Friday, September 27, 2013

Meditation


I got an email from a student yesterday asking me about her meditation practice. She said whenever she sits her mind is full of thoughts and she doesn’t know if what she is doing is even meditation.
Here were some of my thoughts for her.  

I also struggled with this in the beginning of my meditation practice. I thought in order to meditate I had to have a completely empty mind. I have learned that it is less important to stop the thoughts and is it more important to rest in the Self beyond the thoughts. I learned to distinguish between me thinking and hoping from one story line to the next story line totally engaged with the story my mind was weaving compared to being the witnesser of the thoughts and the story. When I am the witness I can let the thoughts be there and observe them. This witness perspective puts us in contact with The Self. I have learned that when I step back from thoughts and let myself observe them I am the Self. It has taken a lot of practice but now most days when I sit to meditate I realize that it’s not Kim that is thinking, instead I am the one who knows and witnessing the thinking. This cultivates a feeling of calmness and clarity within myself.

There is a school of thought that says the idea of meditation is to not think! and to have an empty mind. But that didn’t work with me. Instead I would think “Kim empty your mind” “you’re talking to yourself about empting your mind so your mind obviously isn’t empty” “great now my foot is a sleep” “don’t think about your foot, let it go, empty your mind” “now my whole leg hurts, I should change positions I can probably empty my mind better if I am comfortable”….and on and on it goes. I connect so much more with this witnesser approach to connect with my true Self the one that goes beyond thoughts and feelings. I can observe a similar dialogue “ok Kim time to mediate” “Kim is talking to herself” “Kim’s foot has fallen asleep” “Kim wants to change positions” “Kim is feeling frustrated”… When I am not engaging in the thoughts and taking them so personal they gradually fade away. That doesn’t mean my mind is empty sometimes it is, but often it’s not. But I experience a break from my mind and a sense of simplicity because I have stopped engaging the story line.

How do you know if you are actually meditating?

I strive to sit for at least 20 minutes 2x a day. Some days I sit and it’s awesome and I am connected with the Self the whole time and I go so deep. Other times I sit and the next thing I know my meditation timer goes off and I feel like I was just talking to myself the whole time. I consider it meditation though because I was making an effort to turn my attention inside. If you’re making the subtle effort to let go of thoughts, or to observe thoughts as they come up without getting engaged in them, you are meditating. If you are focusing your awareness toward the inner Self, you are meditating.

Meditation is like playing an instrument. The instrument of your soul. It takes practice + practice + practice + perseverance.

Monday, September 23, 2013

32 weeks pregnant

32 Weeks Pregnant

32 weeks 3 days

This made me laugh but boy is it true.

Another one that made me laugh and is also very very true. I think of this as I walk around.

 

Baby Size? Winter Squash

Baby development? By now, your baby weighs 3 3/4 pounds (about the size of a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. (birthcenter.com)

Gender? BOY
Sleep?   I didn't sleep very good this week. I use lots of pillows but its so hard for me to get comfortable.

Food Cravings?  Candy

What I miss? Arm balances, deep forward folds, twists and deep back bends.
Movement? So much

Symptoms? Insomnia, congestion, back ache, frequent need to pee, heart burn, sore feet, sciatic pain, tired...

Exercise? Swimming, hiking with dogs, elliptical, yoga 

Yoga? Yes. Gentle hip openers, side body lengtheners, thigh bone rooting
 
Meditation? Yes kept me centered this week.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Facing Fear and Firing the Glutes


The changes that inevitably come with the natural ups and downs of life can either generate a perspective of personal growth or create fear.  A big change has cropped up in my life recently. Yesterday I got a call from my midwife saying because of my previous ultra sound and my placenta placement I am no longer eligible to give birth at the birth center and will need to have a cesarean section at a hospital. This is a radical change going from my plan which was a natural unmediated birth at a birth center (not even associated with a hospital) to giving birth in a hospital, with drugs and as much medical intervention as possible. I could feel the fear creep over my whole body as I began to close down and cry for hours.

