Schedule changes: Easter & Mommy and Me

Dearest All,

Please note that I have changed my schedule: I am no longer teaching the Friday 10am Mommy and Me class at GODA. Fear not new mothers, Kate Duyn is taking the class over, and I have had nothing but amazing feedback from my students about her. I know the class is in good hands! So if you were worried you'd be banished to your homes with only nap schedules, teething issues, and diapers to occupy yourself, wipe the thought from your minds and get thee to yoga with your little ones!

On another note, this coming SUNDAY is Easter, and GODA is only having one class for the day. Rig is teaching at 9am. So if you are craving some movement, breathe and community, whether you celebrate Easter or not, throw off those covers, hide the chocolate eggs, and go have some fun with Rig and his clan at GODA! * I am still teaching my Saturday 11am Level One class...

Peace and Happy Spring everyone!
-April

Sub for Prenatal today!

Dear Prenatal Yogis,

My apologies for the last minute update, but my 10am Prenatal Yoga class today will be taught by special guest teacher Jules Hogan!

I do not have my usual babysitter/auntie around to watch Ruby Jo (Cheryl has a cold!) and thought it would be better to have Jules sub for me, than to bring Ruby in to teach with me - she gets a little cranky while I'm trying to start Svasana for you all, so I thought Jules might be more relaxing for you!

Please forgive the last minute change, but these things do happen when your little ones arrive. I will see you next week!

And a BIG thank you to Jules for stepping in for me!

Peace,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com

Teaching PRIVATE LESSONS again!!!!

Dear WHY Yogis,

That's right, you heard it here first! I am teaching private lessons again! As you will notice on my home page at www.workofheartyoga.com, I have new rates, as it is a little trickier for me to sneak away from my baby girl, and I must pay someone to watch her. However, please notice that I DO have packages that allow you to get a great discount!

I am more than happy to come to your home if it is a reasonable distance from me, or we can potentially work something out with GODA if we can schedule it at a time when it won't interfere with regular class schedules. We can work on deepening your regular practice, breathing, particular posses you would like to improve, areas of the body you would like to work on, increasing strength or stamina, weight loss, and prenatal yoga! We will tailor your sessions to your needs.

Please feel free to contact me via email at workofheartyoga@gmail.com to discuss setting up private lessons or pass this on to anyone you think might be interested. Remember, private yoga packages make great presents for others too!

Peace,
April KirkHart
workofheartyoga@gmail.com

Schedule updates!

My dearest Yogis,

I will have two wonderful subs teaching for me this weekend, Sat and Sun Feb 27 and 28th, as well as next weekend, March 5th and 6th. My subs are as follows:

Sat Feb 27th - Jewel Greenberg - Level One 11-12:30
Sun Feb 28th - Kate Duyn - Beginner 11-12:30

Kate will be subbing both classes on March 5th and 6th. I have received FABULOUS feedback from my students about both subs, so if you haven't had them yet, please come to class and try a new teaching style out. You will inevitably learn something new!

Also, Prenatal this Monday, March 1st, will be canceled as I have no one to watch my precious little one! Class will resume the following week!

Much love and peace to all my students!
-April KH

My Small World...

My world has shrunk considerably, and I'm pretty sure I'm becoming nearsighted. I find myself always staring down at this tiny but growing bundle in my arms. When I look up finally, I am often disoriented and feel slightly off-center. It is a beautiful thing, though, this new love. It is so vast, and ever-changing becoming deeper each day.

The first few months I felt slightly on edge, running on pure adrenaline - partially from only getting about 2 hours of sleep at a time and no more than maybe 4 every night, and partially from the knowledge that my husband and I were responsible for not only keeping this little tiny helpless human being alive, but also for her healthy growth and development. It's wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

But I think of Ruby Jo when I am not with her, I can stare at her and pictures of her for hours, days, I'm sure. The sound of her giggle or just her breathing in and out is like heaven to me, and she makes me feel full of life, and scared like hell of it all at the same time.

It is a good thing. To have my world be small right now. There is so much pain and suffering in the world. Having a child makes me realize even more profoundly how unnecessary it all is, and that we have the power to end that suffering. I am torn between the inspiration Ruby gives me to do just that, and my fear that she will have to grow up in this world where we haven't figured it out yet.

I do not pretend to be wise, only very deeply in love...
Peace,
April

April is back at GODA Yoga!

Dear All,

I realize it's been a while since I've posted anything...I've been busy with my new babygirl, Ruby Josephine KirkHart, born August 1st, weighing 6lbs. 15oz. and measuring 20 inches long. She is strawberry blonde (what little hair she has!) and is absolutely amazing to me and her Daddy, Casey. Ruby Jo was born at home with the help of our midwife Sarah Sheeley from The Sanctuary. Her birth was everything we hoped it would be, and I may post more on that in a future blog. She has pretty much captivated all my attention for the past 3 months. And I absolutely love being her mom!

