Holistic Childbirth Education Classes

Some of our fellow Mama-to-Mama members are teachers for a new Holistic Childbirth Education Class being offered in the area. The first session is next weekend. So we wanted to share the information and poster in case anyone might be looking for specifically natural childbirth class to attend.

Saturday, February 25th 9am-noon
Sunday, February 26th 9am-4pm
Washburn Public Library

Natural Childbirth is an extraordinarily satisfying and transformative experience. This condensed class will include:

• An in-depth look at the labor & birthing process
• The importance of feeling connected
• Relaxation & comfort techniques
• Complications, interventions, & variations
• Breastfeeding, newborn & postpartum care

This class is sponsored by BirthRite Midwifery Services. Classes will be taught by ICEA trained childbirth educators Christel Sketch, Birth Doula, and Dana Churness CD(DONA), CLC.

There is a cost associated with this class. To register, or for more information, please call Savita Jones at (715) 413-0197.

The next weekend class will be offered on: April 20-21, 2012.

Download and share the poster.

TRX Suspension Training

I've been getting lots of inquiries lately about my recent TRX Suspension Training certification and upcoming group TRX classes at Ashland Yoga Studio in March. So I wanted to take a moment to answer some of those questions and talk about why I'm so excited to share this really great strength-training and calorie burning form of exercise.

I stumbled upon TRX during a kettlebell class with the fantastic Fawn Friday of St. Paul Minnesota. As her website, superstarkettlebells.com might suggest, she's truly a superstar trainer. We ended our session on the TRX, blasting the core with some Atomic Push-ups...well, my attempt at an Atomic Push-up. It kicked my butt and worked muscles in my body I hadn't used since my UW-rowing college days.

I was hooked.

After my trip to the cities, I hemmed and hawed about buying a TRX Suspension Trainer. Let's just say they're more expensive than a really nice yoga mat; but I wanted to do those Atomic Push-ups again! And nothing I had ever used in the gym was like the TRX. So I clicked "Add to cart."

Now, 5 months later and a TRX certification under my belt I'm now the proud owner of enough trainers to accomodate group classes of 14! Here they are. My little TRX babies.

Here's what I love the most about the TRX:

1. You can get a super awesome full-body workout in 30 mins or less.
2. You're using your own body-weight to train, so you get stronger but your muscles stay lean and long.
3. Emphasis on functional movement. I'm all for getting stronger so that when it comes time to shovel snow, garden, or heft children around while toting groceries on your other hip etc. you're less prone to injury.
4. It's small and easily portable. Really, they're quite cute when all packed down and weigh less than 2lbs.
5. You can do it anywhere you can find a trusty anchor point. In the studio, outside, in your home. I love that. I'm actually taking the TRX to Costa Rica and we'll be incorporating workouts on the TRX into our beach bootcamp. It's going to be awesome.

In fact, if you'd like to come see for yourself what the TRX is all about, I'm giving free demos this Saturday, February 11th at the studio after our Saturday Morning Yoga class (yoga runs from 9-10:15am, TRX demo and Costa Rica preview begin right after class).

Stay tuned for more infor about upcoming TRX classes. It's looking like we'll have an Early Bird option and a Thursday PM class or a Saturday noon-time. Let us know which you'd prefer by leaving a comment here or dropping us a note on our Contact page.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I can only do about a half-dozen Atomic Push-ups before really losing my form. Yeah, they're really hard.

Gentle Stretch Q&A

Q:  What type of class is Gentle Stretch?
A:  Gentle Stretch is a gentle, slow, and safe morning yoga class. See more photos

Q:  What level student is this class appropriate for?
A:  This class is great for the newest beginner yoga student, senior, or any level student who wishes to move softly through a soothing movement practice that will stretch muscles and slowly release stress in the body & mind. This class can also be a wonderful fit for those with chronic pain or injury which may limit mobility.

Q:  What should I expect to do in this class?
A:  Gentle Stretch will incorporate quiet mindfulness time, calming breathing techniques, and somatic movements paired with slowly-paced and safe Hatha yoga postures. We will nourish relaxation and support flexibility while increasing mobility in our biggest joints:  shoulders, hips, & pelvis. We will end each practice with a restorative final relaxation allowing the mind, breath, and body to fully enjoy the release of tension and stress the practice has promoted.

Q:  How will you help me practice if I have physical limitations?
A:  Ashland Yoga Studio has an assortment of props and chairs to help each student experience movement and relaxation in a safe and functional manner.

Q: What are Somatics?
A: Somatics are exercises developed by Dr. Thomas Hanna to re-establish muscle control and movement. "Soma" is a Greek word for the living body, which Hanna re-defined as the body experienced from within, where we experience mind/body integration.  Essentially, somatic movement helps our brain re-connect to the muscles of the body.  They can help us increase mobility and get out of pain with simple, slow exercises.  In Somatics  we nourish self-awareness through the breath and sensing.   We break movements into small parts and use curiosity to develop a relationship with our bodies.

Q: Do I need to Bring Anything to Class?
A: Ashland Yoga Studio has mats, props, blankets and chairs. Please just bring yourself dressed comfortably to participate in gentle, slow movements. You may bring a water bottle if you wish, the studio provides water and tea.

Q: What are the class specifics?
A:  Gentle Stretch is Thurday mornings from 10:30 am to 11:30am atAshland Yoga Studio. It is a standard drop-in class with a cost of $10/class or you may use a 10-class or 5-class pass for extra savings. Sarah Tarkington will instruct this class. Her background is in Therapeautic/Classic Yoga and somatic movement. See all the photos from Gentle Stretch.

Two Cup Bean Soup

Originally posted on Andrea Russell's blog: Inspiration Off the Mat

Ingredients:

• 2 cups great northern beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 cups ham, cubed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 10 pepper corns
• 6 cups filtered water1/2 tsp salt (added after beans are fully cooked)

1. In a large bowl, soak the beans overnight in 2-3 times the water as beans. After soaked, rinse beans well. 

2.  In a large soup pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and bay leaf, sauteing until the onions are translucent.

3.  Add the well rinsed beans, ham, thyme and 6 cups filtered water.  Bring to a boil, then cover, and turn down heat to a simmer cooking for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender.

4.  Wait to add the salt to taste after beans are cooked as it hardens their skin prolonging cooking time if it is added sooner.

5. Garnish with fresh thyme.

AYS Home Practice Challenge Starts January 9

Many of us struggle with what it means to develop a healthy home yoga practice. It can be hard to remember how the poses look and feel, feel discouraged if you don't have the adequate props, carve out that "perfect" space or find the time.

As a teacher, I always tell students that if they want to see REAL results, whether it be increased strength, more flexibility, or better balance, they need to practice almost daily, and usually that means developing some at-home routine. As my teacher, Scott Anderson once said, the ideal yoga student would attend a weekly group yoga class, meet monthly with a teacher for a private session but most importantly have a healthy home-practice.

But where to start? We're excited to launch our first AYS Home Practice Challenge with a special kick-off class with Charmaine on January 9th. Folks who sign up and complete this FREE, goal-based program, will be automatically entered to win a drawing for some great prizes. Everyone enrolled in the Home Practice Challenge will have the opportunity to take advantage of a discounted private session with Charmaine. Val Damstra, studio assistant, will be leading the effort to keep you motivated and on track to meet your goals.

Keep up with Val during the next few weeks on her Home Practice Challenge Blog. She'll be sharing tips, insights, links and other fun information to keep you motivated to meet your goal.