 I then realized I had a choice. I could continue to pout about the fact that things are not going to go the way I had plan and continue to think about how this isn’t what I wanted and how afraid I am, interesting note, when you think about your fear your fear GROWS. Or I could accept the new set of circumstances. I could educate myself and make a new plan. In order to do this I had to dig so deep to find the strength to carry on. But the strength is always there for us we just have to trust it’s there and act like it is there. So today I have called hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, and friends who have had C-sections. As a result I feel like a stronger. I feel like I am protecting my baby (the transfer is a result of high risk danger of baby and mama bleeding out). I feel like I learned a lesson in mother hood : that things won’t always go my way. And ultimately I feel stronger for being able to integrate myself from total mess + complete weakness, to a place where I am stable and able to move forward with the new plan.

Tomorrow in class we are going to be focusing on firing the glutes. I had heard for a long time not to squeeze my bum and let it be relaxed. However when I started practicing Anusara yoga my teacher stressed how important it is to be able to use the glute muscles. Like the situation above I could be in a pose for example: standing splits or side angle pose feeling total fatigued and in fear that I couldn’t possibly hold the pose any longer. However if I dug deep and fired my glutes I found a new sense of strength and was able to get more stable in the pose, go deeper and have a better attitude about being in the posture.

GET TO KNOW YOUR BUTT MUSCLES:
Before you start working with these principles in practice, take some time to get to know your butt muscles:

·         Gluteus maximus is the largest butt muscle (in fact, it’s the biggest muscle in your body), spanning from the side of the sacrum and ilium to the femur. It’s primary function is to act as an extensor of the hip, but it also laterally rotates (turns out) the hip in extension. This is one reason the back leg in most poses tends to have too much outer spiral. If your leg is fixed, gluteus maximus serves to scoop the pelvis under (retroversion). To feel its engagement, standing in tadasana holding your buttocks and stretch one leg back behind you, extending the hip. You’ll feel the gluteus maximus fire on that leg. Now try standing in tadasana and scooping your pelvis under. You’ll feel both buttocks engage.

·         Gluteus medius is located on the outer hip, running from the outer upper hip down to the greater trochanter of the thigh bone. It’s primary role is in abduction of the hip, moving the leg away from the midline by drawing the greater trochanter toward the top of the hip. It also serves to stabilize the pelvis when you’re balancing on one leg (including when walking). To feel it, try standing in tadasana with both hands on your outer hips. Lift one leg straight out to the side to feel gluteus medius do the lifting. Interestingly, gluteus medius will also fire on the standing leg, to steady the balance by rooting downward into the earth.

·         Piriformis and those other lateral rotators: There’s a group of six deep hip muscles that all contribute to lateral/external rotation the hip. The main one to note among these is the piriformis, will contract (and spasm) in an attempt to stabilize the hip when the inner thigh/outer hip team is not doing its job. Piriformis happens to sit right on top of the sciatic nerve, and so when it’s tight it can cause a shooting nerve pain down the leg (also known as piriformis syndrome), and due to its connection to the sacrum, it can also pull on the sacrum to jam the sacro-iliac joint. I have a hard time actually feeling these muscles engage; rather, I feel them best when they’re being stretched in hip openers, like pigeon pose. However, you will only feel them stretch if you get the inner thighs back and wide first, and maintain that while adding Outer Spiral.

Principles of Emphasis

  • Muscular Energy For finding optimal alignment in the hips you need to tone the upper inner thighs (adductors) and the outer hips.
  • Inner Spiral turns the inner thighs in, back and apart (this is achieved by the strength of the adductors) and sets the head of the femur bone into the acetabulum (hip socket). The sitting bones widen, and the buttocks muscles soften their grip in order for these smaller muscles to create the inner spiral rotation. In asymmetrical poses the back leg needs more inner spiral.
  • Outer Spiral initiates from the action of the tailbone scooping under, and also wraps the outer hip back and toward the midline of the body. This involves the strong lateral hip rotators (piriformis, gluteus maximus, and other smaller rotators). When you engage Outer Spiral, make sure that the action of the butt muscles doesn’t override the alignment action of inner spiral. In fact, you’ll probably feel that the inner thighs have to work even more to keep the energetic flow back as you add the action of Outer Spiral. In asymmetrical poses the front leg needs more outer spiral
  • Organic Energy creates space in the joints by powerfully extending from the focal point toward the periphery. When the pelvis is the focal point the pelvic bones and tailbone move downward towards the earth, and the lower back and low belly lift up toward the sky. Gluteus medius is one of the key muscles involved in the rooting action of Organic Energy, and it creates enormous space and stability in the hip, especially when you’re balancing on one leg.

The Sequence:

1.      Tadasana: In tadasana have students feel glutes maximus and medius fire in there stabilizing and their moving actions.

2.      Parsvottanasana- vira 3 prep On the back leg side, the thigh and outer hip will tend to rotate outward, while the front naturally turns more inward with the hip jutting out to the side. (This is the common collapse in all asymmetrical poses so the back leg will need more Inner Spiral to find balance, and the front leg will need more Outer Spiral and Organic Energy.) Inner spiral the legs especially the back leg then add strong outer spiral by wrapping the front hip around and under WITHOUT losing the action of the inner thighs. Then press from your pelvic bones down through your legs into the floor. You’ll feel gluteus medius fire, especially on the front leg- press up into vira three prep finger tips on the floor back leg parallel to the floor. Squeeze back leg to midline to fire adductors and lift inner thigh up (this will turn on glute max and stretch deep 6 hip rotators) and wrap front hip down an under (turning on front hip glute medius) then extend out from hips down through standing leg, through back leg and through torso.

3.      Mod. Utthita hasta padangustasana holding knee: Start with an easy variation, just bringing one leg up with the knee bent and holding the front of the knee with both hands. With the legs strong and the inner thighs pressing back, now use your butt muscles to anchor the pelvis more. Especially work the gluteus medius on that standing leg, extending from the outer hip all the way down into the heel, and you’ll get a simultaneous lift up out of the pelvis. Hold this pose on each side until you feel that outer hip muscle start to tire.

4.      Vrksasana

5.      Standing pigeon- option (galavasana)- elbows in front of shin. Kick shin into the resistance of the elbows pulling back to fire glute.

6.      Modified Parsvakonasana- parsvakonasana

7.      Trikonasana: Like most asymmetrical poses, the front hip in trikonasana tends to get bound up. Once you set up the legs with good Muscle Energy and Inner Spiral, activate your butt muscles to draw the front hip under more. This will clear space in the hip joint. Then extend organically from the pelvis through the legs into the earth, using gluteus medius in particular to root more down into the front leg. Just for fun lift up bottom hand, you will only be able to do this if you are fiercely firing gluteus medius.

8.      Ardha chandrasana: As a standing balance, this is a great pose to work on both gluteus maximus and medius. Gluteus maximus (and the other lateral rotators) will provide a wrapping energy from the outer front hip toward the midline and under, while gluteus medius gives you the extension downward out of the hip that you need to avoid collapsing the pelvis onto the thigh bone.

9.      Partner Ardha Chandrasana: to help feel this have a friend press downward on your outer (top hip), so that you get more rooted into the floor, and as you get more rooted, lift back up into their hand.

10.  Spastic Pose: Start in uttanasana holding the big toes in yogic toe lock (first two fingers around the toe, thumb pressing into the floor). Engage the legs, especially by hugging the midline, and then widen the inner thighs back and apart. Shift your weight onto one foot as you lift the other leg straight out to the side. Gluteus medius, as an abductor, gets a workout on the lifted leg, while, as a stabilizer, gets a workout on the standing leg. If it’s weak, you’ll see why this one was nicknamed “spastic pose.”

