yoga!

one of the things i loved about being pregnant with avery was prenatal yoga. i started taking yoga when i was about 20 weeks pregnant and would try to go every week. after she was born, i took her to itsy bitsy yoga and then when i went back to work, i started taking classes from a martial arts studio by my house. it was fantastic, true power-yoga. i left sweaty, which i think is a good sign :) i kept up with it for over a year after avery was born and then life got to be too busy. i quit going to my regular classes and joined the gym (mostly for childcare). it was ok, the instructors are good...it is just not the same.

well now, i am back to prenatal yoga. i love it! i go every tuesday after girls fitness club at school. 2 of my good friends are preggo, too. we are all teachers, so after work we meet there. it is at destination maternity on LBJ and montfort (by the galleria) and the best part...it is free! it is amazing. i didn't believe it the first time i went, and i hardly believe it now. (there is also another prenatal yoga studio at a pea in the pod on northwest hwy if you are more in the dallas-dallas area.) everyone in the class is pregnant, and some are further along than others. it is a great place to talk about what is going on, and get excited for other people. and just because it is for big bellies, does not mean it's easy! last week i left with and my legs were still a little shakey. it is real yoga, just with some modifications. if you are new to yoga, it is a good place to start. it is a small class and the instructor walks around and helps you out.

then, after i went to prenatal i saw that they now have MoMe yoga and i could bring avery. this class is on sunday so i went to try it out. (also free!) it was great! it was real yoga for moms and you use your baby as a weight as you sing nursery rhymes and lift them up or swing them around. avery was only interested for part of the time. the rest of the time she played with the stuffed animals and tried to drink out of my water bottle. it was perfectly fine for her to roam the room and i still got a good workout. the only problem is after church avery is really tired so we will just have to figure out nap times and all of that, but i definitely plan on going again.

so, this is my public service announcement. if you are prenant, or have a little one, or both, and you live in dallas (or check to see if they have a destination maternity in your city) then you should try it! check here for a schedule. there are a lot of other classes too. sometimes the classes fill up fast so get there early, or call and put yourself on the list. it feels really good to do something for yourself and your baby...especaially when you don't feel like doing anything at all.