A blessing for you

A friend passed on this lovely blessing today as a thank you to all the women in her life who have inspired her. (Thank you, Melissa!) Every so often I come across this blessing and it's always such a lovely reminder. My shoulders rest easier, my breath deepens— ah, yes, that's right, I'm "exactly where I'm supposed to be." What a good and comforting thing for each of us to realize as 2009 winds up.

May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Wishing each of you a happy, festive & safe New Year's Eve! (Note that Blooma is closed New Year's Day, but will be happy to see each an every one of you in class again on Saturday.)

Love, Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Good-bye 2009, hello 2010!

Take the opportunity to reconnect with yourself and with your growing baby belly tomorrow during Sarah's special New Year's Eve 2-hour prenatal class, 9:30-11:30 a.m. (Hint: This class is open to anyone—pregnant or not!)

Sarah says there will be "a KICK ASS mix of the 2009 hits and lots of other great stuff."

So show up to breath, stretch, energize, reflect on 2009, and set your intention for the New Year. There's no better way to send 2009 on its way than with a bit of time on your mat. Sign up here. See you tomorrow!

Love,
Alisa & the women of Blooma

Throwing out the "shoulds" in 2010

Thanks to guest blogger Sarina LaMarche, life & wellness coach, and author of the fabulous blog "One Balanced Life" for this posting about intention setting for the New Year. Happy dreaming & visioning!

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We here at Blooma are all about setting intentions, for your yoga practice and for your day. With the New Year approaching we wanted to suggest some alternatives to the traditional "resolution" setting that occurs. We encourage you to throw out the typical list of New Year's "shoulds" and instead embrace a more supportive practice of reflecting on the intentions you have for 2010.

Another idea is to write down all the things you want for yourself and your family in the new year. Think outside the box... think big.... and think small. Keep going until you can't possibly come up with another. Include not only things you want to do or achieve but how you want to be.

Some ideas include on my own list include:

• To spend time alone

• To be creative

• To be organized

• To start climbing

• To honor and respect

• To start climbing again

• To take a vacation with my family where we stay in one place

• To proofread stuff before I send it out

If one of your intentions in the New Year includes reconnecting with yourself, experiencing more balance or sense of presence in your life, you may want to consider signing-up for a Personal Renewal Group at Blooma. Blooma is the exclusive venue in the cities for these highly-acclaimed groups. The next group starts Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Groups meet once a month for six months on the 2nd Thursday at 7:30 p.m. You can sign up for the next PRG here and read more about PRG at www.selfrenewalcircles.com.

Sarina LaMarche

Life & Wellness Coach

www.onebalancedlife.com

Merry Christmas!

From all of us at Blooma, to all of you, we wish you a

very Merry Christmas filled with much love, family, friends.

We are grateful for each and every one of you!

Namaste,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Blooma's holiday schedule

Happy Holidays! In celebration, Blooma will be closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26. Most classes are canceled Thursday, Dec. 24, with the exception of two fabulous classes.

We would love to see you at one (or both!) of the following:

• Prenatal Yoga at 9:15 a.m. with Sarah Longacre

• Yuletide Yoga, a special Christmas Eve class, at 11:15 a.m. with Nan Gane

We will resume our regular schedule bright and early Sunday morning, Dec. 27. Happy celebrating!

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Surviving the holidays...

My Early Childhood & Family Education (ECFE) teacher passed along a handout with simple, but wise tips called "Survival Skills for the Holidays for Young Families." I'm not sure where the tips come from, but I thought you might benefit from me sharing a few of them—especially as you start boarding planes to leave town or begin welcoming family visitors.

• Be in charge of your holiday season. Don't let other people or advertising medium impose their expectations on you. Keep in touch with your deepest feelings.

• Keep it simple. You arrange the pace and space. (So important for keeping your kids sane, too!)

• If the loss of a loved one, financial troubles, or any serious anxiety surround you this holiday, make the season as simple and as positive as possible for yourself.

And this part I really loved!

Holiday Bill of Rights:

• You have the right to take care of yourself: eat right, exercise, and get enough rest.

• You have the right to mixed emotions: happy, sad, frustrated, guilty, afraid, and thankful.

• You have the right to solitude—for planning, thinking, reflection, introspection, prayer, and relaxation.

• You have the right not to accept party or dinner invitations.