11.  Tadasana- Virabhadrasana 3- Urdhva prasarita ekapadasana (aka standing splits): These poses are fun, as they are great ways to build the gluteus maximus (back leg) while strengthening gluteus medius (standing leg). Start in tadasana with hands on your hips, and with both feet on the floor just shift your weight over to your right foot. You’ll feel the butt muscles on the right side fire in order to bear weight (kind of like when you’re riding the subway and have nothing to hold on to). Even before lifting the left foot off the floor, extend organically downward from the pelvis into the standing foot (that’s your outer hip, gluteus medius, again), to make space in that hip. Then start to kick the left leg back toward Vira 3; gluteus maximus, as a hip extensor, will come into play here. The inner thigh on that back leg will have to work strongly to balance the lateral rotation that comes along with the firing of gluteus maximus. Hold Vira 3 for a few breaths and then tip all the way forward to standing splits. Again, balance the action between the inner thigh lifting and the butt muscles working on the back leg, while extending fully downward out of the hip in the front leg.

12.  Pinch Manyurasna [partner] just like gluteus medius fires when you root down through the feet there are muscles in the shoulder joint that prevent you from collapsing in the shoulders to root down. Partners will first check to make sure the shoulders are over the elbows and not past the elbows (a misalignments I have been seeing lately) then take fingers to yogi’s doles of feet to give them something extend up into, after rooting from back of heart toward floor.

13.  L.L quad stretch twist- The twisted poses require a lot of strength in the butt muscles to keep the hips squared to the front. Lift of the inner back thigh taking the butt toward heel. On the front leg use glute max scooping sit bone under and then fire glute medius by rooting down through heal so you don’t collapse in front hip as you extend the spine twisting from the back leg side toward the front leg side.

14.  Eka pada rajakapotasana 1 (pigeon prep): good inner spiral needs to be set up in order to stretch the front outer hip muscles to the fullest. Start with a smaller angle in the front leg with the foot pointed this set up will be easier to access the inner spiral of the back leg. After finding that move deeper into the pose bringing the knee in line with the foot. In this variation the front foot will be flexed.

15.  Ardha matsyendrasana (and other seated twists): the front hip (the side to which you are twisting) will tend to lift off the floor if the gluteus medius and the other butt muscles aren’t working. Really tack that hip down to lengthen up and out of the pelvis and take a twist.

16.  Setubandha with [block]: with backbends, the legs naturally tend to rotate outward, jamming the thighs forward and, ultimately, compressing the lower back. So instead, get your inner thighs toned and flowing back (using a [block] between your upper inner thighs will help create that awareness), and then activate those butt muscles, extending them out toward your knees without over-riding the power of the inner thighs. This will create tremendous freedom in the lower back.

17.  Root thigh bones back symmetrically- since one of the misalignments that can come from firing the glutes is the glutes out powering the alignment action of inner spiral which pushes the thigh bones forward and flattening the low back. Rooting the thigh bones back will help the thigh bones set back and re-establish the lumbar curve in lower back in case the thigh bones did come forward from your strong glute work.

 

 

 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Hip Opening and Butt Toning

We have been focusing a ton on inner spiral the past few months in my public classes. Now that the students are understanding it and performing it better its time to add on outer spiral. Outer spiral fires the butt muscles (in particular gluteus maximus and the major lateral rotators like piriformis) which is super important for creating the outer spiral rotation and for roothing out of the focal point. However since the glute muscles are so powerful the have the ability to over ride the strength of the adductors (your inner thighs) which hold inner spiral. If this happens, the thigh bones will push forward in the hip sockets, causing the adductors and psoas to tighten and the lower back to flatten which leads to lower back problems and tight hips.