Thank you to all of my wonderful students who have sent well-wishes, cards, presents, and happy and healthy vibes for us. And thank you to all of the teachers who have stepped in to teach my classes and take care of my students while I was on maternity leave. I am eternally grateful!

I have many thoughts and funny stories about new motherhood/parenthood, and may post those in time. I find that I could use an extra hand, or four, and rarely get time to use both hands to type, so it may take some time.

In the meantime, I wanted to let you all know that I am going to start teaching a new schedule at GODA Yoga starting on November 2nd (see schedule below). If you were doing or are interested in private lessons, I'll have to work that out with each of you individually.

My new schedule:

Fridays, 10-11:30am Mommy and Me (bring your baby's favorite toy or two)
Saturdays, 11-12:30 Level One
Sundays, 11-12:30 Beginner
Mondays, 10-11:30am Prenatal Yoga (all trimesters welcome, and those preparing for pregnancy as well!)

I hope you are all well and look forward to seeing you soon!

Peace,
April KirkHart
workofheartyoga@gmail.com
www.workofheartyoga.com

No baby yet, but acupuncture rocks...

Hello my yogis and yoginis, are you ready for a Looooong Blog?

Good.

So, no baby yet. I keep thinking she'll come early, but my midwives tell me not to get my hopes up! And yes, I said midwives.

"Whaaaaaatt??!!" you may ask. Or not.

Many people assume that because I am a yoga instructor I have a completely "alternative lifestyle" (whatever that means) or am against Western Medicine... Well, you learn something new every day, right? So, first I'll tell you how my husband and I decided to do a home birth, and then I will tell you why this needle-phobic gal now loves acupuncture...

PART I.
Some of you know that my husband is actually a family medicine doctor, (he just finished residency, YAY!) I also grew up in a family with a doctor and nurse who also had good ethical centers and open minds. So, I've always been comfortable with western medicine, but have also been exposed to complementary and alternative medicine. I have approached both with healthy skepticism and curiosity. I ask questions, I read stuff. So sue me.

I've always seen western medicine doctors, and did so through the beginning of my pregnancy and planned to have a hospital birth like most people. However, for the first time, something seemed off. I kept feeling like I was being "treated" for an illness. The short 5-10 minute visits with my doctors felt rushed, I hardly ever felt comfortable asking questions if I even had time to remember that I had questions to begin with. Not to mention, the doctors and staff were a little more testy than I was used to. Our health care system sets it up to be like this; docs have to see a huge volume of patients, and OBGYNs get sued more often than other doctors, and have to spend a ton of money for liability insurance. On top of that, their patient-base, namely pregnant women, are more hormonal and emotional than say, the average patient. And they have a right to be, because after all, they ARE having a baby, not buying a pet fish. It's an emotional thing. That creates the potential for a really tense situation.

Granted, some OBGYNs are more mellow than others (as are some pregnant women.) And I know some really fabulous OBGYNs that are friends of mine as well, but weren't doctors I could see for my own pregnancy (insurance being the main issue). They are highly trained surgeons, really. They are trained for every possible worst-case scenario! And thank goodness they are because that's what makes them so good at dealing with higher risk pregnancies. We are lucky to live in a country with such skilled physicians and to have the options that we do with prenatal, delivery and postpartum care.

A quick disclaimer: I would NEVER judge ANY woman for the kind of care and/or delivery she chooses for herself. Some are more comfortable with a doctor in a hospital setting, some aren't. It is a highly personal and private decision, with many factors that contribute to the decision-making process. And I believe that all births are important, special and life-transforming experiences, and that women should just be open and supportive of each other regardless of how they experience all of this and to be supportive of the women who can't or choose not to go through pregnancy or child birth, period. In addition, I'm not trying to give OBGYNs a bad rap. There are some AMAZING docs out there, but they are hard to find when all you have to go on is a list on your insurance website. And unless you can pay more out of pocket, some of them are hard to get.

In any case, I tried a number of docs, and none were working out for me personally, especially with the constraints from my health insurance. Let me pause here and say our health care insurance industry sucks. It needs MAJOR reform. MAJOR. It sucks for patients and it sucks for doctors. However, had I found a better match for my personality and health philosophies, I probably would have stuck with one. But I didn't so here's what happened.

My husband and I did some research (it was actually his idea) and I interviewed a number of midwives and birth centers, etc. We found a group near us of Licensed Professional Midwives and Nurse Midwives that we really liked and trusted. The group of midwives is called Sacred Entrance and the full range of services they offer is called The Sanctuary.