So curl up with a warm blanket, a cup of tea, breathe a loud ahhhh, and let any holiday stress simply melt away...

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Citrus + Snowflakes

Holiday cheer from Joanne, our web design goddess at Velvet Peel. xoxo!

Sarah's gift guide

Mama and local blogger "Pretty Mommy" posted a holiday gift guide based on Blooma owner Sarah Longacre's wish list. (No, this isn't a hint to get us a gift!) Take a peek at Sarah's gift recommendations for the woman in your life... maybe a funky, chunky ring, a pair of pretty gloves, or how about a riveting read? Happy last-minute shopping!

Love,

Alisa & the women of Blooma

Postpartum depression study seeking moms with infants (0-6 mos)

Women aren't always comfortable talking about sad feelings after birth. But guess what, mamas—we NEED to talk about things like this. Postpartum depression (PPD) can strike any time within the first year after giving birth. It's important to know that you have options and help nearby, even when you're beating yourself up for feeling so blue when you think you "should" feel happy.

If you're a mother of a baby up to 6 months old, and have or even may have PPD, you may be eligible to participate in a study through the University of Minnesota/HealthEast. Participating moms may receive either an in-home doula or peer telephone support. The goal of the study is to reduce the impact of PPD on mothers and their families.

See this web site for more details, or contact Krista Post, a licensed Twin Cities psychologist who focuses on counseling mothers and families. (612-296-3800)

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Holiday stress— be gone!

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the holiday shopping, travel, meal planning, managing of the in-laws, present delivering, party going, and so on? Though all these things are in the name of F-U-N and celebration, that doesn't mean we're necessarily relaxed at the end of the day.

If that sounds familiar, check out these holiday stress-reduction secrets in Women's Health magazine. According to the story, drinking black tea can help lower your cortisol (stress hormone) levels, while pressing a simple acupressure point can relieve tension. For more tips, read the full story.

You know what else can help relieve holiday stress? A massage at Blooma! Call to book an appointment with any of our bodywork therapists, or to purchase a gift card for a loved one. (And yes, we cater to men, and women who are not pregnant, too.) You can also book appointments online by clicking here, then clicking on the "Wellness Appts" tab in the upper right. You deserve to be pampered during the holidays and all year long!

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Santa, please bring healthy toys

As you wrap up the last of your holiday gift shopping, you may want to check out this informative web site by the Ecology Center. Nearly 700 toys were tested for the 3rd Annual Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys. According to a press release, "one in three of all toys tested this holiday season contained one or more harmful chemicals including lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury."

Not in my house, Santa!

Check out the Ecology Center's HealthyStuff.org, where you can type in the name or brand of a toy to find out how it ranked in the consumer guide. Armed with knowledge of which toy manufacturers are playing naughty or nice, you'll feel much better about the presents under the tree or by the menorah this year. Happy shopping!

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Blooma Birth Story: Gretta

Thanks to Gretta for sharing the story of her inspiring August VBAC at Methodist Hospital. She shares her experience below in a letter to Sarah Longacre, Blooma owner and prenatal yoga teacher. Welcome to the world little Lydia, and well done, mama!

Love,

Alisa & the women of Blooma

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Sarah,

I wanted to share our VBAC story with you as I credit a lot of our success to our time at Blooma. Thank you so much for the yoga, tips, advice, and workshops you provide.

Monday night I was three days past my due date and started to have contractions that lasted through the next day. I had them about 20 minutes apart and they stopped around 2:30 p.m. So, I decided to kick it in gear with one last (hopefully) yoga session before she was born.

That night I started contractions again at around 9 p.m. and they quickly intensified. By 11:30 p.m. they were 3 and a half minutes apart and we were calling my sister to come over to watch our 2 year old. We reached Methodist hospital at 1:20 a.m and I was 6 cm dilated!!

By the time we got checked in and up to get an epidural I was at 8 cm! Before we knew it I was completely dilated and decided to get some rest while my body did some work with the contractions. I ended up learning through our doctor that my pelvis is small and tilted which probably caused our son, Walter, to be sunny side up and that this little one was presenting herself the same way. I was told that this could be a good thing, as this may be how she has to come in order to get around my pelvis!!! Great news as we were told that Walter wouldn't make it because of his presentation.

What a difference a positive doctor makes!!!! We were encouraged to make it this time and told of all our options. He did say another C-section was possible, but he also told me what I had to do to make this a VBAC. He was very encouraging and gave me the extra push by saying I could do it and it was possible.

