babycliffnotes

[babycliffnotes]

Heartsong Music

We signed up for Heartsong music after their free demo class and it’s been fun going to music class each week where the kiddos learn different songs and play with other kids their age.  Some of the music is a bit corny, but they all have accompanying gestures and they actually play the guitar in class.  They pull out a bunch of instruments for them to use.  We signed up for Wednesday mornings.  Later, I want to sign Benny up for Austin School of Rock.  I’d rather him learn rock and roll rather than the corny sing a longs - which are fine for right now :)

[babycliffnotes]

Day 2 of Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training

Day 2: “Shift Happens”

So i woke up today with not such great sleep. We went to a 5th birthday party the night before about a half hour away, so Benny was pretty beat. But he woke up at least 7x during the night! He is 16 months!  So of course I check my phone and he’s going through a leap (Wonder weeks).  And I think he’s getting in some molars too.  We haven't had too many issues yet with the amber teething necklace (and I just told people this too - hopefully I didn’t jinx myself!) Time to get some Hylands homeopathic tablets and some other remedies again!

Each of the 45+ countries around the world use this same manual to teach.  We talked about the requirements for completing the class, which I’ll post later.  

Moon cycles: new moon is a great day to start positive habits while full moons are a great day to give up negative ones.  

We did some partner exercises:  back to back with arms overhead touching, squats, hamstrings stretches, frog poses and life nerve stretch (forward bend pulls).  

We talked about wearing white, which briefings all 7 energies into your aura and expands your electromagnetic field.  Wear all white and see what you feel like!  Black is a color which makes you hide (think of prevalence of black in cities).  

We did a “Morning Wake Up Series” - page 310-311 or pg. 11 in manual - “Awakening your 10 bodies”.  Each one is done for a minimum of 1 minute, up to 3 minutes when you wake up.  We are assigned to do this every day until the next class - so for the next 3 weeks:

1) Stretch Pose pg 321 which energizes and wakes up your body.  You have arms and legs lifted while lying on your back: a) knees to chest b) lift head c)hands lift d) breath of fire.  Ladies can do stretch pose on the first day of the circle by alternating legs lifted. 

2) Tuck Pose - helps elimination, the glandular system and downward flow of energy.  You put your knees to your chest. pg 11 of manual.  breath of fire for 1 minute. after 1 min, inhale, lift head and exhale down.

3) Ego Eradication (pg 314).  This is for your heart, aura, electromagnetic field. Remember to hold root lock.  

Prana follows the mind.  

You can use breath of fire to count your breaths if you don’t have a timer.  InsightTimer app also has a great one.  

We then had a talk on the Aquarian Age, which is happening now. Some common astrological attributes to this age are: free spirits, humanity, group consciousness, futuristic (old structures collapsing), people can’t wait for the future to be here, information is cheap/worthless (experience has value), and choices are immense.  The zodiacs go backwards when we look at the past.  Before Aquarian was the Piscean age for the 2000 years before, which had a lot of secrets, where you had to “find” your teacher, and where a lot of the religions of the world developed; you also did what your dad did as a career whereas in the Aquarian age, you have a plethora of options.  Before Piscean was the Arian age for the 2000 years before which were when weapons were developed and people were territorial about land.  Before that was Taurus, when people were very earthing and involved in agriculture.  Before that was Gemini where there was language development.  And before that was Cancer, which was the birth of mother earth.  

In this new age: we need a new nervous system to adapt, we are interconnected (1 hour on the internet provides more information that a man had his whole lifetime in other centuries), tribalism and globalization increasing, virtual reality, cyborg anthropology, brain more of a processor than storage, self-identity disorders and mental disorders...

So we are here to help the transition.  We need to create stamina, rebuilt our nervous system/glandular system.  We need tools to meet the change, which Kundalini Yoga provides.  We need to see that we are like others. 

We then broke out in groups to discuss the 5 Sutras for the Aquarian Age (pg 6 of text) and had each group perform a skit for each topic/had them describe each saying in their own words:

1) Recognize that the other person is you

2) There is a way through every block

3) When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off

4) Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times

5) Vibrate the cosmos, they shall clear the path (our group had this topic and it was a bit hard for me as people were making me laugh a bit with their interpretations.  I have a very silly personality and it was hard to take some of these things serious.  I had to walk away for a second and grab some tea.  I have this weird thing where I laugh in awkward situations.  You think I would’ve grown up by now!)

7 steps to Happiness (pg 9 of text)

1) Commitment

2) Character

3) Dignity

4) Divinity

5) Grace

6) Power to Sacrifice

7) Happiness

We finished the day in a group circle with people in the center who wanted healing.  We sang “Wahe Guru”.  The group repeated. Then we said Sat Nam.  We went around the circle twice.  This last exercise was also hard of me as I wondered how long it would go on for (I thought we’d only go around the 50 person circle once).  It was different when I was pregnant and we did a similar exercise where the women in the room took turns coming up and blessing our bellies.  I repeated it for my mamas in a class and they loved it as well.

So, good 2 days.  Learned a bit.  And excited for the journey.  Need to remember to do my daily meditations. 

And check out Chapter 21 for the Yogi Diet...

[babycliffnotes]

Day 1 of Kundalini Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training

So I was thinking about joining, but it seemed a bit pricey.  They ended up giving me a scholarship, so I decided to do it.  

I woke up that morning to Benny dangling a half dead cockroach in front of my face like “Look Mommy what I found!” I of course screamed and freaked him out a bit, which wasn’t the best response.  However, it did make me giggle a bit while doing a meditation later in the day about the situation.  On Day 2, a women was talking about all the dragonflies in Austin (which there are!) and one woman was talking about animals that represent themselves a lot are our spirit animals and we have 7 or something? Anyways, scorpions have been there 3x in Benny’s life (2 in Mexico, 1 first moving into this house, which is a bit odd).  We had a couple mice in our last apartment.  And some cockroaches. Some definitely odd animals.  Kittens sound better... Well, it turns out dragonflies do signify change and transformation, and we’ve seen quite a bit of these lately!  Apparently cockroaches aren’t so bad either: “The cockroach shows up as a spirit guide when…You learned to get through yourself.

Spiritual life becomes understood and handled well.

Determined and found fortitude to keep in touch with the world around.

Survival issues are independently resolved.

You are able to take on responsibility and adaptability.” Scorpion: http://www.spirit-animals.com/scorpion/.  Also noting that my house isn’t very dirty.   We have a housekeeper come every other week and we do not eat in our bedroom, so odd a cockroach got in!  I think a fridge from Craigslist brought in the cockroaches in our old apartment.  The mouse was in there because we lived at the bottom of Hollywood Hills, and a lot of creatures were in that area.  Got in through some opening in my house... I also had a dream of a rat biting my arm  (so real that I woke up screaming) the first night moving into this house...

More people in class than I expected!  Almost 50 of us.  Here’s my notes in case I want to reference later :)

Day 1 began with a Yogi March for 3 minutes, Har Rotation (sets of 8 - up, down, criss cross, warrior, side etc) and then we did our introductions.

We had a discussion on proper techniques of breath of fire (pg 95 in the Aquarian Teacher textbook by Yogi Bhajan - we use this and the accompanying manual).  Then had to practice teaching with a partner.  You are supposed to focus your breath higher than the navel point and supposed to do 1-3 breaths per second.  It’s sort of like a dog panting (can even start with dog breath).  If you are having  dizziness, exhale more - the carbon dioxide is staying inside your body.  It should be a light panting breath through the nose with equal parts in and out.  

Breath of Fire is one of the foundational breaths used in Kundalini yoga.  It is important to master this breath so that it is done accurately and becomes automatic.  It is always practiced through the nose with mouth closed.  This breath is not recommended while pregnant and menstruating.  3 commons mistakes in doing BOF: 1) paradoxical breathing (many people learn to breathe backwards.  Place hand on belly to help correct).  BOF is hard for me and I was making this mistake 2) trying to breathe by an exaggerated pumping of the belly (it comes from higher up near the solar plexus) 3) a loss of attention to the balance ratio of inhale and exhale.  Benefits of BOF: releases toxins and deposits from the lungs, mucous linings, good vessels and other cells; expands the lung capacity and increases vital strength; strengthens the nervous system to resist stress; repairs the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems; strengthens the navel chakra; increases physical and prepares you to act effectively; adjusts the subtle psycho-electromagnetic field of the aura so that the blood becomes energized; reduces addictive impulses for drugs,smoking and bad foods (body doesn’t have enough energy so you go for the addictive substance - do 3 minutes breath of fire before a drink/cigarette for strength); increases oxygen delivery to the brain, facilitating a focused, intelligent and neutral state of mind; boosts the immune system and may help prevent many diseases; promotes synchronization of the biorhythms of the body’s systems.  To do BOF: Sit straight in easy pose and place hands in prayer pose.  Close eyelids 9/10ths.  Roll eyes at brow point.  do BOF for 1-3 minutes.  Inhale and hold for 10 seconds.  Relax.  Put hands in gun mudra, palms facing up.  Watch natural flow of breath for up to 3 minutes.  Inhale deeply.  Exhale.  Repeat 3-5x.  

Sahej is an expression in yoga which means “easy acceptance” - there’s no trying in yoga.  

Page 328 of the textbook gives techniques on teaching breath of fire (during the last minute, it’s totally relaxed and you hold the last breath, relax belly and diaphragm, then exhale completely).  Breath moves up and down - not horizontally. Holding chin in and chest up will help.  Have a soft face, with a hint of a smile.  Your face is the mirror of your mind.  Start off slowly and evenly (don't have to go at speed of class - go at own pace).  

We then moved into Mantras on pg. 82.  We dissected the Ad Guray Nameh mantra of protection.  You are supposed to create sound from the navel point - whatever part is comfortable for you.  The d’s and r’s are especially hitting meridian parts.  It’s also important to root the ground for sitting.  This mantra clears the clouds of doubt and opens us to guidance and protections - it surrounds the magnetic field with protective light.  

After mantras, we went into left nostril breathing (for relaxation), right nostril breathing (for elevating -it’s also warmer) and alternate nostril breathing - page 96.  It’s important to listen to your breath.  Alternate nostril breathing creates balance in the right and left hemispheres of the brain.  It can help with headaches, migraines and other stress-related symptoms.  Inhale left, exhale right helps to make you calm and is great before bed.  Inhale right, exhale left gives clarity and positive mood and helps us focus on what’s important.  By emphasizing inhaling, you increase heart rate and blood pressure- boosting alertness and stimulating us.  By emphasizing exhaling, heartbeat is slowed and circulatory, nerve and digestive system are relaxed; also promotes elimination.  The dominant nostril alternates rhythmically every 90-150 minutes (depends on temperament, state of mental/physical balance).  Breath exclusively through the left can help deal with compulsive eating.  Left nostril is associated with: the cleansing energy, the moon energy (cooling, receptive), calmness, sensitivity, empathy, synthesis.    Right nostril is associated with prana, the nurturing energy, the sun energy (warming, protective), vigor, concentration, alertness, readiness-for-action and will power.  

We then did a Sat Nam with the Sat for a 20 count and Nam for 1 count.  Sat Nam means “I am truth” and is what we end every class with.

We did a Sat Kriya (pg 112-113), which massages all internal organs and moves energy through the chakras (it’s commonly mistaken that Kundalini yoga is to have all the energy moved up and out through the head, but we move that energy back down after moving up for healing).  Sat Kriya is done in rock pose, which is a digestive pose.  Alternately, you could put a mat in between your heels and your buttocks, could roll up your mat and have feet hang over.  Don’t worry about your breath in this pose - the “Sat Nam” will regulate it. Women place the left thumb on top and men the right thumb on top.  Your palms are touching and arms are turned inward above your head.  Rest your hands on top of your head if you need a break instead of bringing hands all the way down.  Relax your shoulders and don’t arch your back.  Sat Kriya is essential to the practice of Kundalini yoga - a beginner student should start with 3 minutes a day and build up.  How to Do Sat Kriya: Sit in rock pose with heels under sit bones, stretch arms over head with elbows straight; interlace all fingers exceptt index.  women cross left thumb over right and men vice crest.  Chant “Sat Naam” about 8x per 10 seconds.  Sat on inhale with belly towards navel and Nam on the exhale.  Still doing

Basic Spinal Energizer Series was next (in manual), which changes patterns in the brain.  You flex your one foot and point the other, then reverse.  Move feet side to side and move on your hips side to side.  

