Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sweat with Kristy--again!

Woo-hoo! She's back! We were all so bummed when Kristy Oatman announced in November that she was moving back to Denver. Now we're thrilled that she's home for a short visit, and we are so lucky to have her back in the studio THIS Monday!

Join Kristy for her fantastic Yoga for You class! She's teaching twice on Monday, March 2:
  • 9:30am-10:30 am Yoga for You with childcare
    and
  • 10:45am-12pm Yoga for You with childcare
Let's pack the studio for Kristy! Grab a friend or three, and join us for the yoga buzz that always makes Kristy's classes so special.

Make sure you get your spot in this rockin' class, and your spot in child care if you need it. Register online or call the studio at 952.848.1111.

See you Monday!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

This Month at Blooma: March

TM@B
Workshops & events March 2009

* Baby Disco night
Sat., Feb. 28, 5:30-7pm, $28/family

* Intuitive Healing workshop
Sat., Feb. 28, 2-4:30pm, $40

*
Enlightened Baby baby care classes
Tuesdays: March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
12:15pm-1:45pm, $18 or class pass

* Hypnobirthing
Thursdays, 7-9pm, March 5, 12, 19, 26, $350

* Couples Dance Class
Fridays, March 6, 13, 20, 27. 7:30-8:45pm, $110

* BYOB Partners
Sat., March 7, 2-3:30pm, $30

* Family Yoga
Sat. March 7, 4-5pm, $30

* One Balanced Life
Sunday, March 8, 7-9pm, $30

* Enlightened Mama Lamaze Childbirth Prep Course
Sundays, March 8, 15, 22, 29
1:30-4:30pm, $175

* Couples Birthing Intensive
Saturday, March 14, 2-4:30pm, $90

* VBAC Chat: Facing Your Fears
Sunday, March 15, 6-8pm, free

* Friends & Family CPR
Sat., March 21, 2-5pm, $45
$75/family (limit 2)

* Spring Wellness Workshop
Sunday, March 22, 5:30-7:30pm, $50

* Doula Tea for Childbirth Collective Members Only
Saturday, March 28, 2-4pm

Spring Wellness Workshop: March 22

Spring Wellness Workshop with Jaime Pellegrene

Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Get ready for the change of season with the Spring Wellness workshop. Learn about the six fundamentals of wellness:
  • thoughts
  • breathing
  • hydration
  • nutrition
  • exercise
  • sleep
We will talk about stress management, commercial vs. organic farming, and meditation. Learn ways to keep the entire family healthy as the weather begins to change. We will practice yoga too!

Given by: Jaime Pellegrene, certified CPT, Pilates and Yoga instructor, and Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Lifestyle Coach.

Fee: $50. Register!

Dancing & Wine ... What could be better?!

Virginia Corbett is teaching a dance class for couples in March and in April (four weeks each). Friday nights at 7:30pm. Please call Blooma at 952-848-1111 or sign up online.

Here's the pitch:

Date Night: Get Connected
A dance class for couples

Connect with your partner through music, movement and wine.

A month of date nights is waiting for you and your partner! Dancing is a great way to connect. Come kick up your heels and enjoy some wine. Throughout each month, we’ll learn dances with different rhythms and tempos, socialize and have a relaxing glass of wine. It’s your date night, after all! All couples are welcome.

Instructor Virginia Corbett is an Associate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. She is trained in Cha Cha Cha, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, Waltz, Salsa, Samba, and specializes in Swing.

Classes are Friday nights in March and in April from 7:30 - 8:45 pm

Vote BLOOMA for Best Of Edina!

OK, fair warning: Here's a little shameless self-promotion :-)
We'd love to have your vote for Edina Magazine's 2009 "Best Of" awards.
Cast your vote for Blooma as the "Best Place to Meet Other Moms and Dads."

To submit a ballot, ya gotta vote in at least 10 Best Of categories. Now, if you don't have 9 other favorite Edina spots, don't let that stop you from voting -- you're welcome to take a peek at our ballot :-) (And if you have a favorite of your own, please do share that info by commenting on this post!)