So, at 9:45 a.m. Lydia Anne was born. She was four days past her due date and weighed 6 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. I kept saying "We did it! We did it! We did it!" while she rested on my chest.

I never felt like more of a "Goddess," as you would say in our classes, and never more powerful in my life. It was the biggest personal accomplishment I could have made. After the whole experience, I truly believe that God made Lydia the size she needed to be and the presentation she needed to be in in order to make it into the world! I also am very grateful to my doctor for his support with my VBAC.

After Lydia was born I told my husband that I think your yoga classes are what really inspired me to have a successful VBAC. I have never felt more engaged with my body than when I was in your classes. Thank you so much for your compassion for pregnant women. You are very talented at what you do. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

-Gretta

Put a sling on 'em

You baby-wearing mamas are going to love this tribute to slings. Inspired by Beyonce's "Put a Ring On It," a New York City mom named Leigh switched up the lyrics, got a few friends involved, and viola! you have "Baby Mamas (Put a Sling On 'Em)." Check out the lyrics at Leigh's blog if you want to sing along. And to learn more about babywearing, check out Liz Abbene's "Enlightened Baby" workshops at Blooma!

Fertile Grounding — coming soon!

Many of you know and love Jennifer Colletti's yoga classes. Here at Blooma she teaches prenatal yoga, BYOB yoga, BYOB partner workshops, and now, Fertile Grounding Yoga fertility workshops. What you may not know about Jennifer is that her own journey to becoming a mother was a challenging one. After many tests and two rounds of in vitro fertilization, Jennifer birthed sweet baby Beckett in 2007!

While struggling to get pregnant, Jennifer and her husband found that they longed for a sense of community with others going through a similar process. Naturally, Jennifer found solace through yoga.

Now, she is creating a community for men and women experiencing fertility challenges. Fertile Grounding Yoga workshops are 6-week fertility workshops geared toward women who are either just beginning to walk the path of getting pregnant or those who may already be in the midst of fertility treatments. Incorporating meditation, yoga, and educational components such as nutrition into the workshop, Fertile Grounding aims to nurture your body, mind, and soul.

Her next session at Blooma begins Saturday, Feb. 6, and runs through March 13; 2-5 p.m. Sign up by clicking here, clicking the "Workshops" tab, then scroll down until you see "Fertile Grounding Yoga."

Jennifer and her husband, Michael, recently shared their story during a film festival in New York. They entered a contest to create a film with an "uplifting story of infertility." As one of three finalists, Jennifer and Michael traveled to New York for the screening, and met with other couples, doctors, and industry professionals all trying to shed the stigma of infertility. Watch the video here. Well, done, Jennifer! Thank you so much for sharing your story, wisdom, and open heart with all of us.

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Tote your tot and your bag, all at once!

The last time I was schlepping through the airport with my toddler, an array of rolling luggage, and a car seat somehow thrown over my shoulder, it wasn't a pretty sight. Then I saw a mom strolling along easy-peasy with this little contraption, apparently called a "Tote-A-Tot."

I don't normally go for gadgets. But this was one of those "WOW! That looks so much easier!" kind of moments. So for those of you with holiday travel coming up, I thought I'd pass this along... just in case this looks like it would make your life easier, too. Do any of you already own this thing? If so, chime in — what do you think of it? Does it work?

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Dads get down in the dumps, too

You may have seen the story in yesterday's New York Times about how it's not just women who suffer from postpartum depression (PPD)—those feelings can overwhelm fathers, too. There is so much that still needs to be done about PPD awareness even when it comes to new moms, that it's easy to overlook the issues that can plague dads, too.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one surprised to learn about the science behind male PPD. As Times writer Richard A. Friedman, M.D., explains, "there is probably more to male postpartum depression than just social or psychological stress; like motherhood, fatherhood has its own biology, and it may actually change the brain... There is also some evidence that testosterone levels tend to drop in men during their partner’s pregnancy, perhaps to make expectant fathers less aggressive and more likely to bond with their newborns. Given the known association between depression and low testosterone in middle-aged men, it is possible that this might also put some men at risk of postpartum depression."

