Pelvic Pain Recovery: Getting Your Life Back with Yoga This is part 4, an unexpected extension of the trilogy in our journey with Kate, who is a physical therapist and mother of two working diligently to overcome serious pelvic girdle pain (PGP). In the last post (part 3), I discussed the benefits of using yoga for…
Why the American Attitude Toward Mothers Must Change Are you a mother? father? Do you know a mother or father? Care about a mother or father? Care about children? Then this post should hit a nerve. I want to share a poignant and heart squeezing personal story of why our collective attitude toward moms in…
Relief from Pelvic Pain: How Yoga Can Help (Part 3) (Yogically) Moving Toward Healing and Well-Being A common posture I prescribe to mothers experiencing pelvic pain after childbirth (even if, like Kate, they are 5 or more years postpartum), is the accordion fold yoga posture. It is a restorative yoga posture, a posture for meditation,…
This is part 2 in a 3-part series on finding relief from pelvic pain through physical therapy, yoga, and other complementary therapies. Part 1 discussed how to recognize pelvic pain, and what therapies are available. Question from Kate, a mother of two boys, ages 5 and 7: I have pelvic pain due to a non-relaxing pelvic floor….
Finding Relief from Pelvic Pain (Part 1) This is part 1 in a 3-part series on finding relief from pelvic pain through physical therapy, yoga, and other complementary therapies. Question from Kate, a mother of two boys, ages 5 and 7: I have pelvic pain due to a non-relaxing pelvic floor. I cannot even sit…
Better Birth Starts by Watching This Pictured with my third son, safely caught by my husband with the assistance of our marvelous midwife, Mary Georgetown University researcher Ryan McAllister asks this question about American birth, “Would you pay full price for something that is broken?” Thank you to Ryan McAllister and his team for this excellent…
This post is also featured on Modern Mom American Childbirth: A Human Rights Failure? United Nations data shows that between 1990 and 2008, the United States maternal mortality rate nearly doubled, while the overwhelming majority of countries collectively decreased their rates by 34% (Coeytauz et al 2011). We have a right to criticize the shameful state…
This week’s post is by Carl Kerridge, who goes straight to the heart of one of the big issues surrounding the American collective maternity care and that of his lovely wife, the super intelligent Jessica Durivage of Where is My Guru?. Get to know them both, they are an amazing team! Telling Our Story: The Dark Underbelly of American…
Yoga: For All Folks and All Faiths As the old Beatles’ song proclaims, “All together now!” When it comes to yoga, can we say that the family that practices yoga together, stays together? Ancient wisdom and new evidence alike says we can. But is yoga accessible to everyone? Let’s explore how it may be good…
This post appeared in Carolina Salt magazine in Ginger’s column, The Balanced Life, September/October 2013 issue. Why Every Child Can Benefit from Yoga “Mom!” I heard my middle son call out to me from the basement of my parent’s home in central North Carolina, where I was visiting with my family for a weekend this summer. I…
What is a Birth Playlist? Designer Music for Mom Music is very important in my family. I come from a family of musicians, and my husband and I are both musicians. We even play gigs together, in lieu of “date nights,” on a regular basis. So for me, laboring without music was unthinkable. I had…
Back Pain? What to Do, What to Avoid Do you have back pain? First, I am so sorry – and I hope you are feeling better soon. But don’t feel alone, more than 84% of Americans will at some point experience back pain. Second, here’s the latest evidence on what to do and what to…