The 7 Wave Sat Name Meditation on pg 123 in the manual erases habits/ clears up space.  This is a 11 minute meditation with 6 Sat Waves and 1 Nam wave.  This one I had a bit difficulty with - it was a long meditation!  There’s some parts of Kundalini yoga I love and some I don’t.  Of course I would love to eliminate my bad habits (I feel like I drink more than I should), but again, this was long.  But then again, I didn’t really feel like having a beer that night at a birthday party....

Some random tips: rubbing hands and feet together stimulate meridians when you start and end your body.  And as you are coming up from savasana, put hands over eyes and open eyes into hands and be there for the moment.  

Overall, it was a nice first day and so great to meet so many people, especially when new to a city.  Will be an interesting journey!  And will give the Ben’s some quality bonding time.  

[babycliffnotes]

So Far in Austin...

So we’ve been here a little more than a week.  I guess almost 2 weeks now!  My girlfriend Dana came out to visit for a few days this week from Long Beach and we explored a bit of Austin together.  And had some world famous Franklin’s BBQ (the line was only 25 minutes when usually it’s like 5 hours!) So that was definitely nice - especially with the baby!  It was a rainy day so maybe people weren’t up for the wait.  

It seems that there are a lot of meetup groups to meet other mamas.  I attended a free music baby class called Heartsong this week and I think we’ll sign up for that (and if we are still here in a couple years, there’s this thing called Austin School of Rock which seems pretty cool for Benny - or even myself with adult guitar lessons).  

And there are a bunch of baby friendly restaurants!  Woohoo.  This is what LA is missing!  They have playgrounds and outdoor seating.  Big lawns for them to run around, play football/soccer/whatever.  We went to Midway Food Truck Park this week.  The only negative is that these places usually don’t serve the healthiest of meals.  For example, I had a chicken fried bacon sandwich while at Midway.  I guess I could’ve got a side salad from the pizza joint, but what’s the fun in that?  http://freefuninaustin.com/2014/06/50-places-to-eat-out-with-kids-in-austin/.  Benny still eats from our plates, but it looks like there are so many restaurants where kids eat free too!  http://freefuninaustin.com/kids-eat-free/  i’ll start cooking at home more when we get more used to the city, but right now I’m trying to explore and try out the local cuisine.

We went to Ben’s boss’ house one day.  He lives out on the lake.  We took his golf cart out and drove to the lake, which also has a playground.  It was such a mixture of mobile homes and multi million dollar houses over there.  One house even had an elevator hundreds of feet that went from their elevated house on a cliff all the way down to the water.  

We went to Zilker Park a couple of times.  The first time, I just went to go check out the playground.  And then I discovered the beauty of Barton Springs.  The second time I went with Dana and we rode the mini train and had a snowcone (bees love snowcones :/ so be careful eating there!)

We went to Mayfield Park, where ~15 peacocks run around free (no dogs allowed!)  I’ll hike Mount Bonnell one day - when it’s not so hot!  I heard it’s over 100 steps, which might be a bit difficult with Benny as I’ll probably have to wear him.  One day when I have more energy...which hasn't been lately.  I’m still waking up in the middle of the night and not sleeping the best.  (Up at 3/4 AM right now...)

I’ve tried the famous Torchy’s Tacos and their “secret menu”.  We actually have one right around the block.  Apparently Austin is big on breakfast tacos.  And drive thru Mexican joints are pretty cool - just a bit of a wait.  

Not Austin related, but I went to a “Five Below” for the first time, which is like a dollar store but everything is $5 and below.  So much better. That store is dangerous - you could end up spending a lot!  They have so many different kinds of balls.  And Benny loves balls!  And bubbles! 

We got a queen mattress for Benny’s room.  At first we just had the crib, but thought it would be nice to have a spare bed for when guests come.  We can actually have guests here, unlike in our one bedroom in LA!  I’ll probably end up sleeping in here a lot so I don’t wake up the boys.  

House is pretty much all unpacked.  We still need to hang up pictures.  And I have more clothes than I remembered.  i still have my clothes from HS, but I don’t feel like I should throw away now - feel like I should save them in case I have a daughter - some vintage clothes.  Not like I’m very fashionable...

I want to get the picture of me pregnant wearing a Mardi Gras-like costume made into a canvas print so I can hang in the living room.  I have my belly cast sitting there so thought it would fit there.  

It’s been 100+ degrees so far, but seems like it’s starting to change to 90s.  The infinity pool in our housing community is just beautiful.  And felt beautiful.  Maybe we’ll go for a swim tomorrow.  

Oh, and so many things for kids.  The Thinkery is like a please touch museum for kids with spots to lounge, for gymnastics, for science experiments.  it was almost sensory overload on Monday mornings for their Baby Bloomers series.  There’s Safari Champ.  Plenty of playgrounds (which LA was lacking).  

Well, off to summarize another baby book.  Chat soon!

[babycliffnotes]

A Year of Yoga

Grrr my last post didn’t post and I didn’t copy (a practice I should get into) so I have to write it again.  Not taking a teacher training just yet (want to to Kundalini) but saw a friend post so going to read.  I’ve recently read Light on Yoga and it has over 200 poses, so want to try to master 1 a day (I’ll give myself a year because may not be able to do it everyday)

[babycliffnotes]

Our Trip to LA

I’m up at 3AM...once again...so figured I’d write about our recent trip to LA.  (Btw, our ancestors used to wake up in the middle of the night for an hour or two - they had 2 different sleep cycles; I wasn’t like this until I became pregnant.  It also happens more if I had something to drink...)

Anyways, Ben had to go to LA for work this past week (my birthday week) and I was spending the summer in Philadelphia, so I figured I’d go with him to LA and then move to Austin after.  I thought about spending the last few weeks of summer with my family and girlfriends in Philly, but it was nice to say “goodbye” officially to our LA friends - since we cancelled our previous going away dinner since Ben and I were fighting. 

I am a horrible packer.  I guess we left LA in April to go to Mexico for those 2 weddings, and it was still not summer weather? Have no idea why I packed so many pants, leggings, long sleeves etc!  Even for Benny.  I always end up wearing the same few outfits anyway since I prefer comfort to fashion.  Tip for next vacation - pack light!  This is not easy with a baby...

So we arrived in LA Saturday night.  We picked a later flight thinking Benny would nap later in the day rather than earlier after a full nights rest.  So my mom kept him up all day in the sun while I finished packing up a summer’s worth of clothes, toys etc.  And he fell asleep on the car ride to the airport and was climbing all over the seats and had balls of energy for the first lag of the flight to Denver.  (I had a stroller, car seat, back pack, big carry on, and two suitcases I checked - it was not easy getting around with all this with a baby!)  Second half of the flight was much easier and it was Southwest, so you get to choose your seats and parents with kids get second dibs (right after priority group).  I still like Virgin America better due to the personal TVs and friendliness of staff. 

So we arrived pretty late and we chose to stay at The Standard in West Hollywood because we wanted to be close to our old apartment so we could enjoy our favorite food spots one last time and see our old landlords.  That wasn’t the best decision.  It’s a party hotel and they throw pool parties with a live DJ on Sundays.  People were staring at us like “Why would you bring your baby to this hotel?”  Or maybe I was just being self conscious.  But when people are partying, they don’t really want to see a baby in the pool - especially in LA.  Valet parking and getting in and out was also very hectic.  I even think a tour bus pulled up on Monday and there was paparazzi.  

When we drove up La Cienega Blvd on the way from the airport, LA just felt different for me.  I saw it in a new light - I guess because I hadn’t been there all summer.  All young partiers out at the bar or club.  Not a scene for one with a baby.  There was even a cactus in our room at the Standard.  And the AC only let out a bit at a time and didn’t keep the room cool.   So we transferred to Le Montrose Suites in Beverly Hills, which was much nicer - and had an old school AC (I hate the new modern ones that let air in patches!).  Upon arriving in Weho, we had our #5 Combo sandwich at Greenblatt’s Deli since they are open late (2AM).  I loved living up the street from them - could get fresh fruit salad, homemade chicken noodle or matzoh ball soup, fresh deli meat - and they even served wine and beer.  Their chocolate mouse cake is pretty awesome too - I had my fair share during pregnancy.   

Sunday we woke up and went to Salt’s Cure on Santa Monica Blvd for breakfast - they have the best bacon I’ve maybe ever eaten (there’s a place in Palm Springs, CA that has a “bacon flight” and that is probably a close second).  They go through one pig each day if I recall correctly so only make a certain amount of bacon.  You can’t order it as a side dish - only with certain dishes.  So Ben opted for that option along with some biscuits and sausage gravy and I went for the pork chop, which was delicious like always.  It does get a bit crowded there, but thankfully when we went, we didn’t have to wait (LA is not an early city).  After breakfast, I went for a massage at Wilshire Foot Spa - $25 for a one hour foot and body massage (clothed).  I love it there and Michael is awesome; going to be sad to be leaving him!  Driving around made me see that LA is all under construction - that Petersen’s Automotive Museum reopening in December looks massive! Later that day, we went to The Den on Sunset for wings and a beer since the Sunday pool party at The Standard wasn’t very baby friendly.  We usually chat with the manager Mary but she wasn’t there.  Ben loved going there to watch football games and everyone loved Baby Benny there.  It was our local Sunday spot (although I hear they are not opening early for football this year - it never really got packed and that’s what we really liked).    

Sunday night I went to Connie and Ted’s for a pre birthday dinner.  I was craving their scallop in a shell.  I know it sounds like we ate out a lot in one day but we were trying to squeeze all of spots into one trip.  And Ben had a per diem he could spend on food each day since he was there for work.  Connie and Ted’s had a long wait (but had one spot open at the bar), so Ben let me enjoy alone while he took Benny to another one of our favorite spots in LA - Genghis Cohen (awesome NY style egg roll; the queens chicken is great too!).  Connie and Ted’s was out of my scallop roll :( So I ended up having a lobster roll and onion rings.  

Monday, Ben had work, so I met my girlfriend Karissa at Pan Pacific Park so that our kids could enjoy the playground.  It was nice to see her again and it was nice for Benny to hang out with her son, who he knew since birth.  It’s sad they are not going to grow up together, especially because they would be in the same grade, but hey - you never know where we will be in a year or two - maybe she will even move here (if we are even still here!).   We had Mendocino Farms for lunch and split a pork belly bahn mi sandwich while the boys shared one of their healthy side salads.  When I got back, I took a walk to Rite Aid to buy some pool toys for Benny since everything was 50% off at the end of the summer.  There was actually one other kid staying at the hotel so Benny and him played for a few hours.  We were supposed to meet up with my girlfriend Renata, Benny’s god or “earth mother” - since we aren’t very religious, but she said Wednesday night would be better - which she ended up canceling anyway since her bf was “sick with food poisoning...”  Maybe he was, but she could’ve still visited us.  I just feel like anytime I talk to her, it’s like “he’s doing this...”  That’s great - but what about you?!  When did you stop being your own person?  I hope I don’t sound like that!  I guess Sunday was her bfs birthday.  I texted her multiple times to let her know I was around.  I would’ve came out for a bit.  They went to Jumbo’s Clown Room - a gentlemen’s club where Courtney Love met Kurt Cobain.  It’s a low key dive bar as well and it’s only bikini’s.  The girls are all pretty down to earth.  It’s like once you have a baby, people think they can’t invite you to those kind of places.  I’m still fun!  And Ben was off on Sunday so I had a “sitter.”