Here are some of our Best Of Edina faves...
  1. Best Place to Meet Other Moms and Dads ... Blooma (of course!)
  2. Best Burger ... Convention Grill & Fountain (gotta support the Blooma neighbors!)
  3. Best Weekend Brunch ... Edina Grill
  4. Best Place to Go Out for Dessert ... Beaujo's Wine Bar
  5. Best Remodeler ... MA Peterson
  6. Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant ... The Good Earth (love the organic foods, the whole grains, and the whole mall for tiny feet to run around in while you wait for your food!)
  7. Best Place for Women's Accessories ... Hot Mama (make your belly days beautiful!)
  8. Best Personal Trainer ... Brenda Trainor at Body One Wellness
  9. Best Daycare ... Edina Montessori
  10. Best New Shop ... Edina CorePower Boutique (sharing the love with our yogi pals!)
  11. Best Playground ... Edinborough (preserving your sanity all winter long!)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Workshop: One Balanced Life

Does your life feel out of balance? In this fun and creative workshop you will learn about balance and self-care. During the first hour you’ll be guided through an exercise where we’ll assess your life, clarify what is important, and finish by identifying and designing the life you desire.

In the second hour you will get to create a "Balance Box" using pictures from magazines, books, papers, buttons, stamps, whatever supplies appeal, that represent how you want your life to take shape. You’ll leave with the box filled with small steps you can take to create the life you want. (All supplies included but feel free to bring pictures, poems, fabric, or anything else you want to adorn your box with).

Fee: $30
When: Sunday, March 8, 2009, 7-9pm

Call Blooma to sign up: 952 848 1111
Or
register online (click, then scroll down).

Early birds get the discount

Hey early birds (and would-be early birds!),

To reward you for rising with the sun and showing your shining face at Blooma, we're offering cheaper yoga in the morning. Purchase a 5-class pass for $60 to get this special rate for any of our 8am-or-earlier classes. The pass is good for 8 weeks.

Here comes the sun!


Saturday, February 21, 2009

Metro Magazine's got us covered

METRO magazine ran an awesome story about prenatal yoga and Blooma this past summer. Check it out if you haven't seen it already!

Stretch, Breathe, Namaste
By Jen Sandbo


(Photo by Marshall Long
)

Pregnant Yoga

For many expectant mothers, the exercise of choice is yoga. “We are a family studio,” says Sarah Longacre, owner of Blooma, a studio where prenatal and postnatal women as well as their families can practice yoga.

Prenatal yoga classes focus on helping women feel strong in their bodies while also surrendering to the fears of birthing and connecting them to their breath. However, don’t think this means an easy workout.

“There are days when I kick their butts,” Longacre says. “They look at me and say, ‘Really, another set of push-ups?’ [I say,] ‘You will thank me when you have your baby carrier and all of the gear.” In addition to upper-body exercises, Longacre incorporates squats, core strengthening and other yoga poses into the classes.

Blooma, which opened in 2007, also offers education and wellness opportunities, including massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care for Mom, Dad and Baby.

“The education is key to me because with the caesarian rate rising and with so many women questioning their own bodies, we really need to come back to how we birth,” Longacre says. Hypnobirthing and lamaze classes are two educational options available for soon-to-be parents.

For women who already have kids, there are many offerings, too. On-site child care helps new moms take a class—check out Yoga for You—without worrying about a babysitter, and the BYOB—Bring Your Own Baby—yoga class bonds parents with their little one in a unique way.

“To be a better person, to love your husband more and to love your family, [simply] to be able to give, you need to receive,” Longacre says. “And, receiving is what yoga is; it’s receiving the practice.”

Prenatal Beauty Cheryllyne Vaz

Mama-to-be Cheryllyne shared a gorgeous prenatal pix with us. And you know how we love to show off a beautiful belly! Photography by Jennifer Cress.

Cheryllyne gave birth a couple of days ago. Back in November, she shared her awesome "we're expecting!" news with us...

My husband, Andy Harwood, and I are expecting our first baby in February. We have opted to birth at home with our 3 cats in a water birth. We are blessed to have a fabulous team of midwives — Emme Corbeil, Clare Welter and Gail Tulley from Trillium Midwifery. In the event of a just-in-case moment, we also have a hospital back-up plan. Instead of an ob-gyn, we turned to our wonderful family physician, Dr. Hammes, at Healtheast who has agreed to be on call at St. Joseph's hospital. The great news is that she just gave us the all clear signal for a home birth. Yippee! I'm currently in the process of writing out 2 birth plans.

Since both of us have careers in advertising, we are used to changes coming in fast and quick. When we learnt we were having the baby, we just took a deep breath and woo hoo'ed together. In preparation for the birth, I have been strengthening myself with yoga at Blooma and, pilates and cardio at home. We have also been doing a Bradley class with Janine Stiles and a Hypnobirthing class with Sarah Tracy.

