DC Metro Mom

I wanted to share with all the moms out there a look at lil omm in our new space in Tenleytown and how you don't have to be a "yogi" to enjoy the benefits of yoga.

Many women come to yoga during pregnancy and/or for a mom/baby class and have not had the pleasure of studying for years before parenting... I really feel the BENEFITS of studying yoga are just fully coming into bloom NOW!
Backbends, balancing, heart openers, inversions,  forward bends, mediation...all have implications for our physical mat practice, our parenting practice and our OWN self awareness.

After a recent conversation with a friend about balance I wrote some thoughts about the connection between our balancing postures and our lives. No, this is not a polished essay, more just thoughts. I'd love for you to share your as well. (See the beautiful Yanna balancing so well below!)

How do you want to BALANCE your precious time? I want my children  to have plenty of mommy time but see me working in a way that helps this world. That creates peace and healthy living for families- where I am connected to others and working on service- giving my life in a meaningful way to things that are important to me.

There are many benefits of practicing balance postures such as an increased awareness strength our in our physical body starting from the feet and moving up the body to an increased awareness of our own thought patterns and  tendencies. For example, while standing in tree pose we can notice how we stand, where we lean and bring ourselves back into alignment. The same is true in our lives, we can step back when we feel out of balance and see what areas are pulling us down or off of our center, and we have a chance to re-align ourselves.

In yoga, our postures often represent more than just what physical arises on the mat. In balancing postures, we “ground down” with our feet in order to rise up with our heart and to align our skeletal system, bring ourselves into a full expression of  the pose and ourselves. Balancing poses give us a chance to notice our patterns and practice new ways to come into the pose and new strategies to come FULLY into our life.

When you come into a poses there are often has physical and mental implications. One benefit of yoga is the centering and realigning that occurs with your body and your life. Balancing postures help us to center our selves physically and mentally.

Able to help clear the path of intuition for raising my family, living with intention, what do I want to do with my time? Who do I want to spend it with- living with intention and clarity and returning to the mat, cushion, nature,  movement to help give me space and clarity.

How do you balance?

For me, Yoga is as  Judith Lasater has said, “When one is deeply in the state of yoga, who you are really is most evident, and when we are most truly ourselves, we express what yoga truly is.” She went on to liken yoga to the actions of a sculptor uncovering the shape already present in the stone, removing the obstacles to letting whatever is present reveal itself, shine forth." 

It's heavy. It's slow and it's really not pretty.
ME- back out there on the sidewalks of DC, jogging (walking quickly), trying to run, trying to MOVE my body! AGH!!!!

I love to run. I love to run outside, but these days...it's just not coming so easily...I always have the jogging stroller out and there is always someone attached to it (our dog, Miller, the car seat with Milo) or Saylor inside reading a book, singing me a song or yelling "run mama run" ... I tell her "I'm trying". She says "go faster" ... I tell her "I'm trying!!"

The thing is ...I was NOT always a runner, by any means. As a child, I was overweight and very tall. Growing up, sports were not my thing. Meaning... I WAS ALWAYS LAST! Last to be picked, last to run the 600 on field day and then later in life, last for the timed mile. All of that made me very, very sad, and really hate running. Embarrassed really.

Fast forward many years... and I find yoga, I quit the gym and all the sudden I have this ENORMOUS desire to run outside. Shortly after that I signed up for my first half marathon and started training. I took it very seriously and I "learned" to run and ever since then, I have enjoyed outdoor jogging. I don't compete with anyone, I just enjoy my breath and movement linked, the outdoor air... it's really great without a jogging stroller as well... but I have not done that in so long I don't even remember!

Now, I am working on getting this baby weight off. It's really tough. I feel like EVERYONE I know who has had their 2nd (or 3rd) baby looks amazing right after the baby, and looses all the weight SO FAST. I am really struggling with the extra pounds b/c it's making my jogging MUCH slower, much heavier and hurting my knee,  not to mention the extra pounds in my yoga practice...plow pose is VERY interesting.

I know in time, it will pass, the weight will come off, and I will feel like myself, in my body again... "9 months on , 9 months off" they say... 

Yoga inspired me to change my life.
Yoga inspired me to change my career.

Once upon a time, I taught little ones in NE/SE DC how to read, play, love, and laugh...then yoga inspired me to change the direction of my life by leaving my career in education.

Yoga inspired me to GO FOR IT and leave DC Schools to work for a no name company called lululemon, first part time and then full time as something called a "community leader".

Yoga THEN inspired me to dream about opening lil omm and having babies, both of which I did in the years that followed.

Yoga has opened my eyes and pinched me to see the light, to unveil, to see my TRUE self and to open up in a blog, and in life to be REAL. To let you all know when I'm scared or happy or unsure...

What has yoga inspired YOU to do?

This New Year, Fight Fatigue and Find Happy

Come one, come all to the lil omm Holiday Party this Sunday, January 8 from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm! Connect with other lil omm students, teachers, family and friends!

A $5 donation is suggested to benefit our after-school yoga program at Wilson High School.

Drop-ins welcome or you can RSVP here: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=8811

" Realize that you are already perfect. You are there. You can breathe a sigh of relief." -zenhabits

 
In an effort to change the “Pilates is only for chicks” mentality, Fuse Pilates Playground located in DC’s Dupont Circle, is partnering with the Los Angeles-based men’s cancer organization, Movember.

Tooth decay has become not only a U.S. epidemic with 4.5 million children developing severe tooth decay every year, but a global problem as well.  If left untreated severe tooth decay can cause:

“ it’s deep in my heart, it’s deep in my soul. "  -Jai Uttal, Kirtan for Kids

She doesn't know Gaga or Beyonce..  

I have the best job in DC.  I really , really don't like to brag about it. ...because honestly it's a ton of work.  But , there's no doubt in my mind that teaching yoga in Washington, DC is the best job. The joy, peace and calm that we bring to people is unbelievably rewarding.  My children are growing up around positive , motivated and kind people who embrace them with love. This community that we are building is growing..

I recently had the honor to go and see Thich Nhat Hanh at the Warner Theater in DC. He is a teacher, a spiritual leader and a Zen master. He lives at Plum Village in France. One of the things that most attracts me to his teachings and his Sangha ( community) is the way they embrace families and children on the spiritual path. They have family retreats and welcome children to their center and they have published a number of children’s books (awesome).

I am happy to welcome new blogger Pleasance from the lil omm blog and lil omm yoga.

Breast cancer strikes one in eight women nationwide, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Although the survival rate is increasing, a lot more work and research needs to be done. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, nationally recognized health and wellness expert Dr. “Ro” gives us her top picks for products that are showing their support and going “pink” for the cause.

See my interview with DC Metro area local, Dr. Rovenia M. Brock. Dr. Ro is the author of "Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets To Livin’ Healthy".   For additional information about Dr. Ro, visit www.EverythingRo.Com.