Tuesday night for my birthday, we planned a dinner at Tokyo Delve’s in North Hollywood - where we were supposed to have our going away party.  We had about 10 of our friends (mostly Ben’s friends since I apparently don’t have any anymore - if I even had them to begin with in LA) and enjoyed some sushi and karaoke.  The servers danced to old 90s hits and they played all the usual goofy dance songs - Mambo # 5 etc.  It was fun and Benny was having a blast.  It was good to see everyone!  After dinner, Ben let me have the night out while he watched Benny so I went to The Roosevelt pool for midnight swim.  It was packed.  I forgot people in LA don’t work normal work schedules.  There were probably 300 people there on a Tuesday night around midnight.  We partied there until 2AM (last call) and went to my friend Tucker’s apartment across the street.  They are such crazy partiers.  I know I used to be too, but I can’t keep up anymore.  Ben called me around 9AM telling me he had to be at work at 10AM so we headed back to the hotel (I had fallen asleep around 4AM probably).  

Wednesday was a lazy day after partying Tuesday, so we had some rejuvenating Pho from 9021pho.  We were supposed to meet up with my girlfriend at Malibu Cafe, close to her house, but she cancelled, like I said.  So we just stayed in, watched a movie and ordered some Indian from Anarkali Indian restaurant (the saag poniir is great and they are so friendly) for our last night in LA. 

Thursday Ben had to be in OC for work so we left in the AM.  We checked into the Renaissance in Aliso Viejo, which has a splash world for the kid’s and *daycare* for up to 3 hours as long as you stay on the property.  This was amazing and I was able to work out for an hour here or there.  They had a nice baby pool and even a kid’s whirlpool.  Super family friendly.  I got to take two yoga classes - which I haven’t been to in a while, which was nice; but it was regular vinyasa/hatha and I’m more of a Kundalini yoga person.  I hate the repetitive updog/down dog chatarunga sets.  The only part I didn’t like about the hotel was there had “prime rib night,” which I was excited for, and they wouldn't bring it up to my room while Benny was sleeping.  So he woke up and I went down 1.5 hours after it started, and they were out :(  I don’t know what the big deal would’ve been to bring it up to my room like regular room service... I went over to Ben’s coworker’s wife’s house during the day so Benny could play with her son and it was nice to see her. We ended up going to Opah for dinner since Ben’s coworkers were having a going away dinner for someone.  We couldn’t sit with the group since it was so crowded, but ordered on our own.  The food was good, but service wasn’t - I feel like service isn’t as good with a baby.  She was too busy waiting on dates and business people.

Friday my girlfriend Dana came up from Long Beach to hang at the pool and later that night Ben and I went to Laguna Beach.  We ate at Eva’s Caribbean Kitchen (the shrimp were so spicy!) and then went to the beach for sunset, but clouds were in the way.  Still was a nice last night in So Cal for a while. 

Saturday we woke up and went to Break of Dawn for breakfast, a Vietnamese twist on breakfast.  The bison sausage with black sticky rice was yummy.  Then we drove to LA for our flight.  We arrived at the airport super early, but at least we wore Benny out running around and he slept on the flight.  We arrived in Austin close to midnight, and I was sad to hear that we couldn’t stop and get a bottle of wine or some food close to my house (made me miss LA a bit).  Apparently this is an earlier city - like San Diego.  I wanted a celebratory drink for our first night in the new house.  

Our first day in the new house Sunday was spent unpacking boxes and setting up the house (Ben had already unpacked all the big things).  We went to Waterloo Ice House for lunch, and they had a playground for Benny to play while we ate - something LA is definitely lacking!  So first day was pretty good. 

 Benny is waking up now at 5AM so I”ll go grab him a bottle and hopefully go back to sleep!  Sorry my thoughts are so scrambled...

[babycliffnotes]

Mason Mills Park and Other Cool Playgrounds in Fox Chase (Philadelphia) & Surrounding Suburbs

My sister took me to Mason Mills Park yesterday for the first time and I thought the little driving course with a fake village and stoplights was so cool for the kids!  They also had pavilions for picnics that provided shade, multiple climbing structures, a sprinkler and a pond nearby with water fountain.   There were also volleyball, basketball, tennis courts for older kids and adults.  Says there’s even a fitness trail with 18 stations (.72 miles).  3500 Masons Mill Rd, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.  Bring a toy car, baby bike etc and check it out!

Other playgrounds in the area:

Once Upon a Playground/ Wall Park - I think this is the proper name but not positive. It has a large wooden storybook castle that is really cool.  It has a sandbox that has a cover to keep out the sun.  Small picnic pavilion and restrooms in nearby facility.  Also a skate park for older kids and a basketball court. 611 Church Rd, Cheltenham, PA 19027 They also have day camps. 

Burholme Park: Park with two playing structures and a sandbox.  Swing set and baby swing set.  Mini golf, driving range, arcade and batting cages also next door at Burholme Golf and Family Entertainment Center.  Ryerss Museum and library - open Fri, Sat and Sun 10-4 and it’s free! 7370 Central Avenue, in the northeast corner of Burholme Park.

Champion Park/ Susquehanna Playground - Cool playground.  Can go for a hike after - they have a nice trail. Susquehanna rd and verree rd, Philadelphia, PA 19111.  Further back is Pennypack Park which has a great summer concert series on every other Wednesday with live music.  

Jarrett Playground - This playground has the basics (slide, jungle gym, swings, baby swings, plastic slide structure) and enough open space to play ball. It's local and they have a summer camp. 145 Jarrett Ave Rockledge, PA 19046

Fox Chase Rec Playground - a public pool, 2 climbing structures, 2 swing sets (1 for baby and 1 regular), sprinkler system.  Has summer camps, swim lessons, sports for kids such as cheerleading, softball, baseball, basketball, gymnastics etc.  7901 Ridgeway Street Philadelphia, PA 19111

Sylvania Playground/ Cegielkowski Playground: This one has a cool walkway from Church Road that was done in the past couple years and is very quiet.  Has a tennis court and basketball court, play structure and swing set for the little ones.  They have a nice 4th of July celebration with activities for the kids. Rockledge also has a nice 4th of July parade on Church Road at Huntington Pike and a car show in September where they close off the streets.  Worth checking out!

27 South Sylvania Avenue Jenkintown, PA 19046

Tookany Creek Playground -  I like that this playground has a lot of woods.  I will need to update with more information and a picture. Central Ave & Old Soldiers Rd Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19012

Jardel Playground - I used to do dance and gymnastics lessons here as a child and it was a lot of fun!  They also have a public pool and playground. 1400 Cottman Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111

Smith Memorial Playground - I went to a wedding here and the kids had so much fun! They had so many play areas and even potato sack racing down slides.  Definitely something to check out!  3500 Reservoir Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121

From the website “Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse offers a free, safe place to play for children 10 and younger. The 6 1/2 acre Playground includes the Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide and more than 50 pieces of unique, age-appropriate and accessible pieces of play equipment. The 16,000 square foot Playhouse, designed for children 5 and younger, gives them a chance to drive the train, cook in the kitchen, ride tricycles in Smithville and much, much more.”

Linden Playground - My sister told me about this one.  There is a playground and a river where people fish (so if kids are old enough can bring fishing rods).  Can also bring old crackers or bread to feed the ducks/geese. 

Delaware & Linden Ave. Philadelphia, PA. 

Kid’s Castle -  haven’t been but have to add because it looks so cool! Just look at the pic:

425 Wells Rd. Doylestown, PA 18901 (215) 348-9915 www.doylestownrec.com

From CBS article: “Kids’ Castle is appropriately named. The 8-story-high wooden structure is a castle full of mazes, slides, swings, a dragon and a drawbridge. It includes a toddler play area. The playground is part of Central Park, which also has trails and picnic areas.”

Junod Playground - Also one I haven’t been to but read great things. In Bensalem.  3301 Mechanicsville Rd (Dunks Ferry Rd.), Philadelphia, PA 19154

Last but not least, Alverthorpe Park.  I’m only adding this last because you have to be a resident of Abington or surrounding suburbs to enter (if the door man checks).  This is an awesome park with mini golf, a wading pool for the little ones, two different playgrounds, basketball courts.  I’ve been to at least one birthday party here.  Jenkintown Road & Forrest Avenue Jenkintown, PA 19046

Not a playground but my sister said to add: 

Solly Horse Stables - can bring carrots to feed the horses (there are signs that says it’s okay for certain horses). They even have events like open houses/picnics 1140 Solly Ave Philadelphia, PA 19111

What other great ones am I missing? 

Found this site which has a lot of playgrounds in Philadelphia reviewed: http://phillyplaygrounds.blogspot.com

This too: http://zoraplays.com

http://www.phillyparentcircle.com/blog/entry/philly_kids_play_top_5_playgrounds

[babycliffnotes]

Becoming a Childbirth Educator

It’s been a busy summer!  My brother and his boyfriend were living here for about a month while they were looking for a new spot after having trouble with their last spot and it was really nice to have a full house!  And Greg went to culinary school, so he made us some yummy dishes and we shared our love for cooking.  

People are always coming in and out and my mom is home on Wednesdays and Fridays and watches my nephew Ryder, which is great because it keeps Benny occupied (benefit of having multiple kids I guess - you don’t have to be the only one to entertain him).  

I was googling becoming a childbirth educator online, and the weekend big Ben was here, there happened to be a workshop at UPenn through ICEA (International Childbirth Educator’s Association).  It was Friday night, all day Saturday and all day Sunday.  It was nice to be on a college campus again.  And have time to myself!  I sat on a park bench peacefully eating lunch and forgot how nice it is to have 15 min of alone time (you don’t get to experience this very often as stay at home mom).  And Ben has been gone moving us from LA to Austin and setting up the new place.  

I met some really great girls who really want to make a difference in the birthing world.  Nice to meet like minded individuals.  

I’ll post another update on my summer in Philadelphia, a review on prenatal/postnatal workout videos, and a review of birthing movies when I get a chance.  Like I said, it’s been busy here!  Should get some more time when we move to Austin at the end of the summer!

So anyways, I still have to read about 7 childbirth textbooks, attend 2 labors/births, and take an exam, but first part is out of the way and I’m on my way to become a childbirth educator!

[babycliffnotes]

Our Trip to McDonalds

I know you are reading the title and saying so what!  But I felt a bit guilty walking in there with my one year old.  He has never been and I felt like getting out of the house and taking him somewhere fun to eat - and the “fun” places to eat are rather limited, not just in my area but a lot of places I’ve lived.  

I mean, we only split a happy meal - he probably only had one chicken nugget and ~10 fries, so I shouldn’t feel too bad about his nutrition.  He enjoyed the free gogurt they now give you in the happy meals for free for dessert. However, the minions (Despicable Me toys) didn’t start until today ~ I think he would’ve liked that toy better.  

We had such a fun day at the playground yesterday and he was being so good and I just wanted to give him a little treat.  I remember going there and having fun as a child, so who I am to limit him to that?  I texted my gf to see if she wanted to go with her son, and she made a comment about them not having a ball pit anymore.  I was kind of surprised, because I thought I still remembered seeing the structure and I have so many memories of playing in one.  

However, we went, and it didn’t have one anymore.  Before I went, I googled “McDonalds ball pit” to check for locations near me.  By the way, DON’T GOOGLE THAT, especially before you plan on going!  No one wants to be reminded of what could be in a child’s play area, and the needle one was a fake...

But I was actually thankful we did have a space to eat where my child could roam around while eating (my toddler likes to walk around while he eats - he eats like he has so many other things going on, too busy to sit down; maybe this is my fault, but he’s one - I don’t feel like forcing him in his seat just yet (he was fine with this high chair at a restaurant, but all the other ones, he climbs out of - I swear he can climb out of anything - buckled or not (I was always a bit wormy as child and could get out of weird positions).  Maybe it’s because we didn’t have a high chair in our one bedroom in LA - I had a modern one on my registry that was a bit expensive and my sister flipped when she saw it, so I removed it, then figured I didn’t need one right away, then ... (he does sit in a high chair sometimes at my parents and is fine, but the kitchen is pretty hot during the summer, so I just set up a blanket area in the living room, which has AC).  We also didn’t have a kitchen table in our one bedroom in LA, but had a patio set outside - sometimes I’d just set up this blanket and we’d play and eat.  

They also had a family fun night of watching a movie planned for Tuesday night, which was something I had never seen before.  

