I would like to say thank you to Gabriela Spang for inspiring my to record more videos. So here's the first one. It doesn't have very high production value, but I hope that it gives you a little bit of inspiration for your own home practice, or as a brief intro to yoga if you've never attended a class. Then, when you are ready, you can join us in Prenatal Yoga on Wednesday evenings at Magnolia Birth Center. Thanks for watching.

I love doing ceremony! Which is funny because a few years ago, I kind of hated the rote following of the leader aspects of ritual and ceremony. But then I was introduced to ceremonies and rituals that actually had meaning for me, and after developing a habit of performing rituals, I came to love the intent and purposeful actions.

Many traditional cultures around the world honor the time after birth for both baby and mother. They see the work of labor as physical as well as emotional, energetic and spiritual, and make time to acknowledge and create space for the transition. From these traditions we are reminded of the importance of mothering the mother.

When it comes to sports, we know that we have to practice in order to know what we're doing. This applies to other physical things, like practicing an instrument. In fact, anything that we do physically OR mentally requires practice in order to gain mastery. Well, I'm not suggesting that we need to master birth, but it sure would be nice if we could practice it! If, for the first birth, we had any idea of what we are doing!

Fertility is a complex thing. Like all other systems, health, balance, freedom and wellness in fertility requires free flowing energy and clear communication of all the body's systems. This is true of all physical health, but when it comes to fertility, we take a lot more notice and lot more stock in why it may or may not be well.

Supta Baddha Konasana, or supported bound angle pose, is one of the best poses for fertility, pregnancy and postpartum. This supported, reclining posture opens the pelvis and nourishes the reproductive organs. It also opens the heart and allows us to connect with our intuition.

"My body my choice" means so much more than the choice to have a child or not. There was plenty of time and energy devoted to that concern. It also means the choice of how we birth our babies. That choice begins with education: knowing the process of birth internally, physically and medically. When we understand birth we are much less fearful of birth, and when we understand birth we can make choices that are best for our bodies and our lives.

Did you know that if you are pregnant in Greensboro you now have several options for prenatal yoga? With the explosion of new yoga studios in general, there are also more offerings for prenatal and postpartum yoga classes. But let’s discuss why you should consider prenatal yoga.