Principles of Emphasis
  • Muscular Energy In order to perform the next principles you need to tone the upper inner thighs (adductors) and the outer hips.
  • Inner Spiral turns the inner thighs in, back and apart (this is achieved by the strength of the inner thigh muscles) and sets the head of the femur bone into the hip socket. The sitting bones widen, and the butt muscles soften their grip in order for these smaller muscles (adductors...) create the actions of inner spiral. In asymentrical poses the back leg needs more inner spiral.
  • Outer Spiral initiates from the tailbone scooping under + the outer hips wrapping back and toward the midline of the body. This involves the strong lateral hip rotators (piriformis, gluteus maximus...). When you engage Outer Spiral, make sure that the action of the butt muscles doesn’t override the alignment action of inner spiral. In fact, your inner thighs will need to work more so they dont collapse from the power of outer spiral. In asymentrical poses the front leg needs more outer spiral
  • Organic Energy creates space in the joints by powerfully extending from the focal point toward the periphery (to the ground first and then through the other limbs of the body). When the pelvis is the focal point the pelvic bones and tailbone move down toward the earth, and the lower back and low belly lift up toward the sky. Gluteus medius is one of the key muscles involved in organic energy creating tons of space + stability in the hip.
Anatomy Breakdown

·         Gluteus maximus is the largest butt muscle, spanning from the side of the sacrum and ilium to the femur. It’s primary function is to extend the hip, and also laterally rotates (turns out) the hip when it is extended. This is one reason the back leg in most poses tends to have too much outer spiral. If your leg is fixed, gluteus maximus serves to scoop the pelvis under. To feel its engagement, stand in tadasana holding your bum and stretch one leg back behind you, extending the hip. You’ll feel the gluteus maximus fire on that leg. Now try standing in tadasana and scooping your pelvis under. You’ll feel both buttocks engage.



·         Gluteus medius is located on the outer hip, running from the outer upper hip down to the greater trochanter of the thigh bone. It’s primary role is in abduction of the hip, moving the leg away from the midline. To feel it, try standing in tadasana with both hands on your outer hips. Lift one leg straight out to the side to feel gluteus medius do the lifting.

·         Piriformis, gemellus superior, obturatur internus, gemellus inferior, obturatur externus and quadratus femoris (deep 6 hip rotators): a group of six deep hip muscles that all contribute to lateral/external rotation of the hip. The main one is the piriformis, will contract (and spasm) in an attempt to stabilize the hip when the inner thigh/outer hip team is not doing its job. Piriformis happens to sit right on top of the sciatic nerve, and so when it’s tight it can cause a shooting nerve pain down the leg (also known as piriformis syndrome). It can also jam the sacro-iliac joint by pulling on the sacrum when it spasms. Thesemuscles sit under gluteus maximus and they all attach to the inside of the inside of the greater trochanter and then they fan out to different locations around the low pelvis. Since all of these turn the leg outword (contribputing to feet turned out and stronger outer hips and weaker inner thighs) the way you stretch them is by rotating the leg in... Welcome inner spiral. To feel them do a syemetrical pose and get inner spirla really well estabilied taking the toned inner thighs in back and wide and then maintain outer spiral.

 

The Sequence:

1.      Tadasana: In tadasana have students feel glutes maximus and medius fire.

2.      Tadasana: Use a block between your inner thighs to feel the adductors fire and rotate the inner thighs in, back and wide. Then add outer spiral scoping tail bone under and wraping outer hips back and toward the midline. Powerfully root down from the pelvis through the feet. Notice how the gluteus medius (outer hip) fires to assist in this action. When it does, you’ll feel a natural spaciousness and lift up out of the pelvis. Keeping the block between your thighs move through Sun A3x

3.      Parsvottanasana: On the back leg side, the thigh and outer hip will tend to rotate outward, while the front naturally turns more inward with the hip jutting out to the side. (This is the common collapse  in all asymmetrical poses so the back leg will need more Inner Spiral to find balance, and the front leg will need more Outer Spiral and Organic Energy.) Inner spiral the legs especially the back leg then add strong outer spiral by wrapping the front hip around and under WITHOUT  losing the action of the inner thighs. Then press from your pelvic bones down through your legs into the floor. You’ll feel gluteus medius fire, especially on the front leg.

