open to mothers with babies ranging in age from four to thirteen months.

I experimented with many different Yoga postures to see what made sense to share with my son, and what was best to do on my own. Some of the postures I practiced with him happened to be postures that strengthened and toned the muscles that were overstretched during pregnancy. My physical benefits from our practice include core strength, opening the chest (often tight from breast feeding) and toning the upper arms. The emotional benefit of connecting with my son and sharing the gift of Yoga has been amazing. Watching his joy of movement is truly inspirational.

In class settings, helping new moms rediscover their physical strength while spending quality time bonding with their baby has been a joy. Each mother has her own journey into parenthood, and every day there is a new story to share. For this reason, we begin our class with each mom sharing something that happened that week with her baby. A new tooth, sleeping through the night, and discovering solid foods are all cause for celebration. The babies delight in visiting with their friends, and dancing with mommy. I believe that they are also learning about the importance of health and wellness, as their mother models this behavior for them in such a positive way.

The learning is not just a one-way street. The babies in the Mommy & Me Yoga classes are natural yogis and powerful teachers. So much of what we learn in Yoga involves staying in the present moment and not getting lost in past events or anticipating the future. Babies are completely in the moment and eager to engage in movement. Also, practicing beginner’s mind and attitude – including laughing when we fall can be incredibly challenging for an adult, but is second nature to the little ones. The babies teach us to have a sense of humor, go with the flow, to stay present and to embrace change. These are powerful lessons for new (and experienced) moms. Yoga means union. The connection between the mother and baby is a beautiful example of the living tradition of Yoga. The familial bond is a form of union with the divine. We slow our breath down, stay in the moment, and fully absorb the gift of family.

Boat Pose: Desi Barlett

Flying Baby: Place the baby with his torso on your shins, draw your knees towards you and then straighten your legs.

Boat Pose (above): Lift your legs to a 45 degree angle (you can bend your knees to modify) with your upper body leaning back and the chest rising. Feel the strength in your belly as you hold your little one.

Tree Pose (previous page): Place the baby on your hip, as you lift your foot to the inside of your standing leg and find a deep sense of inner and outer balance.

Going to a Mommy (and Daddy) & Me Class: A number of studios offer Mommy (and Daddy!) & Me classes. Check schedules (which can change often) and ask questions about the class before attending to find the right fit for you and your baby. Some classes focus more on the mother’s Yoga practice while the baby is watching and lying on the mat. Other classes have a much more interactive focus on parent and child. A variety of postures can be practiced with the baby in your arms.

The class etiquette in a parent/child class is different from an adult class. Babies always come first, so if your little one is getting fussy or needs a diaper change, everyone in the room understands. Remember to take cues from your child. They will let you know if they need to move more, or if they just need a hug. In any case, it can be a fun bonding experience filled with some giggles, some breath and some sweat.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

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The post Mommy And Me Yoga appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

When I first brought my baby home, I was filled with love, joy, and a healthy dose of terror. How could I let him know how much I love him? What if the mattress in the crib was too stiff and hurt his spine (This particular fear was accompanied vivid by visions of the muscles in his back becoming tight and rigid.)? What if McCain won the election, what legacy would my little boy inherit? The list of my fears for and about my son went on and on. After a few days of these thoughts, I had to take control of the wild horses running around my mind. I was in fact the one driving the chariot, so it was time to take the reins.

Whenever I teach, I often begin with the instruction, “Close your eyes and go within.” In order to take the reins and find balance, I decided to take my own advice. I closed my eyes and slowed my breath. As I did, I could feel my thoughts also becoming slower.

When I prayed to know the best technique for finding a sense of peace, the word I heard in this meditative state was ‘balance.’ As soon as I heard this knew how to proceed: pranayama.

There are many different types of breathing techniques (pranayama) used in Yoga. One of the most simple and most common is ujayii pranayama, which means ‘victorious breath.’ With this breath, we feel a sense of reenergizing the body and we cultivate an innate sense of balance between the inhalation and the exhalation. Ujayii teaches us to balance how much we take in with how much we let go.

To practice ujayii, breathe deeply through the nose only and very slightly constrict the back of the throat. You will feel a little vibration in the back of the throat, in an area known as the glottis. As the glottis vibrates, you will hear a bit of sound similar to the ocean’s waves. The breath should be loud enough so that it is audible to you, but not forced or artificial. Allow the inhalation to completely fill your belly and chest (imagine it rising all the way from your belly to your collarbones). On the exhalation, slowly release the air, gauging the speed so that the inhalation and exhalation become equal in length. There should be a slight warming effect in the body, which is very pleasant and calming in nature.

I know this form of breathing intimately. She is like an old friend that gives me a warm embrace each time that I greet her. In my practice, as I connected to this slow, rhythmic breathing, I could finally guide those wild horses in the direction that I chose. For me, it was in the direction of peaceful, balanced thoughts. As I experienced inner peace, fears started to fade into the distance and were replaced by a pervasive feeling of unconditional love for my child. I realized that in allowing myself to receive the benefits of this technique, I was in fact giving my son the gift of a happy, healthy, balanced mommy.

I encourage mothers of all ages to enjoy a few minutes of ujayii pranayama. As you do, connect to a sense of balance between the energy that you give and the energy that you receive (the in breath and the out breath). Enjoy the benefits of this ‘victorious breath,’ and feel it balancing your inner rhythm, the rhythm of motherhood.

Desi Bartlett

Desi Bartlett MS, CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for more than 20 years. Originally from Chicago, she has a degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in corporate fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, personal training, group fitness, and is a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist.

desibartlett.com

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