And I did go through the tunnel structure they still had up, which was the same one as a child sans the ball pit, and although a bit dirty, wasn’t that bad.  It was definitely hard for me to go through - took about 10 minutes! I had to crutch down the entire time - it was made for 4-14 year olds, but I think it would even be hard for young teenagers!  It says the employees don’t clean it much, but I don’t understand how they could get in there and clean it everyday.  It wasn’t that bad.  

So hopefully one day McDonalds will follow suite of Panera Bread and start making their food more natural.  

Or hopefully more restaurants will pop up with play areas for the babes, because I do like to go out to eat (and my LO likes to roam around).  I guess anywhere with an outdoor area works... 

Also interesting was to play in the play area and see how many cars go through that drive-thru in just ~45 minutes, so maybe I shouldn’t feel *so bad* next time when I eat there! (I eat there 1 MAYBE 2x a year if we are on a road trip and don’t see something else or for that 1-2x a year you are craving “bad” food - I had cramps, so maybe that’s why ~ or maybe because I had some wine and a homemade limoncello shot from my brother’s bf the night before...) 

Did I forget to mention my brother and his bf recently moved back into my parents too!? Full house! 

[babycliffnotes]

It’s Been A While!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted ~ life is much faster paced here in Philadelphia around family and friends.  I’m staying at my parents for the summer and I rarely have a moment to myself - people are always walking in and out, I’m watching my nephew as well as my son, and there’s always something going on (a wedding, birthday party, trip to the shore etc).  

My previous post might seem outdated as I was talking about the cast of Friends- obviously I haven’t really watched TV in the past 10 years.  We have Netflix, but I haven’t really gotten into any cable TV shows.  (However, on Netflix, I did enjoy Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Parenthood and The B* in Apartment 23 (that girl is pretty funny!)

I recently picked up a book called “Succulent Wild Woman.”  It was delivered to my house and my mom and sister flipped through the pages and started laughing at me due to its content.  When are women going to start supporting/encouraging one another rather than bringing each other down? This book is about supporting your sisters.  It’s a 40 year old woman’s journal that was published into a book, which was inspiring that even your “journal” can be made into a book (I know this was done with Anne Frank and some of the famous writers). So write away, ladies (and men) ~ everyone has a story to tell!

So far this summer, after Benny’s birthday party (which I still haven’t posted about ~ have I?!), we went down the shore (Wildwood, NJ) to my parents shore house for the last weekend in May with my family and friends.  In June, I taught a 6 week mommy to be/mommy and me yoga session at Twisted Monkey Yoga in Rockledge (the last class I did an “endornment” ceremony where I made flower crowns for the mamas and had the non-pregnant mamas hold the pregnant mamas belly and say a blessing to her or her child.  It was beautiful and made the mamas cry! I remember doing that in my teacher training and everyone loved it there too.  I need to find more ideas like this!  We visited Austin, TX to look at houses since my bfs job is relocating us there from LA (first attempt was not successful and it was a particularly rainy/humid/buggy weekend, so our first impression of Austin was not the best, even though everyone tells us we will love it).  Ben has been there the past week and I pick him up from the airport today at noon for the holiday weekend (July 4th) :) Maybe I’ll try and squeeze in a small lunch date while my parents are here with the baby!  I live across the street from Rockledge, which has a bunch of celebrations: fireworks tonight and a bunch of kids celebrations at the playground and a parade tomorrow AM, so everyone will come over to our house afterwards, and we can watch from the steps of my friends Lauren’s house.  Sunday we will have a BBQ.  

Well, Benny is still sleeping, so I’ll do one more post about my trip to McDonald’s yesterday and try and workout/take a shower before he wakes!  I still need to do posts about our day at the Please Touch Museum and maybe Wildwood, NJ or my cousins wedding :)

[babycliffnotes]

Bountiful Beautiful Blissful Summary

Bountiful Beautiful Blissful by Gurmukh

I found this book so positive and inspiring.  It led me to do the Khalsa Way prenatal yoga training in LA, which was such a transformative week for me.  I met inspiring women from all over the world and really was able to connect with the soul growing inside me.  This book shares knowledge about birthing and infant care that isn't in the mainstream of today's Western culture, but which has been around literally for eons.  You also don't have to read the chapters in order.

Summary of book: BBB is a treasury of advice, information, and inspiration for pregnancy and motherhood, based on the spiritual and physical practices of Kundalini Yoga, which Gurmukh has taught for the last thirty years.  With illustrated, step-by-step instructions, she teaches time-tested techniques, meditations, and exercises that will help you physically, mentally and spiritually.  The sections of the book cover each trimester of pregnancy as well as delivery and life with the baby.   In her wise and comforting voice, Gurmukh suggests meditations, exercises and yoga positions to answer the various needs of expectant and new mothers as you undergo dramatic body changes. She teaches Kundalini yoga as taught to her by Yogi Bhajan who brought the technology of Kundalini yoga and meditation to the West.  Yoga sets he recommended for pregnancy are based on the Khalsa Way - a program for life that addressed childbirth education and parenting, as well as community-awareness issues.  

The goal of Kundalini yoga is to awaken the Kundalini, the primal energy that rests at the base of our spine.  Kundalini moves this energy up our spine by means of asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), mudra (hand positions that stimulate centers in your brain) and mantra (repetitive sounds we make to bring about a change in our consciousness).  Kundalini is "the yoga of awareness" where you stimulate and balance your chakras - spinning vortexes of energy throughout your body, each radiating a particular energy that is important for your health, happiness and well being.  

Introduction – Gurmukh starts the book with her own life experiences and what led her to explore non-conventional birthing methods and start teaching yoga.  She believes she was meant "to physically, mentally and spiritually prepare a mother so that she can guide new soul on an amazing trip through their lifetime"

The First Trimester

The First Step of the Journey - The first 120 days is building the house.  The soul enters after the house is built; that soul has specifically chosen you as a parent.   • Meditating- Choose a warm, clean, uncluttered quiet place.  Wear loose, light-colored and natural fiber clothing if possible to expand your body's aura.  Barefoot. Best in morning as a way to center yourself for the day ahead or before going to bed to help you relax fully.  Sitting in the same place every day for your yoga and meditation is good because that space starts to take on the meditative energy you create.   • Meditating in Easy Pose- Hands in gyan mudra (or index and thumbs pressed firmly together), which creates wisdom.  Inhale through nose and exhale through mouth in equal lengths.  Hear "Sat" on inhale and "Nam" on exhale, which means "Truth is my identity".  Repeating of certain syllables stimulates nerve centers in your body.  Repeat for 11 minutes.  

Pregnancy As a Living Prayer – Create a sacred space- Make an altar in your home.   • "Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo" repeat at least 3x up to 26x to reach a state of equanimity, which means "I am bowing to that creative wisdom inside myself"   • Meditation for Infinite Connection: Easy Pose Cupping Hands - Pinkies touching, 6 inches in front of your heart center. 3 minutes.  Eyes at 3rd eye point.  

Bountiful Beautiful Blissful - the teaching of Kundalini yoga is that as a woman comes to know and love herself, radiance shrines through to the outside and we call her beautiful.  As she grows to be compassionate not only of others but of herself, we call her bountiful.  And as she comes to experience the vastness of who she is and of what she is capable, we call her blissful.

Babies come from the center, the point from which our chi, or life energy radiates.  The navel represents the third chakra, the fundamental element of commitment.   • Meditation to Honor Your Womanhood. In easy pose, right hand straight forward, palm facing down, reaching for the horizon at 60 degrees, left hand in gyan mudra and repeat "I am the light of my soul, I am bountiful, I am beautiful, I am bliss, I am, I AM".  Sit for 3-11 minutes facing east, where each new day is born, outdoors if possible

The Emotional Abyss - Adjust diet or move in a way that will stimulate your body's own healing energy or talk to someone to alleviate morning sickness; you don't have to feel bad.  Ginger root tea help regulate the wild flux of hormones in the early stages, support your nervous system and cleanse your liver.  Make from fresh ingredients if possible ~finely chop 1 inch of fresh ginger root and add to 1 cup of water.  Let boil for five minutes, then add a little honey, milk or lemon.   • Exercise For Emotional Balance (Easy Pose Stretching Arms) –- Stretch arms above ears with palms facing each other stretching to the sky.  Fingers are side by side but thumbs are separate. Keep arms and palms stiff, reaching high.  Move arms back and forth like fanning head, 6-9 inches out and then back in.  Eyes at 3rd eye point.  3-7 minutes.

Morning Sickness - Drop in blood glucose levels caused by the added work your body is doing to create a baby can make you feel fatigued, irritable and emotional.  Eat something every two hours, preferably a little bit of protein and a vegetable or fruit.  Eat as many whole, live, organic foods as you can.  Sitting with family/friends during a meal releases oxytocin as we look into each other's eyes.  Always bring water and a snack when leave house - raisins, almonds, fruit, crackers, soy nuts etc.    Walk 5 miles a day - walking balances the brain, hormones and the glandular and nervous systems.   • GoodBye to Queasiness - Walk for a half hour and press thumbs to fingertips in the following order: thumb to index (gyan mudra ~ knowledge), thumb to middle finger (shuni mudra ~ wisdom, intelligence and patience),  thumb to ring finger (surya mudra ~ vitality), thumb to pinkie (bhudi mudra ~ ability to communicate well). Chant Sa-Ta-Na-Ma, one syllable to each finger, starting each round with the index finger and ending with the pinkie.  

The Importance of Breath – Life force prana comes to us through breath.  Breath relaxes, gives clarity and cool-headedness because it brings oxygen and nitrogen to the brain cells and pumps spinal fluid to the brain.  It prevents the buildup of toxins in the lungs and as lung capacity expands, the pituitary gland becomes stimulated.   • Breathing Better Exercise- Open book against your navel as if reading it.  When inhale, belly pushes book away from body.  Exhale, let book glide back toward spine.  Inhale Sat and Exhale Nam for min. 5 min.  Blood becomes more oxygenated.  

Healing Old Wounds – If having trouble accepting pregnancy, for 3 minutes each day, place left hand over right hand, put over heart and repeat the mantra “Happy am I, Healthy am I, Holy am I” while rolling eyes to third eye point.   • Meditation for Self-Love and Acceptance – Sit in easy pose with left hand stretched out in front of you holding a piece of fruit.  Hold opposite hand 4 inches above fruit.  Keep arms straight and eyes closed.  Concentrate on connecting navel point to the fruit as if taking the prana (life force energy) and blessing the fruit.  After 9 minutes, hold fruit with both hands at navel point and breathe long and deeply for 2 minutes; continue 7 minutes.  Exhale and eat fruit.  Great 90-day meditation.  If too long, start with 3 minutes in each posture.

Remembering Your Own Birth – What makes us what we are today is what happened in the womb and in the first three years of life. For each month of pregnancy, you relive on a deep, emotional level your own time in the womb.  Interview your own mother and find out what she was thinking/feeling when she carried you.  Hypnotherapy can unlock these questions if mother is not around.   • Healing Emotional Wounds from the Past – Sit in easy pose and raise right arm up to 60 degrees in front of you.  Bring left arm behind you in 60 degree angle pointed downward.  The two arms should from a straight line; keep them straight with thumb locking down other fingers. Close eyes and focus downward as if looking through center of chin.  Breathe slowly and deeply for 3 minutes.  Extend pinkie finger and index fingers for 3 minutes.  Extend all fingers and tighten muscles of body while you stretch towards infinity for 3 minutes.  Inhale deeply, exhale slowly and evenly – repeat 2x.  Start at 1 minute for each posture and build to 3 minutes.

Creating a Neutral Mind – When you are confused, stop and press your third eye point on your forehead between your eyebrows with your thumb and shut your eyes, inhaling “Sat” and exhaling “Nam” for 3 minutes.  This will bring you back to center.  For every negative thought, have a positive one. • Meditation for Mental Balance – Sit in easy pose, extend arms out to sides like great wings, palms flat and facing floor.  Flap your wrists and hands rapidly as if flying furiously.  Action is in the wrists.  Breathe in long, deep inhales and exhales for 3 minutes.