4.      Mod. Utthita hasta padangustasana holding knee: Start with an easy variation, just bringing one leg up with the knee bent and holding the front of the knee with both hands. With the legs strong and the inner thighs pressing back, now use your butt muscles to anchor the pelvis more. Especially work the gluteus medius on that standing leg, extending from the outer hip all the way down into the heel, and you’ll get a simultaneous lift up out of the pelvis. Hold this pose on each side until you feel that outer hip muscle start to tire.

5.      Vrksasana

6.      Standing pigeon- elbows in front of shin. Kick shin into the resistence of the elbows pulling back to fire glute

7.      Standing pigeon- galavasana

8.      Trikonasana: Like most asymmetrical poses, the front hip in trikonasana tends to get bound up. Try the pose with your bottom hand up on a block, so you have extra room to create good action through the front leg. Once you set up the legs with good Muscle Energy and Inner Spiral, activate your butt muscles to draw the front hip under more. This will clear space in the hip joint. Then extend organically from the pelvis through the legs into the earth, using gluteus medius in particular to root more down into the front leg. Remove the block when your front hip feels spacious enough to do so

9.      Ardha chandrasana: As a standing balance, this is a great pose to work on both gluteus maximus and medius. Gluteus maximus (and the other lateral rotators) will provide a wrapping energy from the outer front hip toward the midline and under, while gluteus medius gives you the extension downward out of the hip that you need to avoid collapsing the pelvis onto the thigh bone.

10.  Partner Ardha Chandrasana:a nice assist to help feel this is to have them press downward on your outer top hip, so that you get more rooted into the floor, and as you get more rooted, lift back up into their hand.

11.  Virabhadrasana 3 and Urdhva prasarita ekapadasana (aka standing splits): These poses are fun, as they are great ways to build the gluteus maximus (back leg) while strengthening gluteus medius (standing leg). Start in tadasana with hands on your hips, and with both feet on the floor just shift your weight over to your right foot. Even before lifting the left foot off the floor, extend organically downward from the pelvis into the standing foot (that’s your outer hip, gluteus medius). Then lift the left leg back up (gluteus maximus). The inner thigh on that back leg will have to work strongly to balance the lateral rotation that comes along with the firing of gluteus maximus. Hold Vira 3 for a few breaths, and then tip all the way forward to standing splits. Balance the action between the inner thigh lifting and the butt muscles working on the back leg, while extending fully downward out of the hip in the front leg.

12.  Spastic Pose: Start in uttanasana holding the big toes in yogic toe lock (first two fingers around the toe, thumb pressing into the floor). Engage the legs, especially by hugging the midline, and then widen the inner thighs back and apart. Shift your weight onto one foot as you lift the other leg straight out to the side. Gluteus medius, as an abductor, gets a workout on the lifted leg, while, as a stabilizer, gets a workout on the standing leg. If it’s weak, you’ll see why this one was nicknamed “spastic pose.”

  1. Parivrtta Trikonasana and Parivrtta Parsvakonasana: The twisted poses require a lot of strength in the butt muscles to keep the hips squared to the front. The lift of the inner back thigh, and the action of gluteus maximus on that back leg as you move into the twist) will help keep the back hip from dropping. On the front leg side, use your butt muscles to pull the outer hip back and under, and to extend more through the legs.
  2. Hanumanasana
  3. Butt massage - Eka pada rajakapotasana 1: good inner spiral needs to be set up in order to stretch the front outer hip muscles to the fullest. Start with a smaller angle in the front leg with the foot pointed this set up will be easier to access the inner spiral of the back leg. After finding that move deeper into the pose bringing the knee in line with the foot. In this variation the front foot will be flexed.
  4. Setubandha with [block]: with backbends, the legs naturally tend to rotate outward, jamming the thighs forward and, ultimately, compressing the lower back. So instead, get your inner thighs toned and flowing back (using a [block] between your upper inner thighs will help create that awareness), and then activate those butt muscles, extending them out toward your knees without over-riding the power of the inner thighs. This will create tremendous freedom in the lower back.
  5. Ardha matsyendrasana (and other seated twists): In the front hip (the side to which you are twisting) will tend to lift off the floor if the gluteus medius and the other butt muscles aren’t working. Really tack that hip down to lengthen up and out of the pelvis and take a twist.