Fortunately, there are many resources for new parents (whether you're a mother or a father) that can ease the new-parent adjustment and feelings of isolation. The Twin Cities also boast excellent counselors to help sort through more complicated responses, like PPD. For more specifics, see Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota for the Minnesota Perinatal Mental Health Resource List, as well as more information about the emotional challenges that often accompany the first years of starting a family. Fathers may also want to check out a web site devoted just to them, called Postpartum Men.

New dads, also know that Blooma caters to families — fathers, too — not just moms. Be on the lookout for special classes just for you, like infant massage for dads. Or, drop your baby off in our childcare room while you take time to breathe and move in a Yoga For You class. We know that not everything is solved with a good yoga class, but taking time for you is a good start, whether you're a new mama or a new daddy.

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Yoga @ the Walker

Tot yoga teacher Shayla Boger was invited last week to get kiddos moving and learning about art at the Walker Art Center. What a bright, beautiful space to breath and move in! Here are some gorgeous photos of Shay teaching yoga at the exhibition Robert Irwin:Light/Slant/Volume.

Did you go? If so, let us know all about it!

Like what you see? There's more! Blooma teacher Jessica Rosenberg will also be teaching yoga for tots and kids during the Walker's Arty Pants Playdates, for ages 3-5, on Dec. 8 (that's tomorrow!) and Tuesday, Dec. 22. The playdates runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and are free with gallery admission. Every kid will tell you that Jessica's Adventures in Super Stretch classes are a blast!

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Healthy mamas, healthy babies

I read a disconcerting story the other day about the high number of chemicals babies are exposed to prenatally. Unfortunately, it's impossible to avoid these chemicals entirely, but there are ways to minimize your baby's exposure, according to Alexandra Zissu, author of The Complete Organic Pregnancy.

Zissu advises that you start by cutting back on or eliminating canned food, since cans may be lined with chemically-enhanced water-resistant coatings that include BPA. Getting rid of any pots and pots with Teflon or non-stick coatings, and switching to stainless steel or cast iron cookware is another healthy choice. Other options: resist microwaving your food in plastic, choose all-natural cleaning products (you'd be surprised what a bit of vinegar and water can do), and stick to 100 percent cotton materials that aren't treated with flame-resistant chemicals.

Whew! That's a lot to think about, I know. Your baby will thank you, for any small changes, both now and once baby is born, since those chemicals have been shown to pass into breastmilk as well.

For more information about the Environmental Working Group's cord blood report or a similar report by the Washington Toxics Coalition, read the full story at The Daily Green. EWG also has a very helpful website called Skin Deep that shows you which beauty products are safest (and which aren't).

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Holiday Swami Shopping

Have you seen these cute black hoodies with "Breathe" written on the front? I just love them... a holiday present for my best friend, and a holiday present for me, coming right up! And how fab are these winter Om hats with the ear flaps?!

If these pique your interest, too, don't miss Swami Baby Boutique's 2nd birthday, this Saturday (Dec. 5) when you'll find adorable clothes for baby and fashionable yoga-inspired wear for men and women, too. Plus, 20 percent of sales during the party will be generously donated to Blooming in Uganda. Enjoy food from Aunt Else's aebleskiver and a cake from Sweets Bake Shop—mmm!

Come celebrate Swami's birthday at Local D'lish, Saturday, from 5-7 p.m. at 208 1st St N, Minneapolis 55401. Happy holiday shopping!

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Visions for Healing

We couldn't let this week pass without spreading the word about an important and inspiring night coming up. This Friday night, please consider attending Visions for Healing, a special fundraising event being held at Mind Body Solutions’ yoga studio; there is no fee to attend.

The hour-long program will share the impact of the work of Matthew Sanford’s non-profit Mind Body Solutions, and offer a vision for transforming trauma and loss into hope and potential. For those of you who are not familiar with yogi, speaker, and author Matthew Sanford, please take a moment to read more about him here. http://www.matthewsanford.com

Registration for this Friday's event begins at 5:45 p.m. The program begins at 6:15 p.m. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Please RSVP to Jennifer by email at jenniferzarth@mindbodysolutions.org or at 612-803-1616. Mind Body Solutions is located at 17516 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka.

Thank you for supporting the work of Matthew and Mind Body Solutions with the same fervor that you support Blooma. We look forward to seeing you Friday night!

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Babies for Uganda!

Ohhhh, you just have to smile when you see these sweet babies! We are so honored that they're sporting Blooming in Uganda onesies. Thanks, little ones!

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma