Friday, March 28, 2008

A Big Idea

We love big ideas here at Blooma! Without big ideas, there wouldn't be a Blooma :-) So when our friends embark on their own big ideas, the least we can do is send good vibes their way and help spread the love by sharing the news. Check out this big, amazing idea from Angela Herlofsky:

Hi Friends.
Well, I have recently taken on the biggest challenge of my life. An organization called 'Off the Mat into the World', started by Seane Corn, one of my very best favorite Yogi's, has put out a challenge that I couldn't resist.

The Challenge: Raise $20,000 by December 31st.

For who?
90% for the Cambodian Children's Fund, 10% for Off the Matt.

The reward:
To be a part of the mission trip to Cambodia, to work with children in the 5 orphanages created by The Cambodain Children's Fund; to make a significant donation to the fund to change the lives of children, forever. As a group we will be bringing over $500,000 to this community. The money will go directly to the children in the form of being able to take in more children, providing them housing, food, education, life skills, and culture. Also, our money will go towards giving the community a well with clean water.

Why these Children? Why this organization?
If you know the history of Cambodia, you know that the genocide that occurred there wiped out the upper class of Cambodian society, in hopes of having an easier time controlling the poor class. The children here are the descendants of that poor class. They are some of the most poverty-stricken in the world, most are hungry, many suffer abuse and neglect. Some sell their bodies for food. These children work in the garbage dump for 12+ hours a day to make 30-50 cents a day. It's the mission of the CCF to literally go into the dumps, and get children to come and live in the orphanages. Many of them are not orphans at all, but since they support their families, it can be a challenge for the organization to convince families to sacrifice the income for their child's future. This is part of the work.

The other aspect of this journey is that it includes Leadership Training. OTM is looking for people in the Yoga community to rise up as leaders to form a community to continue to do amazing work like this in the future. It is just a beginning. It will be an amazing learning opportunity for me to learn skills, and make connections that will foster a future of humanitarian work.

As my friends and colleagues, I will be asking for your support in the next several months. I will need help with many things. Part of the reason I took on this challenge is that I know that I have an amazing group of people around me. I am very blessed. If you know me, you know that this is totally out of my comfort zone. I hate selling things, and I hate asking for things. After watching the video of these children, I know that they can't advocate for themselves. They can't. I can. I can do this. But I need your help too.

I welcome your support in many ways. I have some ideas in the works, but if you know of a way I can raise some cash, I am open to all ideas. I may even be forming a support/action circle, so if you want to be involved in that, let me know.

Thank-you for listening, and I thank-you for your love and support.

Much love,
Angela Herlofsky
aherlofsky AT msn DOT com

Thursday, March 27, 2008

TM@B: This Month at Blooma, April 2008

We know there's a ton to check out on the Blooma web site, especially when it comes to workshops and events. Here's a quick, clean glance at the many exciting things taking place at the studio in April:

* HypnoBirthing
Thursdays: 4-week series
April 3, 10, 17 & 24
7-9pm, $300 (save $50 this month only!).

* Prenatal Yoga Series for Couples
Sundays: 4-week series
April 6, 13, 20 & 27
12:30-2:30pm, $140

* Family Yoga
Saturday, April 12
3-4pm, $35

* Swami Mommies
(all care providers welcome!) Sundays: 6-week series
April 13, 20, 27 & May 4, 11, 18
5:30-7:30pm, $150


* Yoga Bonding Teacher Training Weekend Intensive
April 18, 19 & 20, $300

* Enlightened Mama
Saturdays: 2-day intensive
April 26 & May 3
12:30-6:30pm, $175


* Prenatal Yoga Intensive for Couples
Sunday, April 27
2:45-5:15pm, $75

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Blooma Belly Prenatal Praises

Hope springs eternal this time of year, and that seems to be inspiring all kinds of happy emails here at Blooma. Here's a little love note from Blooma mama Heidi S.:

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the prenatal class … it truly was the best way to start my weekend! This is my third pregnancy, so the class really gave me the chance to just stop and enjoy the life growing inside me. With two other small kiddos at home, it was just what I needed to savor this pregnancy!

Thanks also for making it feel like such a safe environment, and for making the first-timers, like me, feel so welcome and at home. It’s been months since I’ve done yoga, and just the assurance to focus on yourself was wonderful.

I look forward to my next yoga session with the other “mamas to be”!

Friday, March 14, 2008

What BYOB Means to Me

We thought we'd share a little love note we got from new-to-Blooma mama Meredith T. She tells us:

I recently stumbled upon your studio and just love it. I attended my first BYOB Crawlers class there yesterday (Thursday, 12:30) with my son Sam and left there feeling so excited that I finally found the class I've been looking for for so long. But as I was leaving, I heard that this class might be discontinued as of April because no one is signing up! Please reconsider discontinuing this class. I guarantee the reason people aren't signing up is because not enough people know about it. I personally cannot attend next week because I have family in town, but plan to attend the last Thursday in March.

I have a whole new appreciation for these types of parent/child classes because I lived in Iowa for a brief period last year and I had a very difficult time trying to find interesting classes or activities to do with my infant son. When we came back here I realized how fortunate we are to live in a community that offers such a variety of things to do for parents with infants and toddlers. I developed a real liking of yoga when I was pregnant and kept looking for a class I could take with my son since he was about 6 months old but never found it until Blooma came along.

So thank you for this great class! I hope you will keep it on your schedule!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Baby Bellies ... and Beyond!

A common misperception about Blooma is that you have to be pregnant to take a class here. Not so! Of course, we do love mamas and their babies, and those baby bellies. But first and foremost, we're about women and their families. Which means we offer a lot more than just prenatal classes! About a half-dozen times a week, we get together for the "and beyond" part of Blooma's schedule to enjoy Yoga for You. Come check it out!
  • Monday 11am-12:15pm, with childcare
  • Tuesday 7:30pm-8:45pm
  • Wednesday 11am-12:15pm, with childcare (also at 8:30am, beginning April 2!)
  • Thursday 6am-7am
  • Friday 9am, 11am, and 2pm, with childcare
  • Saturday 7:45am-9:15am

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Blooma Blossom: Baby Cole

Baby Cole
March 6, 2008
8 pounds
21 inches

Monday, March 3, 2008

Stack the Vote!

You know we love all you Blooma mamas out there, but we gotta admit that, this week, Brianna is our fave! This lovely mama-to-be is one of five finalists in the model search for Pregnancy & Newborn magazine. Brianna gave a little shout out to Blooma in her bio, and you know how we like to share the love. Vote for Brianna!