18. Bhaddha Konasana with [block] use block between feet 2 mins on each side then soles of the feet together

 

 

 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

31 Weeks Pregnant!

31 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!

FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE CARING THIS LITTLE BOY INSIDE OF ME :)

He has his daddy's nose!

what cute full, chubby checks!

I want to hold you baby boy!

Trying to suck his hand. He was constantly trying to put his finger and his feet in his mouth to suck on!

So handsome!

All that white is hair! The tech said that he has a lot more hair then average! Maybe that explains the heart burn I'm getting. (Its an old wives tale hairy baby = heart burn)

That's the umbilical cord.

I cant wait to squeeze these little feet!

Sucking his thumb. Look at those little knuckles.


31 weeks 5 days at the gym after teaching a yoga class

31 weeks 6 days. At a friends bachelorette party we went bar hoping and to a strip club! It was especially funny being there pregnant.

Baby Size? COCONUT!

Baby development? This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. (babycenter.com)

Gender? BOY
Sleep? I am starting to have a harder time falling a sleep but once I am a sleep I am out. The problem is when I wake up (like to pee) it takes me a really long time to go back to sleep.

Food Cravings? Peanut butter and yellow mustard (not together).

What I miss? feeling comfortable.

What I am loved this week? This week we got a 3d/4d ultra sound! (Pictures above). It was amazing. He was so active during the scan. The pictures we got were the few times he didn't have a foot, hand or umbilical cord in his face or in his mouth. It was so much fun to put a face to this little creature moving inside my belly I often imagine about holding my baby and think about what he will look like and this helped feel in some of the gaps. People say he has my lips and I think he has Tyler's nose and a head of hair like his dad had at birth. Some things I still wonder about include what color his skin will be. I am very white and my husband is very olive tan. I also wonder what color hair he will have. I have reddish blond hair and his papa has black back hair. I thought getting the scan would give me a little "fix" to tie me over for the next 8 weeks until I get to see him in real life. Unfortunately it makes me want to see him and hold him even more.
This week my nesting, stressed out impatient yet exhausted hormones have been kicking in. I get so tired I will sit or lay down and in my head I will be forming a list of all these things I want to get done before the baby gets here. Also at the moment the house cant be clean enough. I will clean clean clean and the next day it looks like a mess to me and I will start cleaning again. Such a weird drive to have every piece of dust swept up and smudge marks wiped off. I am trying to remind myself that I will always have a list of things I want done and that really we are quite prepared. The main things that need to happen are get diapers and I would also like the blinds hung in the nursery for some privacy. Everything else like the book shelf, moving our bed room up stairs, getting the kitchen tile floor replaced, fixing the upstairs bathroom... (oh i am getting stressed just thinking about the list) but really these can wait til after the baby comes. Its not like I will be the one doing them any way. Its my "honey's to do list". Another nesting urge for me is getting my craft and sewing skills on. I have made more burp cloths, diaper changing clutch and now getting ready to make some wash cloths.

Movement? Definitely.

Symptoms? Heartburn. Uncomfortable, leg cramps, tight muscles, headaches, frequent trips to pee, exhaustion, back pain, emotional, headaches, impatient…

Exercise? Main exercises of the week were elliptical, swimming and yoga.

Yoga? Yes. I practiced 5x a week. It feels good to move and I am loving that I am being drawn the the mat. My poses are getting more and more modified as time goes on.
Meditation? Yes daily.

Appointments? Midwife appointment on Monday!

Intention and Testimonials

Testimonials & My Intention

My Intention It is my intention as a yoga teacher to help you bring more health and vibrancy to your body, ease and alertness to your mind...