I am originally from Mumbai, India and my 'mummy-baby' philosophy has been shaped by years of watching my mother and aunts raise kids the traditional Indian way: Birth a baby at home, breast feed for 3 years, have the baby sleep in the same bed as the parents, carry baby in a sling, make food at home and basically, let baby be. Our hope is to raise our child in a peaceful, no-fuss, no gizmo environment. We love traveling and by far this has to be the best journey we've started out together — and we've only just turned the ignition key:-)

Hindi word for baby: Baccha
Hindi word for mummy: Ma

Friday, February 20, 2009

Blossom: Milla



Milla Rose
February 20, 2009
12:47 AM
8 lbs 14 oz, 21 inches

Mama Jennifer says: Milla was born after a long start-stop labor, and gave us a scare when her shoulder got stuck and her face turned purple. But she's a fighter and she came out just perfect. I was able to labor without any drugs or interventions, with the help of our wonderful doula, Emme, and we're very much enjoying Milla at home now. I very much enjoyed the challenges and support of our prenatal yoga classes! Milla's big sister Zara is very proud of her baby sister and we look forward to many Blooma yoga classes to come!

Feb. 28 is Baby Disco night!

Dates: Sat 2/28/2009
Time: 5 PM - 6:30 PM
Dance night for the whole family!

Yoga studio by day, dance club by night, Blooma is the place to get your Baby Disco groove on! Babies, tots, and lil kiddos, grab your parents and join the hip-shaking, shoulder-shimmying fun. No dancing experience required. Just bring your joy and let us take care of the rest -- including dinner: pizza, pop, apple juice, wine. Sippy cup not included. ;-)

$28 gets the whole fam in the door. Reserve your spot right now!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Blooma Blossom: Leo




Leo
February 19, 2009
8 lbs.
4:19 am

Mama Cheryllyne says: We are both sooooo sleepy. He was born with his placenta intact (midwives had to tear it) and a double loop knot (2 knots) in his umbilical cord. A very unusual phenomenon, according to the midwives.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Blooma Blossoms: Nora and Stella


February 17, 2009

Nora Linda
8:20pm
6 lbs, 7 oz.
19 inches
&
Stella Grace
8:23pm
6 lbs, 10 oz.
19 inches


Twins Nora and Stella with their twin big sisters Ingrid and Helen!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Philippine Birthing Centers Help New Mothers, Healthy Infants

Good news about better birthing in the Philippines (now if only we could get more great birthing centers in the continental US!):

Philippine Birthing Centers Help New Mothers, Healthy Infants

Monday, February 9, 2009

Blooma Blossom: Alex





Alex Steven
February 5, 2009
4 pounds, 12 ounces
18 inches

Mama Jillian says: Our little Alex Steven came 5 weeks early. My water broke in Babies-R-Us and he arrived exactly 24 hours later. Our waterbirth plan with a midwife at Ridgeview went out the window because of his preemie status and we ended up via ambulance at Abbott. Thanks to my wonderful husband Steve (who sprained his ankle and ended up in a wheelchair himself!) and doula extraordinaire Angie Sonrode (who we highly recommend), everything worked out in the end and it was all worth it. Alex finally got to come home on Feb 13th, after 8 days at Children's Hospital. I want to thank Blooma for making my pregnancy such a happy, peaceful time.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Blooma Blossom: Isaac


Isaac
February 7, 2009

Mama Amanda says: I had my baby at home. He was either 2 weeks early or 2 weeks late, I'll never know, since I was confused about my due date! The home birth was amazing. It all went so fast. The midwives arrived 30 minutes before he was born. I delivered in the tub 15 minutes after my water broke. The biggest surprise, though, was that he was a boy and not a girl as we had expected for 6 months! We just laughed hysterically and the boys were equally gleeful to have a brother!

Thanks for all your classes and positive stories (they came to my mind throughout my labor).

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Blooma Blossom: Viola


Viola Jaye
February 5, 2009
3:54am
7 lbs, 15 oz.
21 inches

Annie Fink's Hot Shop!


A note from Blooma's own Annie Fink ...

It's been an exciting couple of months, dare I say "thrilling"! And, it seems that in spite of the economy, people still want to express their individuality... without spending too much money. So, it is time to Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve!

Annie's yoga sleeves are a Red Hot Shop featured pick at Target for February! Yay Annie!!

For more information about Annie, as well as samples of her innovative fingerless gloves, go to AnnieFink.com!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Blooma Blossom: Gage




Samuel Gage
Febuary 1st
7:51PM
8 lbs 7 oz.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

The Blooma mailing list.
It's free, easy, safe, and fast.
Get the monthly newsletter and occasional updates on classes and special events.
Join us!