“I am a willow tree,
Strong, yet fluid
graceful.
I can bend with the wind,
but my roots are tough,
indestructible.
Opening to birth my child
is flowing with the wind:
from a soft and gentle breeze
to a stormy gale
back to a soft and gentle breeze.
My body is strong, but flexible.
It is my friend, it knows how to open.
I am a friend to my body
eating well, walking, and loving myself.
I shall birth safely, freely, openly . . .
among my loved and trusted ones.
I am the willow, flexible
beautiful resilient
endowed with the power of surrender
to the wind rustling through my leaves,
my branches.
My roots reach deep into Mother Earth
Anchored in Her strength
I bring forth life
In joy! ”

— Anonymous

I’ll be honest, I NEVER THOUGHT I’D TEACH PRENATAL YOGA. Nevermind yoga with little drooly, loud and poopy babies! When I first began teaching yoga 15 years ago, a fellow yoga instructor asked me to sub her prenatal class and I agreed. It was the worst teaching experience I’ve had; the women complained the entire time that they were too hot, every pose I taught made them uncomfortable, and a few of them got up in the middle of the class to leave the room. I vowed I’d never attempt to tackle the complicated realm of pregnancy and yoga again.

Fast forward ten years later and I’ve made my hobby of teaching yoga a full-fledged career. I’m even leading yoga teacher trainings for new instructors but something’s missing; I feel the need for a bigger shift, a new specialization in both my personal life and my career. I make the choice to enroll in a Prenatal Yoga course so I can become an expert in the field. AND, shortly after, I get pregnant. Then I take another immersive course in Prenatal Yoga, develop my own Prenatal YTT for Oranj Fitness, and get pregnant again (another boy!).

The relationship between motherhood and yoga has now become an obsession of mine. I love teaching yoga to the general public, but nothing lights me up the way Prenatal and Baby & Me Yoga does.

Mandala Studio Spring Series runs until May 23. Email martinilaurae@gmail.com if you would like to drop-in. Jan. 8-Feb.

Baby & Me Yoga is Mondays and Wednesday at 11-11:45am

Prenatal Yoga is Tuesdays at 6:30-7:45pm

Pregnant or already have a babe? Here are some of my favourite Kelowna specialists: