Wind-down Time

Our own Shayla Boger, Yoga for Tots teacher, graces us with a guest posting today. Her soothing tips for bedtime prep are ones ALL of us could use, but especially those sweet (and oh-so-energetic) kiddos! Be sure to check out one of Shayla's super fun tot yoga classes, too. Kids 18 months to 4 years old LOVE her bright spirit and loving energy. Find her at Blooma on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m. Sign up now.

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As we all know, putting our children to bed can be quite difficult at times. I struggle with this almost every night; especially with my 2.5 year old. She has recently graduated from potty training school and has also given up her nuk (which she's had since birth), so needless to say, we have lots of "stop and take a breath" moments. It's so funny—being a children's yoga instructor you'd think my children would be angelic and super in touch with their inner being. Well, that's not the case. But I do have to give them some credit: they're both sweet + pure, like all children. With all of this being said, I want to share some things we do around our house to settle down, whether for night time or nap.

1. We put rocks in our children tubby to help them calm down, and feel the natural sensation of the earth on their skin. Plus, they're fun to play with!

2. We spray our children’s beds with lavender water every night to help calm them. It's really easy to mix. For every cup of water add 2 drops of lavender; you can switch up the essential oil to fit your preference. You can find essential oils at Blooma. (They should be arriving in about a week!)

3. We work on exercising our bodies and minds to enter a quite space which allows us to prepare for sleep. Either lay in bed or sit up straight with eyes closed. From this position we fill our tummies with air and blow out through our mouths. Repeat as often as needed.

4. One other relaxing thing we do with our children is rub their feet with massage oil. I also do this at the end of my yoga class, you would be blown away at the response I get. It's amazing!

Here are some books and oils I love and incorporate in my classes, and with my children at home:
• Massage oil
• Lavender oil

Books:
• Moody Cow Meditates (Hardcover), by Kerry Lee MacLea
• Peaceful Piggy Yoga (Library Binding), by Kerry Lee Maclean
• I Can Be: A Child's Whimsical Introduction to Yoga (Paperback), by Christine M. Sumner
• A Tree Is Nice, by Janice May Udry and Marc Simon

You can visit my blog, LiveSavvy, to order the books directly. I hope you enjoy this information!

Om shanti,
Shayla

Welcome to the Blooma blog!

Today we’re relaunching the Blooma blog, and we’d love for you to think of this blog-o-sphere as an extension of the community you’re a part of when you’re at Blooma in person. Welcome!

Since Sarah Longacre opened Blooma in October 2007 with her loving arms, talent for inspiring moms and moms-to-be, and cadre of gifted teachers and body workers, I have come to feel a special affection for Blooma. (We hope you feel that way, too.)

First I came as a newly pregnant mama who found a nurturing, supportive community where I learned to embrace my blooming belly and made new friends. Sampling the various prenatal classes gave me the chance to figure out which teachers would challenge me (sometimes seriously challenge me!) and which would give me a relaxing wind-down at the end of an intense day. I also adored my prenatal Maya abdominal massages (and that awesome massage table with the holes for my belly and boobs that actually allowed me to lie face down—bliss!).

After my son Graham—now 13 months old—was born, we hurried back to Blooma, looking for familiar faces. In our BYOB (Bring Your Own Baby) classes, Graham and I reconnected with mamas I’d done sun salutations next to when he was in my belly. We also got to admire my prenatal yoga friends’ beautiful babies who were on the outside now. We shared stories, new mama woes, and some of us began to meet outside of class, too. It’ll be just a few more months until we’re ready for Tot Yoga, and meanwhile I’m back into my own yoga groove with Yoga For You! classes. Not all cities have a place like this and I am grateful that I can boast otherwise.

As a birth doula and certified infant massage instructor, I’m into all this mama + baby stuff anyway. But when I was pregnant, and now as a mother, I came to appreciate even more what Blooma offers to my family. My husband has come to partner workshops with me, and my mother-in-law has practiced with me side-by-side, learning how to do simple yoga poses with her grandson at home. I’ve since trained with Lisa Bergley, developer of YogaBonding, and now teach BYOB at Blooma on alternating Mondays and Saturdays. I teach an occasional infant massage class, too. If I haven’t already, I hope to meet you soon!

Please subscribe to the blog, too. I’ll be blogging regularly about everything mama- and family-related including:

• upcoming Blooma workshops + classes
• the latest pregnancy + parent-related health news
• links to hip, funny, or informative parenting stories
• pregnancy + parenting blog postings (send me your own blog links!)
• guest blogs from Blooma teachers and body workers, midwives + OBs
• postings from Sarah and other doulas, who will share their favorite tips + tricks for labor
• "Blooma Bookclub" reading recommendations
• and of course we’ll keep you in the loop with the ever popular “Blossoms” updates: photos of Blooma babies (and preferably their mamas, too) as they make their grand entrance into this big, beautiful world.

So that’s a little something about me, your Blooma blogger. I’d love to learn about you, too. Leave a comment and tell us what Blooma means to you—we’d love to hear your thoughts!


Love,
Alisa, Sarah, & the women of Blooma

NEW PRICING for kids and tots yoga!

We've got great Tot Yoga classes for the little ones every week, and Kids Yoga will be back in March (Mondays from 4:30-5:15) ... better yet, we've got great new prices for the kiddos!

We've cut the drop-in rate classes for kids and tots to $15, and we're now offering a special class pass just for the little ones that lowers the per-class-price to just $10!

• The 6-class kids/tots pass: Come to six classes within 8 weeks for $60
• Kids/Tots Drop-in Price: $15

Tot Yoga is a class for li'l walkers and their grown-ups.
Kid Yoga is a kids-only class. Come give it a try!

You can sign up online!