Cultivating Patience - Get a plant to practice nurturing and connecting to the physical world; experience more sunsets, play with dirt.  We get mad if food takes too long at a restaurant or sitting in traffic.  In India, people just sit around “doing nothing” - enjoying life; some Westerners are shocked to see.  Osho: “What took 6 weeks 200 years ago now takes 1 day.”  Imagine not having to fill every single second of your time and just see what develops.   Meditation for Being Patient (Jupiter Meditation) - helps bring nervous system into balance and helps grow patience.  Easy pose, eyes closed and rolled upward, extend arms straight out, palms up.  Move Saturn (middle) finger - inhale as raise, exhale as lower; coordinate this with the breath for 7 minutes (start w 3 min).  

Appreciating Your Partner - Fathers during pregnancy wondering if they’ll be able to provide and how your relationship will change (including sexual from lover to mother).  Tell your husbands they can always say, “My wife is pregnant and not able to come tonight.” No man is ever ready-made; you pick up where mother left off.  For most of us in a relationship, it is work to stay together.  Not just coexist, but to grow together, build something great together, reveal the truth of our hearts together.  It is worth the work and every ounce of commitment. Happy Couple Mediation - Venus kriyas are partner mediations.  Sit back to back in easy pose, spines touching.  Single parents do with close friend.  Deeply inhale and exhale, then begin chanting together “Sa Ta Na Ma” for 11 minutes.  Begin loud, then whisper, then silently to yourselves and return to loud.

Creating a Positive Picture of Pregnancy and Birth - TV depicts horrible picture of childbirth.  For most American women, the birth experience has been removed from the home for several generations and been turned into an institutionalized experience.  Some birth stories are exaggerated as well - some may say 60 hours of labor; ask how many hours of active labor (where we have to breath with our complete attention through every contraction).  Ask to hear positive birth stories.  Read books like The Red Tent and Spiritual Midwifery to learn of childbirth history as females, past and present. Meditation for Banishing Fear -  Easy pose with eyes closed and rolled upward and extend arms out.  Close hands, bring fingertips to base of palm, thumbs up.  Inhale and bring thumbs to shoulders and return - go as fast as you can and don’t let thumbs touch shoulders.  Continue with powerful breathing for 2 min to stimulate pituitary gland - work up to 7 minutes.

Considerations For How and Where To Birth - When you own your birth, you own your life.  Consider early so no last minute rush.  You have options - hospital, birthing center, home.  95% of births are without complications and can be done at home; home or birthing centers deliver 7% of babies.  In N. Europe, 70% of births occur at home.  Ancient times, mother birthed at home where she was comfortable and was surrounded by female relatives and midwives who supported and encouraged her.  If interested in home birth, take husband/partner with you to discuss instead of telling him as fact.  Ask plenty of questions including if labor assistant welcome, eating/drinking allowed, views on Pitocin/epidurals, C-section rate, definition of “overdue”, birthing in squatting position etc.  Trust your intuition; ancient teachings say a woman can sense something “sixteen moons before it will happen” a metaphorical was of saying we are more intuitive than men.  What’s your gut reaction to the hospital? To the Dr? To the midwife? But don’t be rigid - allow mind to accommodate all possibilities as births are unpredictable.  Children are born exactly the way they need to be born.  Sometimes a soul coming through needs a certain experience for its journey, or the mother needs it for hers, or the father for his.   Meditation for Making Decisions (help build inner knowingness)-  Easy Pose with eyes at 3rd eye point.  Prayer pose at center of chest; slide left hand up until entire palm is higher than right (right palm will be touching left palm just below the wrist).  Inhale “Sat” Exhale “Nam”.  Breathe as long and slowly as you can for 3 minutes.

The Second Trimester

A Soul Arrives - honor soul who arrives on 120th day after conception (4th month of pregnancy).  A majority of miscarriages happen at end of first trimester, when soul hasn't been completely fortified.  Before that date, the entering soul is unaffected by world influences, existing only in radiance.  When soul enters, baby’s subconscious mind begins to develop.  Father and friends of mother can organize celebration preparing delicious food, arranging flowers and lighting candles.   Meditation for Connecting With Your Baby (can connect mentally at this stage).  Enjoy with partner and friends, opening heart chakra, the center of compassion.  Sit in Easy Pose, press palms together in front of nose; middle fingers in front of brow.  Focus at 3rd Eye point, eyes closed.  Breathe deeply and evenly - start at 3 minutes and work up to 7.  Stretch body after.

Nourish Yourself - Well being of family depends on women remaining healthy.  Women’s bodies different than men in that Earth’s energy moves up bodies and inward - female energy is “drawing in” energy or centripetal force, which also makes women the centers of the household.  When a woman elevates her life for the better, the entire family benefits.  Good nutrition one of central pillars of a healthy pregnancy: cut out junk food, white sugar and fast food; better to eat fruit than drink it as a juice; support body with foods filled with “prana” - life energy - fresh and alive and organic; drink lots of pure water; if swelling of hands and feet, cut out salt; eat cucumbers and watermelon for water retention; flying in airplane is dehydrating so bring cucumber slices and put on eyes for comfort.  Organic foods not genetically altered are best.  Fresh fruits and veggies full of prana - life force- so you receive the energy and goodness.  Fill fridge with fresh, live and colorful food.  Eat more veggies than fruit. If crave lots of sweets, eat more protein (60 g a day) - mung beans and rice great (Recipe: 4.25 q water, 1 c mung beans, 2 c basmati rice, .5 c chopped ginger root, 1-2 onions chopped, 1/2 bulb garlic chopped, 2-8 c veggies, 2 tbsp ghee or oil, .5 tsp crushed red chiles, 2 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp coriander, .5 tsp pepper, 2 tsp curry powder, .5 tsp cumin, 2 tsp sea salt: Rinse beans, boil water until start to split (~30 min); Rinse Rice and add.  Add veggies in order listed.  Heat oil in pan and add spices -sizzle 30 sec; add to bean mix.  As rice breaks up, lower heat and stir occasionally.  Cook uncovered until a bit mushy.  Total cook time 1.5 hr or cook in crockpot overnight.)  Can be vegetarian while pregnant - find protein other places.  Lifelong health shaped in the womb - tooth decay and prostate cancer two diseases linked to life in utero. Read Chinese Tonic Herbs for Chinese recipes. If experiencing heart burn, constipation or hemorrhoids, look at dairy and bread in diet - soy products can be a good substitute for dairy. Try eating main meal for lunch.  Earaches, bronchial infections and asthma can all be common indicators of weakened immune systems.  What a baby eats after is born is what mom eats while pregnant and nursing.  If drink milk, make it organic.   Meditation - Tree Pose for Balance, Strength and Focus: Hands in prayer pose at center of chest and lift one foot up and place on inner thigh.  Lower eyes and focus out and down about 5 ft out.  As balance steadies, lift arms and straight to the sky.  2 minutes each side breathing long and deep.  Inhale and exhale from baby’s home.

Believe in Miracles - Amazing is all around us if we stop to listen.  Birth from within.  Yoga and meditation can be the golden chain that links the two of you together in this profound miracle we call creation. Meditation for Being Happy (Smiling Buddha kriya) - Easy Pose with ring and pinky fingers curled in, held by thumb, keeping first 2 fingers straight.  Palms forward.  Concentrate on 3rd eye point.  Chant “Sa Ta Na Ma”.  “Sa” expresses infinite, “Ta” expresses life, “Na” diminishing and “Ma” light and regeneration.  11 minutes, inhale deeply, exhale open and close fists a couple of times and relax.

Revel In The Joy - “What a child learns in the womb cannot be learned on earth” Yogi Bhajan.  Create a space that is slower, more joyous.  Dancing, bouncing and laughing are good for your lymphatic system and your baby needs it for all the same reasons and to stimulate brain development.  Babies love to dance.  Celebrate your pregnancy - where what you want.  Wear colors!   Chakra colors Root chakra - red - base of tailbone; life energy, sexuality, strength Associated with ovulation; orange - located at uterus where baby lives Solar plexus - yellow.  Emotions Heart center- green; healing and prosperity Communication and power to speak at throat - blue 3rd Eye Pointe - Indigo; hidden knowledge, intuition, meditative mind Crown of head - Violet; spirituality; God consciousness within us Protective Shield - White; magnetic field produced by each living being (white represents union of all colors in spectrum) When you live in joy, you are imparting that to our child.  Don't read horror stories or novels - junk food for the mind.  Ask yourself if you’d read that to your child.   Dance of Joy - Don’t let a day go by without dancing.  Play whatever music you like.  Go for 11 minutes or more and move your hips.  Don’t let one part of your body go unmoved!

Your Most Important Job - Job of growing baby within your healthy baby is more important than any career consideration.  Not suggesting career isn't important, but honoring motherhood as a role is the most central and necessary role in our human society.  Caring for your pregnant body is a spiritual experience if only you let it be one.  Some like to see how much we can do while pregnant, but let us not devalue the miracle of motherhood in the process.  Learn to be more, not do more.  No matter what work you do, it is ideal if you can stop a few months before you have the baby so your sole occupation is the babe.  It’s not always possible, but you can slow down, work fewer hours, take naps or put your feet up at work.  Slowing down can give you the luxury of connection, the time and space to really tune in to your child. Meditation for Being Enough Just As You Are - Easy pose with right arm on right knee.  Left hand faces heart center 6 inches from chest.  Say “I am” with hand 4 inches from chest, then 12 inches from chest.  Inhale and repeat for 11 minutes, starting at 4 minutes.  Imagine the hand close to your heart is represent the “little me” and the further hand represents the big, ever-expanding non limited Self.  They merge together.  You will have an experience of how great, strong and vast you really are.

*Squatting For Strength - Since the beginning of time, women have squatted to birth.  Some with a birthing stool, kneeling.  Delivery can take place in a few minutes with the mother squatting according to book “Childbirth Wisdom from the World’s Oldest Societies.”  Only in Victorian times did the birth in supine position, flat on back.  Whether or not able to birth in squatting doesn’t matter, but practicing it gives you strength: no compression on vena cava and aorta, the major blood supply that runs through center of body; mobilizes entire pelvic region - widening it as much as 25%; during labor, produces minimum muscle strain, maximum pressure inside pelvis and creates perfect angle of descent for baby - makes gravity work for your vs against you; gives baby optimal oxygen throughout the process and also relaxes the perineum area to lessen potential for tearing.  Practice unless on bed rest or baby is breech in last 6 weeks of pregnancy.  Helps lessen stiffness in legs, helps tone and stretch back muscles and hips, takes pressure off spinal discs which can help easy aching back and helps elimination amazingly.  Do 15 squats daily, because they align the pelvis, strengthen legs, and condition all muscles involved in the birth process.  May be difficult at first since Americans have lost primal art of squatting since we sit in chairs all the time, putting the back in a weak position and sapping our spines of the innate energy - natural curve of spine is flattened and knees at 90 degrees cuts off circulation to legs below.  All American health would improve if we squatted more, so encourage others.   *Creating Stamina and Power* (to be included in every prenatal yoga workout): If straining, stop.  Breathe into it - so when you get to contractions you don’t have to run away because you don’t know what to do.   Feet parallel to each other, hip-width apart, hands in prayer position at center of chest and eyes slightly closed but open enough for good balance. If heels come off floor when you come down, double up a blanket and place beneath heels. At bottom of squat, tip forward, placing hands on floor and pushing buttocks up then slowly roll body up, raising head last. Begin again, taking buttocks each time as low to earth while feet remain on floor. Always use hands to push up, don't come up with just legs because puts too much pressure on uterus. Inhale “Sat” as you raise your arms above your head and exhale “Nam” as you bring your hands to the floor.  

The Power of Touch - Skin is the largest organ of the body, but that’s not something we stop to consider.  What comes in through our pores is absorbed into the body.  Though most of us think twice about eating or drinking anything loaded with chemicals, too often we slather our skin with consumer, over the counter creams and lotions and never give it a second thought.  Keep your skin as wholesome as you do your diet.  Chinese medicine tells us by abstaining from eating too many sweets, called “yin” foods, we lessen varicose veins.  Red raspberry leaf herbal tea, sometimes sold as “pregnancy tea” tones the uterus.  Make a big batch at a time and store in fridge.  Can’t drink too much of it.  One of best moisturizers is pure almond oil - buy at health food store and massage before you get into shower or bath.  For stretchmarks, use blackthorn oil (Dr. Haushka brand great) and rich shea butter from African shea nut.  Reconsider using antiperspirants under your arms - they clog your pores and keep toxins from escaping your body.  Instead, use a dab of lavender oil - natural antibacterial agent or natural deodorant that doesn’t contain laurel sulfate or aluminum.  Read ingredient labels - make it a way of life for you and your family.  Keep rubbing your belly and talk to baby - communication you develop now will stay with baby whole life.   Prescription for Glowing Skin - Massage with almond oil from head to toe.  Rub belly with blackthorn oil.  Then step into cold shower.  Cold shower opens capillaries, blood ruses to outside to balance body temperature.  Massage belly under cold water until it becomes warm so you give extra blood supply to that area and help babies develop great strength.  Step out and wrap self in large, warmed towel, briskly rubbing yourself to dry.  Glowing, soft skin, a clear head and happy baby.  May begin with warm water and go to cold if this is new for you.  Best to do in morning for wake-up.  Warm, scented baths perfect for nighttime.  Can fill with scents and almond oil but avoid bubble baths because they take natural oils out of skin.  Use natural soaps and only use under arms and in private parts to avoid stripping skin.  Scrub well with natural-bristle brushes or loofahs to help slough off dry layers and reveal new, soft skin.  Put cucumber slices on your eyes as you soak.  Use candles and music. Your baby is in water, you are in water…everything is perfect :)

Making a Healthy Environment - What comes into your body also goes into your baby’s body.  Organic based cleansers do the job but are gentler on our environment, hands, children’s clothes, floors they will crawl upon etc.  Water filters through entire home’s plumbing can reduce many of the chemicals that come in through the pipes.  Many of us drink bottled water, but think nothing of turning on shower or sitting in tub - more water absorbed by body through skin than when drinking a glass of water.  Can take filtered water to hospital to bathe newborn.  After the bath, choose closing and blankets in soft, natural fibers rather than synthetic, especially for underwear.  Take your shoes off before entering the house - avoid tracking in potential health threats like lead and pesticides that cling to soles.   Exercise for Energy and Circulation - Stand against wall with arms in front and palms flat on wall.  Lift weight on ball of foot, squeezing muscles of ankles, calves, knees, thighs and buttocks.  Release and lower weight slowly so entire foot is on floor. Do 26x build up to 54.  As the circulation increases, your legs will burn.  

Intimacy and Your Partner - Sex not encouraged after soul enters at 120 days because subconscious mind of baby is being formed and sexual vibrations too intense.  Medically, there’s no reason not to have sex in a normal pregnancy with no complications.  Love hormone oxytocin that’s released during orgasm is the same one that get’s labor going - tip to remember at end of pregnancy. Broaden your defintion of “making love” - connection, attention, touching, giving.  Dads can get physical other ways - work out hard, go hiking, swimming, yoga, walk 5 miles a day with wife etc.  You are not only creating a child, but a family unit.   Creating Deeper Intimacy with Your Partner - Lie together facing each other and take turns telling each other 5 things you are grateful for about the other person.  Do this everyday and watch what happens.  

Reconsidering How You Will Deliver - It’s never to late to change doctors.   Reconsider How You Will Deliver - Who can really be there for you and this baby during labor? You have a whole world to explore our there on birthing. Does your doctor agree with you philosophically? Take a good childbirth education class (outside the hospital so you can hear different points of view).

Meditation for Increasing Intuition - Easy pose with eyes closed. Move arms as if swimming freestyle in big circles. Imagine swimming away from a storm. Do for 11.5 minutes (begin at 5 and work up). Put on music with a good rhythm. Then come into child’s pose. Stay here for up to 7 minutes. Inhale deeply and move spine to loosen it up. Gradually rise and relax.

Birthing at Home - Read about it and educate yourself if you are interested in this option.  

Meditation for Commitment (keeps spine strong)- Easy pose, hold ankles with both hands and inhale. Flex spine forward and lift spine up. As exhale, flex spine backwards, keeping head level. Repeat 108 times, about 3 minutes. Will release tension and send energy up your spine. Every vertebra will awaken.

Born at the Hospital - Most women in U.S. have hospital births, which is a reasonable choice, especially if you have health concerns or might need a medical intervention. Life saving technology at our fingertips.  Also know you have choices - can birth in bath in hospital.  Can pull baby out.  Can keep baby with you instead of sending to nursery (recommended).  A baby is born the way a baby needs to be born, in the exact time, and the exact space. Easing Back and Hip Discomfort -   Standing position, open legs as wide as can while maintaining balance.  90 degree bend of elbows, forearms parallel to floor extending away from chest in relaxed position.  Rotate hips in as large circle as possible.  Move from hips, not knees.  3 minutes to left, 3 minutes to right.  

Birth by C- Section - Appropriate use of technology is important, even vital, but technology as a way to avoid human experience is not what it’s all about.  About 20% of births in U.S., can be scheduled and cost 2x more.  Babies not allowed in surgery recovery room so cannot be with mother right after birth (have baby’s father stay).  A baby is born the way a baby needs to be born, in the exact time, and the exact space. Meditation for Health, Head to Toe:  Easy pose, stretch arms to side with palms down, parallel to ground.  Touch each thumb to mound of pinkie and close fist around thumb.  Arms and fists in backward circles.  Breathe like a cobra with a hissing breath through nose.  3 minutes.  

Things to Consider About Epidurals - Past 50 years, epidural anesthesia has become a typical part of the hospital experience.  Popular with C-sections because it allows you to stay awake and aware without pain.  Epidurals interfere with the body’s natural production of hormones and neurotransmitters involved in the birth process; they can actually slow labor down (which leads to doctors giving synthetic form of oxytocin to speed up labor and intensify contractions, so when epidural wears off, you are left with intensified contractions and no natural opiates).  Some reports suggest that babies whose mother have had epidurals are slower to feed.  French researcher Michel Odent says the drugs disturb eye-to-eye contact between mother and baby, which is crucial for bonding.  (An experiment with lambs showed the ones with epidurals disinterested and wouldn’t take care of spawn).  Take the time now to give yourself tools to come to know your body and the power of your mind.  Childbirth is a transcendent experience.  When we feel in charge of our birth experience, we may go into mothering more confidently and make choices that are in the best interest of our children, even if those choices go again the train of what the rest of society is doing.  Weigh all potential benefits and risks. Practice for Owning Your Birth Space - Kegel exercises.  During urination, stop and start the flow of urine 4-8x.   Meditation for breaking through Fear: Easy pose, extend arms out.  Close hands, fingertips to base of palm, thumbs up.  Inhale and rotate hands around wrists, thumbs revolving full circle.  7-8 min with powerful breathing.  (Start at 3 min).

Water Birth -  French obstetrician Michel Odent was among the first to advocated birthing in water as the ultimate, gentle introduction of a baby into the world. Baby has just spent last 9 months in a sea of amniotic fluid.  For his first contact with the world to be the warm, familiar buoyancy of water rather than cold air makes sense.  Can ease contractions with water pressure on lower back as well.   Opening Your Heart (to new concepts, possibilities, freedom)- Easy pose, hands in gran mudra, pressing index finger to thumb.  Butterfly stroke swimming through water - opens the heart, lungs, diaphragm, immune system and glandular system.  Breathe deeply and evenly through nose for 3-5 minutes.  

Strengthening Your Soul - Pregnancy is boot camp for your soul.  Think about the most challenging thing you have ever had to deal with.  Where did your mind go? You need to explore how your mind relates to the challenges you face in everyday life.  Birth is like climbing Mount Everest; you need a guide you trust and who knows the way and you need to be in condition.  Not just physical, also mental and emotional.  Making the commitment to have all 3 of those aspects of your being in the best shape you can will allow your spirit to soar.  You are the strongest you have ever been - you are the most intuitive, most flexible.  Let our pregnancies be the time for us to take our power back and remember again who we are: part of a long, golden lineage of women who have throughout millennia had the strength to survive and thrive: We are strong, we are woman!  Never stretch your body soar that you hurt yourself, but do stretch your mind and your spirit further than you though you could ever go before, because that is exactly what you will be asked to do in your labor and in your life as a mother.   Meditation to Unlock Hidden Power - Easy pose, hands cupped below heart center.  Look into hands with your eyes 1/10th open.  Inhale deeply and sing out a long, smooth “Maaaaa” - the ancient sound for the creative nurturer of the universe.  Listen to this sound through your cupped palm.  Continue 11 min.

Learning from your Dreams - Often the dreams we have now will be important, although what significance they might have may not make sense until later.  When you daydream, you are recording it in your baby’s psyche, or, then again, maybe your baby is recording it in your psyche.   Meditation for Pleasant Dreams (those who practice this “kriya” have all things they need come to them)- Sit with straight spine in comfortable position and roll eyes up to 3rd eye point.  Take tongue and roll it into a V shape with the tip just outside the lips.  Inhale deeply through rolled tongue and exhale through nose.  This breath pattern releases obstacles in your mind to allow intuitive truth to come to you.  Continue for 3-7 min.

THIRD TRIMESTER

Time to Surrender - Try to create space within your body instead of focusing on fitness during pregnancy.  One of the best exercises you can do along with yoga is walk.  An old adage says if a woman walks 5 miles a day, every day, the baby will just fall out when the time is right.  When we walk everyday, we feel stronger and healthier when it comes time to labor.  May be hard in beginning and end of pregnancy, so listen to your body.  Release strict concepts of due dates and how you will birth.  There’s a month of grace around your due date - 2 weeks before or two weeks after.  Babies are born exactly when they are supposed to be.  When we relax in our lives all things come, when we try to “make” things happen, we tire quickly.  Our shoulders are the place we hold tightness, fear and stress.  In labor, let your birth assistant and partner release tension in shoulders (you may not want it at certain moments during labor).  Start to consider that you don’t need to do so much - that those things you absolutely, positively have to do aren’t such a big deal in the long run.   Meditation for Trusting and Letting Go - Easy pose and raise arms parallel to floor with palms facing down.  Split fingers of each hand so index and middle fingers are together and ring and pinkie fingers are together, thumbs relaxed.  Close eyes and breathe for 7 minutes.  To finish, inhale deeply as you stretch your arms and tighten your whole body.  Exhale and repeat this sequence 2x more.  

The Art of (Not) Sleeping - Learning to accept broken sleep, not resist it, will give you more peace of mind.  Preparing you for when baby is in your arms.  In the sleepless stretches of time, talk to your child (especially during amirit vela - 3-6AM, when veil lifts between conscious mind and unsconscious).  Cat naps are the secret.  Cucumber slices on the eyes, lavender oil at your temples and 3rd Eye point really help relax you.  

Peace Sleep Practice:- Before bed, take a nice, warm, candlelit bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil in the water.  After drying off, put on a nice cozy robe and sit in Easy Pose.

White Swan Meditation Make a fist with both hands, put both fists with backs of your palms towards you, palms away from you 6-8 inches in front of brow point.  Extend thumbs and press them together until they become white (not hard, just firm).  Allow the last joint of thumb to relax and bend back as much as possible.  Fix eyes for a moment on white tips of thumbs, then close eyes and envision white tips.  Begin long, deep and slow breaths, inhaling “Sat”, exhaling “Nam”.  Do this for 5 minutes and work up to 11.  Sleep into bed and sleep like a baby.

Trusting Your Partner - We make ourselves miserable when we want life to be other than what it is; seeing clearly and not having a fantasy of your partner as being something other than what he is will help you avert a lot of misplaced anger and disappointment.  You can hire a doula to help during labor.  Understand that you chose your partner for a reason; don’t expect them to be like you.  If the best love your partner gives you is making money and providing you with a comfortable life, then hire a nice doula or birth assistant.  This is the second generation of fathers involved in the birth process.  Lie around together, listen to baby’s heartbeat, read to baby, sing, practice foreign languages, tell jokes - be a family together even now! Prosperity Meditation - Easy pose facing partner, knees touching.  Palms in front of you, elbows bent at sides.  Begin with palms facing down, thumbs and outside of index fingers striking, then turn to face up with outside of hands striking.  Keel alternating as you repeat mantra “Har, Har, Har” with tongue pressing to the roof of your mouth right behind your front teeth.  Doing this for 7 minutes brings abundance on all levels.

Redefine the Idea of Pain - Rather than say “pain” of labor, use “sensation.”  Medicine tents to approach birth as a potential catastrophe, not as a likely joyful event.  “Pain” of labor caused by ligaments of, muscles surrounding and uterus stretching and child pressing on cervix, lower vertebrae of back and birth canal.  Labor will be overwhelming for you if you think about it as one long, unending constant pain.  Rather than think about ways to distract it, dive right into the middle of the sensation and welcome it, because with every contraction you are that much closer to holding your baby in your arms.  Go deep within yourself and find that meditative mind.  If you meditate on this more than anything else, it will change you not only during your pregnancy, but for life.   Meditation for Preparing for Birth: Leaving the Fear and Welcoming the Challenge - Extend arms straight out to sides with palms facing out as if traffic police holding back cars at intersections.  Inhale as you raise your arms up over your head, creating an arc. Palms cross over and slightly in front of your head but down touch.  Exhale arms down and return arms to original position.  Next inhale, raise arms and cross but behind the top of your head.  Continue for 2 minutes, work up to 7.  

Pregnant Pause: Waiting for the Birth - When we get hung up on due dates we set ourselves up for disappointment, fear sets in, as well as a feeling of failure or “Is there something wrong?”  We think about what more we can do to get this labor started rather than letting the labor come to us.  Think of a list NOT to do - how much can you relax?  Talk to your child and meditate on 3rd eye point, which corresponds to pituitary gland which regulates hormones, the direct line to the womb.  Sex and walking help labor.  If you want to get labor going, hang out with babies and children.  Hold them, play and laugh with them - they get the oxytocin pumping.   Meditation While Waiting for your Baby (have partner/good friend who will be present at birth to do this venus kriya with you) - Sit facing each other, knees touching and look into each other’s eyes.  Put palms together, fingers up with your partner’s.  As you push each other’s palms back and forth, alternate hands like padding a boat.  Sing “Row your boat” as you rock from side to side.  Listen to the words as you sing them - they’re remind you to go with the flow.  3-5 min. Have fun and laugh!  Remember your baby is hearing the words too!

BIRTH…your spirit as a woman has all the knowledge and power you need to give birth and to nurture your baby.

What Laboring Women Need - a private, peaceful and natural place, away from prying eyes and strange faces.  In labor, we change our state of consciousness - most active part includes pituitary gland and hypothalamus.  Things that stop labor, like adrenaline release, come from neocortex, the so-called intellectual part of the brain.  The basic need of labor is to be protected against stimulation of the neocortex.  Language and bright light stimulate.   Using Mother Earth Energy Meditation - Sit in comfortable position on floor or outdoors and roll eyes upward.  Think of pulling energy from Mother Earth up your spine as you inhale.  As exhale, take energy down your spine back to earth.  “Sat” on inhale. “Nam” on exhale.  Wrap your arms around your belly, your baby’s home.  Start to feel how Mother Earth holds the space for your and the soul within you and how she will support you and uplift you if you call upon her.  

Who Attends the Birth? People who won’t feed into fear or transfer it to you.  Protect yourself and your child from needless tension during this time by not inviting everyone.  Labor support can make all the difference in your experience.  A doula is an important figure, because she is your advocate.  She can help hold the sacred space and tend to the flame of your commitment when it flickers.  Doula means “she who mothers the mother.”  Presence of doula can shorten labor time, decrease amount of pain medication or eliminate it entirely and significantly reduce C-section rate. Someone who is informed and is looking out for your best interest is so vial to help you ask the necessary questions and reason out the answers.   Exercise for Casting Out Doubt (Standing Cat Cow)- Stand and place hands firmly on thighs above knees, knees slightly bent.  Exhale and bring chin to chest, tucking in tailbone.  Inhale and raise head and tip pelvis up, creating a sway in back as much as comfortable.  Alternate for a minute.  Then grind pelvis in circular motion clockwise.  Reverse.  3 minutes.  

Labor - Don’t wish for labor to be over and done.  You’ll miss living in the moment right now.  We never really live when we’re always jumping ahead or stepping behind.  Dance, walk, do squats if you like with your partner’s loving aid.  It is all about spiraling inward to get in tune with the sensations in your body.  Kiss!  The same energy that got your baby in there is the energy that will get him out.  Understand that every contraction is bringing the baby that much closer to your arms.  When each contraction is over, ome back to your breath.  “Head down, Chin tucked, Back to Belly, Arms Down, Yeah Baby, Yeah Baby” to help baby come along.  Call upon all souls of women before you in time to help bring your baby forth into this world.  Fear and anxiety shut down flow of oxytocin, which makes uterus contract. Lavender and neroli (orange blossom essence) are relaxing essential oils that can help you at your birth.  Lose all thought.  Go beyond counting - how long a contraction was, how many centimeters, how many hours you’ve been in labor, if you’ve slept.  Experience a contraction and let it go.  Ride each wave as if you’re surfing.  Surrender - to each breath, each contraction.  Now is the time for patience. Meditation for Powerful Focus - Easy pose, stretch arms to sides and up at 60 degrees, palms faced inward and fingers pointing up.  Sing “God and me, me and God, are one” for 3 minutes with hands over belly.  

The Secret of Mothering - Sacrifice. Let your “self” fall away and become something greater than what you have ever imagined possible.  

Moving Through Fear - Our spirit as women has all the knowledge and power we need to give birth and to nurture our babies.  If we can stay focused on the 3rd eye point during labor, we will have all the information we need.  Either you are a prisoner of your mind and your fears, or you’re the ruler of your mind.  Ask your labor assistant to always bring you back to your own center of power, not join you in fear.  Ask that of everyone in the room helping you.  Every time you feel grateful for something, it counters a fear.  If you get caught in “I can’t do this, it hurts too much…”, come back to your breath and inhale “Sat” and exhale “Nam” and draw attention to something you are thankful for.  The uterus is the only muscle in your body that has two opposing muscle groups - one contracts and opens the cervix, and the other closes and tightens the cervix to stop labor.  When a birthing mother becomes afraid, adrenaline creates the flight-or-fight response and tightens the cervix while at the same time the uterus continues to push the baby’s head down with each contractions.  The result is the very real pain of two powerful muscle groups pulling in opposite contractions.  Think of all who birthed before you.   Bright Light Meditation - Easy pose.  Inhale and extend arms straight out, parallel to ground with palms facing up.  As exhale, bend elbows and bring hands up to shoulders.  From this position, raise both elbows toward your head, touch your hands behind the back of your neck, lifting the shoulders and entire spine.  Lower your elbows as you exhale.  Continue for 3 minutes with powerful breathing while you mentally chant the word “Har” which means God.

And Beyond…

Baby in Your Arms - Doesn’t matter how your labor went, what matters most is holding a healthy baby in your arms.  At turn of 20th century, births moved from homes to hospitals and women were unconscious due to anesthesia so they couldn’t care for their babies after birth, so babies were moved to a nursery.  A lot happens in those first few moments and hours after birth.  Our bodies have natural opitatelike hormones, which play a role in establishing the conscious bond with our infant.  Oxytocin is highest right after birth.  In the hospital, when your baby leaves you, he has no idea where he is being taken when he goes to the nursery.  You have been your baby’s sole home and experience for 9 months.  You can keep your baby with you at all times and if he needs to go, have daddy go with him if you are unable.   Exercise for Strong, Loving Arms - Stretch arms out in front of you with palms firmly pressed together, arms parallel to floor.  Inhale deeply through nose, open arms out wide.  Fill lungs with air.  Keep arms opening and stretching as far as they will go, stretching shoulder blades to each other.  When arms are stretched as far as they will go, begin exhaling through your nose and bring arms back to original position, ending with palms pressed together. 26x with eyes rolled to 3rd eye point.  Inhale and exhale powerfully “Sat” on inhale and “Nam” on exhale.  Move at a moderate pace.  Good for dad also.  

Advice and Options on Nursing Your Baby - Mother’s milk is powerful.  If having trouble nursing, it usually can be solved with help, rest, relaxing, sleeping and even “Mother’s Milk.”  Don’t give up!  Get help.  Resources like La Leche League that can help.  Hospitals have lactation consultants.  Pump station in LA - anyone can call.  First 10 days are most challenging.  Will be giving your child the most important gift you can for his immune system nervous system, skeletal system, brain, ever part of him.  Can decrease pain for infants getting blood drawn.  Continue to eat alive, fresh and organic as best as you can - food full of prana (life). Certain foods great for toning uterus and bringing in milk - ginger curry, tapioca pudding made with milk or soy, sautéed almonds, mung beans and rice and Yogi Tea.  A lot of hospitals now have “Baby Friendly Status” encouraging mothers to breastfeed.   Ultimate Exercise for Better Nursing - Easy pose.  Grasp shoulders with fingers in front, thumbs in back.  Close eyes. Inhale through nose and twist to left, exhale through nose and twist to right.  Inhale “Sat” as turn left and “Nam” as turn right.  3 minutes.  Opens heart center, improves circulation and purifies the blood that makes milk.

Including Your Community - 40 Day Celebration - 40 days of sacred privacy and quiet for mother and bay.  Time of rest, rejuvenation and bonding for Mom, Baby Dad and other children. Bring them into the world slowly, one day for each of the ~40 weeks in the womb.  Also gives the baby’s immune system time to develop before being exposed to bacteria and viruses from the outside world. Food preparation, cleaning and laundry should be put in care of someone else; mother should do as little as possible.  Sleep when baby sleeps; it can take up to 2.5 years to regain your full strength rather than a mere 40 days.  Have friends take your other children to the park.  After birth doulas are great too.  Best to stay within 9 feet of baby during these days to solidify the aura, the link of energy between the two of you, which will last a lifetime.  Worries about finances, work or opinions of others need to fade into the background.  You will never have this time again and it goes by so quickly.  The 40 days ends with a celebration of community.  Everyone brings gifts for the baby as at 120 days people bring gifts for the mom.   Meditation for Connecting to Family - Breathe and out deeply through your nose a few times. Scrunch your shoulders up tightly to your ears, then relax and lower your shoulders.  Repeat 5x or more.  Close your eyes and roll your head around, first to the right and then to the left, inhaling and exhaling deeply through your nose.  Roll eyes to 3rd eye point and start singing “Ong”, pressing the back of the tongue against the back of the throat firmly.  3-7 min.  “Ong” means Infinity in its most creative form.  

Establishing New Roles and Traditions - The U.S. is the only country that practices routine circumcision for nonreligious reasons.  You are the ultimate authority for your child’s welfare, period.  The foreskin protects the glans of a man’s penis throughout his life, and it’s now known that good personal hygiene provides all the protection against infection.   Song of Gratitude and Love - May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You, May All Love Surround You, And the Pure Light Within You, Guide Your Way On.  (Sing at child’s birth as a welcoming song to the world; say it to all those people in your life, for your children’s grandparents, your parents, because they gave you life.  It brings trust and love and sunshine.)

The Family Bed - Anthropologists say that in most cultures in the world, the baby and children share the bed with parents.  Your baby does not need or want a fancy crib or nursery, only your physical closeness.  Sleep with your baby and don’t get so carried away with schedules.  In a year, your baby will probably be talking and walking away from you a little farther and farther for the rest of his or her life.  The time with your baby during pregnancy and the first year will never come around again.  You don’t need a fancy stroller, any of the new gadgets to be a good parent - only your arms.  Can’t afford a changing table? Change the baby on the bed - it’s so logical when you remove all the marketing aimed at you and tune into the heart of baby.  Trust your intuition and all-knowingness.  You chose your baby and your baby chose you.  Can put mattress on floor so baby doesn’t have anywhere to fall (make sure baby can’t fall in between mattress and wall).  Let us hold each other, let families sleep together; peace and solidarity begin at home.   Facing the Challenge of Tomorrow Together - With your partner, come sitting on the floor, sitting on heels if possible.  Have knees touching your partner’s and clasp hands.  Both lean back as far as possible.  Shut your eyes and inhale “Sat” and exhale “Nammmmm” with a long even breath.  3 minutes, come back to center and kiss.  