I have LOVED my prenatal care there. So far, we plan on doing a home-birth, although that plan is a flexible one - if there are any complications, they have a back-up or collaborating doctor at Cedars Sinai and I would be transferred to the hospital. How would they know if there's a complication? Well, they aren't just a bunch of long-haired hippie women that come in with potions and pixie dust... the midwives, who are highly trained, have delivered hundreds of babies and follow a normal prenatal care schedule. They basically check all the stuff a doctor does, AND give nutrition an extra emphasis. To the birth, they bring a monitor for the baby's heart beat, they have oxygen, IV's if you need one, anti-hemorrhage medications, and they are all certified in neonatal resuscitation, suturing, etc. For low-risk pregnancies, it's really very safe - and they remind you that home birth really is for low-risk pregnancies. They are VERY clear that OBGYNs handle higher-risk pregnancies and are trained to do so, and they do not hesitate to refer you out if there's any indication you might have a complication. If you'd like more info, check out the website for our midwife group: http://www.sacredentrance.com/ go to: Birth Center - Enter site - Birth Center and then look at the resources under Additional Information (especially the FAQs document.)

In any case, we dig them. They are very skilled, professional, yet it all feels homey, and they take at LEAST a good hour for each appointment - they care about your diet and exercise which are HUGELY important for a healthy low-risk pregnancy. They refer any high-risk pregnancies to their collaborating Doctor at Cedars Sinai, as I mentioned before. Even if someone wants a hospital birth or needs to have one because they are higher risk or have complications, The Sanctuary/Sacred Entrance still offers a range of other services for prenatal care, massage, acupuncture, nutritional counseling, mommy groups, birthing classes, lactation specialists etc.

They are very supportive of women having options and making the right choices for them. In short... they are just the coolest. I am excited about my birth and fast approaching parental-hood, and the folks at The Sanctuary have helped me prepare to be open to whatever I need to happen during my labor.

So, this brings me to my next topic. Acupuncture.

PART II.
I have always had a fairly intense fear of needles. As a kid who had strep-throat all the time, I had to have a lot of blood tests and was poked a lot with needles. It was traumatizing particularly because I have small veins which meant they generally had to stick me multiple times to get what they needed.

In any case, I've never really researched Eastern Medicine or Acupuncture and so I don't really understand how it works. However, at The Sanctuary, they have an acupuncturist and I found out I could get a few appointments as part of my birth package there and I thought, "hey, I'll try it and see what happens." I was having a lot of low-back and hip pain that even my long practice of yoga wasn't completely addressing. (Yes, even practiced Yoga instructors are not immune to some of the hardships of pregnancy. It's very humbling.) In any case, I was told that acupuncture might help me have less discomfort AND sleep better.

It sounded like magic. And it kind of is.

I met Emily Bartlett, LAc. I think that stands for Licensed Acupuncturist. She did a comprehensive interview with me about my aches and pains, my needle phobia, and then showed me the needles and how they worked so I wouldn't be so scared. Also, we had a funny conversation about organic vs. regular mattresses in which she alluded to the fact that our professions can be bombarded with some non-practical "hippie dippie" ideas that can alienate people with lower incomes. I thought she was hilarious for using that term "hippie dippie," and strongly appreciated her down-to-earthiness.

Anywho, she gave me this mini 20 minute massage first, that I swear, was like butter. It was so relaxing and amazing. Then she went ahead and put in some needles in all sorts of weird spots, like one in my forehead, and a few in my hands, near my knees, and a number at different points in my back. I could barely feel them, it didn't hurt, and then she told me to relax and breathe deeply for a while. She left me with a bell in case I started to freak out or needed to pee or anything. I completely fell asleep after about 10 minutes of deep breathing. She came back about 20-30 minutes later and took all the needles out (which again, I barely felt) and told me to drink lots of water and take it easy for the day.

I slept better than I had in months that night, I had no back or hip pain for a few days, and felt very mellow that night and the next day.

I have gone back every week for the last month or two, and have had a great experience every time. I still don't understand how it all works; something about each point connecting to certain physical, biological functions as well as mental and emotional ones and helping the energy flow between them better. All I know is that I feel much better after I leave her office.

Emily also offers Holistic pediatric care for kids and has a website: http://holistickid.com

She's a really balanced practitioner and a really down to earth person. If you were ever curious about or wanted to try acupuncture, I'd highly recommend her. You should definitely go to her website and see what she offers.

And don't worry, you'll all see pics once the baby comes.

I miss you all very much and I hope you are doing well, and are continuing your yoga practice! Take care and see you all soon!

Peace,
April