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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.”