Time Enough: The Transition of the Family -  With all of the hustle and bustle of just making it through the day, it’s sometimes easy to forget that a huge and important transition is taking place.  You have gone from wondering about nursing to bringing milk in, imagining what baby will look like to caring for the little soul in your arms.  Having an awareness of this alone can help smooth the challenges of this transition time.  Everything will work itself out a day at a time…a few days at a time.   “There’s Love Enough for Everything” Exercise - Sit on heels or in easy pose with straight spine, hands at center of chest in prayer pose.  Focus eyes at tip of nose.  Extend arms fully out to your sides as if pressing two walls, then return to start.  As move your arms, repeat the sound “Hummmmm” out loud with lips coming together as if to create a gentle buzzing, like the sound of a bee. This opens the heart.  3-7 min.

The Infinite Horizon of a Mother’s Love - Love builds on love; the more, the more.  Go help your community and show your children universal love.   Mother Power Meditation - Easy pose with hands at knees in gran mudra, pressing index finger to thumb.  Chant “Maaaaa” 8x per breath for 3-7 minutes.  Then sit quietly and see light expanding throughout your heart.  

Final Thoughts: A New World - “Each of you who studies these ancient teachings and puts them into practice in your life is a pioneer of the new age.  You are the historical crest of hope and development that will user in a new level of consciousness and civilization.  Each of your efforts gives birth to the Aquarian Age” - Yogi Bhajan.

Children born now are in Age of Aquarius (since 2012).  Sometimes called “indigo babies” for the deep blue of the aura they are said to radiate, these children are more aware and present an evolution in spiritual consciousness.  Let us look to our children as our teachers.  The greatest gift you can give your child, and every child, is becoming a grateful, graceful, conscious adult who walks mindfully in the world.   Meditation for Creating a Beautiful World - To be done for 40 days - Sit tall with straight spine, pulling chin slightly in, chest out, shoulders relaxed.  Hands in prayer pose as center of heart, pressing palms firmly together.  Roll eyes to 3rd eye point and imagine sitting atop a tall mountain overlooking all of humanity and sending waves of peace over the entire globe.  The mantra, “Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung” is a very powerful sound current and has immediate effects to bring healing to yourself and others. Chant out loud 12 minutes, whisper for 5, silent for 1.  End by inhaling deeply as you exhale sit for a little bit and give this prayer to those who need it.    (Ra = Sun; Ma = Moon; Da = Earth; Sa = Infinity; Say = Totality of experience; S Hung = I am Thou)  

[babycliffnotes]

Ready to post my first summary!

Anyways, I’m ready to post my first summary of a baby book.  Thats what I started this blog for, anyway! I wanted mamas to have resources to summaries of awesome baby books since there were so many to read during pregnancy and who has the time (or the $) to read them all!  

I’m going to start with the one that changed my pregnancy - Bountiful Beautiful Blissful.  And I’ll add my second favorite - a pregnancy journal called Sacred Pregnancy next.  

It only took me a year! Hope you enjoy.  xoxo

[babycliffnotes]

No One In LA Has Kids

...I mean, LA is an adult playground.  Sure, the suburbs do, but where we lived in West Hollywood, I feel like there were no other kids around.  They started to pop up and I found some through meetup groups, but if you look at popular celebrities - let’s take the cast of the show Friends, for example, Jennifer Aniston doesn’t have kids, Matt LeBlanc doesn’t have kids, Jennifer’s friend, Chelsea Handler, says she’ll never have kids...While writing this post, I was surprised to see that Courtney Cox and David Schwimmer have kids because I’ve never heard of them, not that I’m into reading celebrity magazines (I feel like you don’t do that if you live in LA...you let celebrities live as actual people because who would want to have pictures taken of them while eating lunch?!)

And the ones that have them, I feel like you never see.  I lived by a popular Jewish deli (no, I’m on Jewish -another oddity in LA) and would see famous people all the time, and I’d never see them with their kids.  Do they just pose with them for the paparazzi while at a pumpkin patch or other holiday activity?

I remember googling LA vs. Austin when my boyfriends work was getting transferred there.  It said: LA - no kids, Austin, kids.  And I guess it makes sense.  When people start a family, they move out of LA - or at least to the suburbs. 

LA is a GREAT place to be pregnant.  We have so many wonderful resources.  I remember the journal I loved during pregnancy - Sacred Pregnancy - had tips specific to LA.  They have Bini Birth, which is a birth haven, and such a beautiful space, the Pump Station, which has all sorts of classes for new parents from breastfeeding to baby sign language to outdoor live concerts at The Grove every Thursday.  It’s really wonderful.

But then you look back at where you live.  I lived in West Hollywood, and we definitely did not have the space for a child.  You’d walk out onto our street and the familiar homeless men would be there.  They were nice, but I don’t need them selling drugs (yes, they sold drugs) to my child as a teenager if we were to grow up there (some other neighbors had similar complaints).  

I befriended the few mamas in LA who were my age during the time I lived there.  Most of the moms were aged 40 and above, definitely different than other parts of the country.  It was nice to find them, but I felt like other moms looked at us as if we were babies.  My younger mama friend even was confronted about “having someone leave the baby with the nanny” when the baby was so young.  That comment would never happen in Philadelphia where I’m from.  But I guess girls were having babies in high school here.  

So, it will be interesting to move to Austin and meet other young parents with kids and hopefully befriend them.  It definitely is nice being home in Philadelphia for the summer and having other kids for Benny to play with.  I was at my girlfriends house for a Memorial Day BBQ and she recently had a baby.  Her mom, aunt and sister were helping take care of her infant while she hosted the party.  I had not really had any help the entire first year while raising Benny because I was so far from family.  I think it really does take a village to raise a little one.  You forget to appreciate those things.  

Speaking of no one in LA having kids, the two girlfriends I befriended while there who had babies the same age as Benny ended up moving or are about to move back closer to family.  I think it is just so helpful to have some help when dealing with a little one!  

[babycliffnotes]

Back in Philadelphia for the summer

Back in Philly for the summer!  We had Benny’s 1st birthday party and I think it turned out great!  Theme was Yo Gabba Gabba and although there weren’t many kids, they all seemed to have fun.  

Today was the first day I feel like I could get on a computer and write a bit.  We have been traveling for about a month!  Mexico for 3 weeks for 2 different weddings, then when we came back we went to NY and I was just in Delaware for a couple days visiting Ben’s mom or Benny’s grandma.  

Today I started my 6 weeks session of mommy to be/mommy & me yoga.  We actually had 7 mamas signed up for the 6 weeks session.  People knew I was the “teacher from California” - I hope they weren’t expecting some yoga guru. A lot of my yoga teachers have been so amazing - it was their calling to teach yoga.  I’m teaching it here because they didn’t have it and I wanted to share it because it made a difference during my pregnancy.  I definitely think I need to step up my game a bit; sometimes I feel like I rush or run out of material. I just need to remember it takes time to get good at things; you don’t start any job awesome, or at least I never have - always a learning curve. 

Oh also a good day for a post because I finally finished the first book I wanted to summarize when creating this blog: Bountiful Beautiful Blissful. It changed my pregnancy.  The purpose of BabyCliffNotes was to be a summary of baby books.  I have summaries of about 5 books, but just half the book.  Next summary will be Wonder Weeks and then Mother Rising.  I love Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth so maybe that will be in the works.  And a recent one called Bringing Up Bebe was pretty interesting.  

So I’ll upload that now :)

[babycliffnotes]

Benny’s First Easter, Moving Next Week!

Sorry I’ve been busy - started to pack up the apartment.  And Big Ben was in Tokyo again for work and now he just left for Iceland for a bachelor party so I haven’t really had a break.  Kind of crazy we are leaving LA in less than a week! We kept saying we were moving to Texas, but now it’s actually happening.  Time for something bigger than a one bedroom apartment in non baby friendly West Hollywood!  

We aren’t going straight to Austin.  We have two weddings a couple weeks apart in Puerto Vallarta, so we figured we’d just stay down there instead of flying back and forth.  You can find Air BnB’s pretty cheap there and there’s even all inclusive hotels for $100 a night ($100 is for hotel only; $200 for all inclusive).  So we have our friends KJ and Wilem’s wedding next week and its a few day event.  It will be all of Ben’s college parties, and they have all day events planned and workouts scheduled like yoga and water exercises, which sound pretty cool.  And I hired a sitter for a couple nights so I can get out a bit.  Then we have our friends Steph and Andrew’s wedding a couple weeks later a little north of Puerto Vallarta.  After that, we will fly straight to Philly to be there in time for Benny’s 1st Birthday!  We are having a Yo Gabba Gabba theme “Dancy Dance” birthday party.  My nephew, who is now 4, had this Brobee stuffed animal that sung “Party in my Tummy” and Benny loved it so that’s what got us on to Yo Gabba Gabba.  We don’t really watch any other TV besides that, but I put on an episode here and there and I love that it has certain themes. If we were out in nature that day, I’ll put on a nature episode etc. I know they say no TV before 2 but how realistic is that.  I guess realistic if you don’t have a TV in your house.  Sometimes mama needs a break after those long days!  And I grew up watching TV.  I’m not going to stress about these things, just do what works for us :)

Here’s Benny Easter morning with his crazy hair.  I had a little overall jumper to go on top, but it was a bit big  (I ordered off Amazon prime and it only had 2T; the other sizes would've taken longer, so I thought we could get more use out of this).

On Easter, my mom’s twin was in town (cool fact: my dad is also a twin) so she came over for a BBQ along with my cousin, who just moved into town.  She also moved into a complex with a nice pool, so that’s been nice!

Besides that, we went for a hike in Malibu recently which was pretty nice.

And I got a free water gun with my Me Undies this month which was cool! (MeUndies is an underwear of the month company so you get a design for each month - this month was April showers).  

Going to be sad to leave our best buds, babies Benny has known since birth :(  But...I have a feeling we’ll be back. It’ll be fun to explore Austin and try out all the BBQ spots; I love exploring new places.  And it will be nice to have more room.  But definitely will be sad to leave my mommy friends and mommy groups. Well, its Thursday so I’m off to Kids Club at the Grove for the last time for a while!  I’ll try and catch up while in Mexico :)

[babycliffnotes]

Drunk Bunny at LA Zoo, Benny’s 1st Picture with the Easter Bunny

We waited to get our Easter Bunny picture.  My bf didn’t really care if we got one, he doesn’t really like me sitting Benny on a stranger with who knows who underneath.  

I told him I liked to look back at my old photos and that Benny might want to see his old pics with Santa or the Easter Bunny.

So we go to the Zoo for their Easter Bunny event, and no one was in line for Easter Bunny pictures, which should have been some sort of sign.

I go and approach the bunny, and he’s not really opening his arms to grab bunny.  I was a little confused and wasn’t sure if he doesn’t sit on bunny’s lap.  I look at Big Ben and consult photographer, and she helps me place him.

Easter Bunny head keeps bobbing, but photographer says it’s because head is heavy.

Head keeps bobbing, and he’s about to fall over.  I grab Benny.  Photographer got one shot.  I tell photographer that bunny needs air or water.  I mean, it is hot out.  They pretty much disregard what I’m saying.  I tell them I think Easter Bunny is drunk.  They pretty much say “I’m speechless” and they give me a discount.

So if you don’t want a drunk Easter Bunny, don’t go to LA Zoo! 

And Big Ben was really mad at me, like I knew the bunny at the zoo would be drunk!  I guess he was mad I put Benny in his arms.  I guess I should’ve been more aware of the signs, but I was right htere the entire time if something were to happen.

[babycliffnotes]

Recreating the Popular 1st Birthday Poster/Chalkboard

Awesome - was going to have it done on Etsy, but maybe now I can do it myself with these instructions: http://www.merelymothers.com/2014/04/23/diy-birthday-chalkboard/

I’ll have to revisit this in a couple of weeks!