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

Reclaim and Rejuvenate!

Calling all moms searching for balance! (Um, isn't that most of us?) Sarina LaMarche, a life & wellness coach, has a new Personal Renewal Group (PRG) starting Oct. 21 at Blooma.

If you’re not familiar with her PRGs, they are AMAZING. Supportive, nurturing, empowering, and created specifically for mothers. The group meets once a month for 6 months to share in reclaiming, rebalancing, and reconnecting. With the daily business of our lives, who doesn’t need a little bit of help with reconnecting to who we are?

You’ll also learn:
* strategies for making self-care a priority so you can live, love, and parent optimally
* how to experience greater life balance. Each monthly session includes discussion, exercises, reflection time, etc.

What’s more, all this takes place within a community of other mamas you’ll get to know and create a meaningful connection with. These groups are based on the exciting new book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate, and Re-Balance Your Life by Renee Trudeau. Check out www.reneetrudeau.com for more information.

Here’s what a few women in Sarina’s previous PRGs have to say:

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Sarina in many different ways—a Personal Renewal Group and one-on-one. In every setting, I have been impressed with Sarina’s calming, understanding presence, her creativity, and her wisdom without condescension. She has a unique ability to challenge participants without making them feel uncomfortable… She doesn't use a cookie cutter approach; she encourages clients to explore different choices and options that fit within their own value system. Sarina's suggestions and insights have helped me find the path of motherhood and self-care that is right for me. I am so grateful to have found Sarina.”
—Amy, Minneapolis

“Sarina is simply amazing. After attending a mom’s group with Sarina, I knew I was ready to make some significant changes in my life. I worked with Sarina as my life coach, through her support and guidance, I was able to take significant steps toward creating the life I want as a mother and wife. I am continuing to work on positive changes through one of her Personal Renewal Groups. I highly recommend enlisting Sarina’s help as your life coach or by attending one for her groups. She will help you change your life in amazing ways.”
—Erin, Minneapolis

Sign up now for Sarina’s next Personal Renewal Group, which starts Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. You may also contact Sarina with questions, via her website: OneBalancedLife.com.

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Beyond the baby blues...

It’s a given that we all love our babies and children to the moon and back (and beyond). But let’s be honest: the transition to motherhood and the adjustment to caring for a new baby isn’t always easy. Sometimes it can be downright overwhelming. New moms can feel confused, lonely, and vulnerable.

Know that you don’t have to experience these emotions alone, and that there are plenty of resources in the Twin Cities (including Blooma) to find help, feel heard, create community, and get support.

I’ll admit that I was one of these women. Starting at 8 weeks postpartum, I was inconsolably depressed, though sprinkled in were really good days, too. Yes, I sought out counseling. I had to. It helped, along with getting out of the house, meeting other new mothers, breathing deeply, and practicing yoga.

If you’ve experienced postpartum depression or “baby blues” and want to share a word of encouragement for new mamas, leave a comment and let us know what helped you. If you want to learn more, read on.

Last month, Blooma staffers Sarina LaMarche (that's her, in the photo) and Amber Kay attended the Beyond the Baby Blues conference in St. Paul. Here are a few things Sarina passed along from the conference:

• 50 to 80 percent of new mothers experience the “baby blues,” which are gone by day 14 after baby’s birth
• 10 percent experience something deeper and more lasting Postpartum depression (PPD) can emerge three to 14 months after baby’s arrival and can include negative self-talk about themselves or the baby, lack of interest, and difficulty making decisions
• 22 percent experience postpartum anxiety (PPA), anxiety that includes intrusive thoughts and an inability to be reassured

Myths of motherhood:
• Motherhood happiest time in your life
• That it is instinctual and seems easy to everyone else
• You are bad mother if you aren't happy, can't breastfeed, or if caring for the baby is hard
• If I say “I am unhappy” it means I don't love my child
• I need to be a “perfect” mom
• Asking for help is a sign of weakness

Research suggests that women can find incredible power through connecting in groups pre- and postnatally. Blooma strives to provide options to make this happen. This includes Personal Renewal Groups and Moms' Nights Out (led by life + wellness coach Sarina LaMarche) and classes like BYOB Yoga and Yoga For You.

If you’re a new mom in need of support (or if you have a friend who you think needs help), ask any of the Blooma staff for resources. You can also click here to learn more about the postnatal workshops offered at Blooma.

Other wonderful resources include:
• The Parenting Oasis, a local center where you can go with your kids to relax, play, meet other families, have lunch, and participate in social and educational opportunities.
• Postpartum Support International
• Postpartum Support MN
• Jenny's Light
• MedEd PPD

Thanks for this information, Sarina.

Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Moms, feel renewed for free!

Sunday, May 17
FREE Self-Renewal Party for Mothers, 6-8pm
with Sarina LaMarche

Reconnect with who you are and learn about creating balance from the inside out. Enjoy time just for you, connect with other women and support each other in creating the life you desire -- and deserve! This fun, free girls-night-out is based on the highly-acclaimed book from Renee Trudeau, "The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life."

Bring a pen, a journal and a "pre-pregnancy" photo of yourself that represents a time in your life when you felt really alive (but don't stress if you can't find one)!

Pre-register on the Class Schedule.

Moms, renew, for free!

Blooma's Personal Renewal Group leader Sarina LaMarche passed along this invitation:

F0r 48 hours, you can download a free copy of Renee Trudeau’s award winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life.

The book is available May 8-10 at www.mothersguidetoselfrenewal.com Sign up today!

Featured extensively in national media, Trudeau is a national life balance expert, and her book is described as “The best book on balance,” by women’s health guru Dr. Joan Borysenko, author of Inner Peace for Busy Women. Trudeau's book has helped thousands of women and can help you:

• reconnect with who you are and nurture yourself
• manage your energy and practice saying “no”
• tap into the Transformative Power of Self-Care

Wondering, why free?! This uplifting, beautifully illustrated/photographed book was born from Renee’s personal experience of creating/leading women’s self-renewal circles—called Personal Renewal Groups. She is passionate about how transformative self-care can be for women and was moved to share this message with women around the world.

New Personal Renewal Group forming at Blooma!

What: A supportive, nurturing, empowering group for mothers created specifically to explore and learn

1. how to “reconnect” with who you are
2. strategies for making self-care a priority so you can live, love, and parent optimally, and
3. how to experience greater life balance.

Each monthly session includes discussion, exercises, reflection time, and much more. Develop community and meaningful connection with other women. These groups are based on the exciting new book The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate, and Re-Balance Your Life by Renee Trudeau.

Fee: $150, includes the price of the book. Sign up soon space is limited.
When: Meets once a month for six months, 5pm-7pm.
New in February:
1st Sunday of the month, beginning Feb. 1, 2009

Register.

Personal Renewal Groups now forming at Blooma

What: A supportive, nurturing, empowering group for mothers created specifically to explore and learn

1. how to “reconnect” with who you are
2. strategies for making self-care a priority so you can live, love, and parent optimally, and
3. how to experience greater life balance.

Each monthly session includes discussion, exercises, reflection time, and much more. Develop community and meaningful connection with other women. These groups are based on the exciting new book The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate, and Re-Balance Your Life by Renee Trudeau.

Fee: $150, includes the price of the book. Sign up soon space is limited.
When: Meets once a month for two hours for six months.
Two groups starting in January.
The 4th Sunday - Starts January 25th from 5-7
The 4th Wednesday - Starts January 28th from 7-9

Register (click, then scroll down)