There has been many efforts recently by doulas across the country, via MVPs, letters to NHS trusts etc to change the current 2 birth partner rules (or lack thereof – more detail in the open letter linked below). Nothing seems to be making a dent and some of the responses (where there have been some) Read More

How yoga can help you during pregnancy and as a new mum Pregnancy and early motherhood are times of massive changes, where women are reassessing their identities, their relationships, and readjusting to an ever-changing body. Especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic, women can feel vulnerable and look for reassurance amongst other women going through a Read More

A doula refers to someone who supports women and their families on an emotional, practical, physical, informational and/or spiritual level before, during and after childbirth. Birth and becoming a parent is a momentous experience. For various reasons many women and families choose to have doulas as an extra support to work alongside the maternity services. Read More

How often do we fall into healing as a result of our own healing desires? After five years of carrying the burden of a forced abortion and the associated trauma that goes along with terminating a pregnancy you never wanted to end, my own desire to heal and reconnect with my womb space led me Read More

For over 15 years now I have been working as a teacher within different settings and phases, from reception to early secondary aged children and with a range of different children who each have their own needs, both in mainstream and special education. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside some of the most caring Read More

Here are top tips for Self Care as a New Mum Reassess what self-care means Nourishing yourself with healthy and nutritious food, getting an early night and making the time to drink your tea despite the pile of washing, are all forms of self-care. Perhaps you could budget for a cleaner instead of your TV Read More

Yoga Nidra is an ancient but little-known yogic practice that is a form of guided relaxation combined with alert awareness. The literal translation of Nidra is sleep, however Yoga Nidra is a dynamic state, not like the unconscious sleep of night time. In this meditative practice we practice letting go, surrendering and simply being here Read More

If, like me, you are over a certain age, you may look back upon your childhood days with a nostalgic fondness, and lament the times when life seemed free and easy, and the world a happy playground. It might seem like the rose-tinted view of a doddery old fool, but times actually were different. For Read More

Welcoming a new baby into a family is a massive life changing event. Having the appropriate support available is imperative for a positive birth and early parenting experience. Doulas are trained to provide personalised emotional, physical and practical support during this wonderful time. Antenatal Birth doulas support families through the pregnancy and labour. They are Read More

Before I was a doula, I was the mother of a 3 month old. Before I was a mother, I was pregnant. And before that, who knows – it hardly seems to matter anymore. If I think really hard I can remember a time when I was just Ruth, a Customer Service Director managing a Read More

So why would you need a life coach when you’re doing perfectly well on your own, thank you very much. Well, ARE you? Truly? Are you living the life that you envisaged for yourself before the life bomb that is kids? Are you, for example, being paid to do what you love? Are you mothering Read More

The placenta is an amazing and normally disregarded organ that develops in your uterus during pregnancy. This structure provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby and removes waste products from your baby's blood. The placenta attaches to the wall of your uterus, and your baby's umbilical cord arises from it. Many women are unaware of the many nutrients Read More

Photo by Marcos Moraes on Unsplash When I was asked to write about Pregnancy Yoga, I thought, great, yes, I can whizz this out in no time sharing my love of Yoga and my fantastic experience of pregnancy yoga, why it’s so good to attend classes and teach them! But actually, when I started to Read More

In this article, I want to address the importance of acceptance, space and letting go. Although as the title states my focus is more on the post-natal journey, my story and the techniques I suggest can be applied to all walks of life, especially for those who have experienced something that has taken hold of Read More

I would like to tell you about the MAM 3 Step Rewind Technique taught by Mark Harris and Mia Scotland, it has revolutionised the way we help women get over crippling emotionally disabling symptoms. In Mark’s own words: “Its origins are in the model of NLP, if you google “fast phobia cure” you will find Read More

What is a doula? A Doula (pronounced doo-luh) provides emotional and practical support to women, couples and families, before, during and after childbirth. Although doulas are not medically qualified and do not offer medical advice they provide continuity of care, reassurance and can help women find accurate information and make informed decisions. The support doulas Read More

As much as stress is a part of grownup’s lives it is very much a part of children’s lives as well. Increasing competitiveness, social anxieties and busy after school schedules make children’s lives a real struggle. Research suggests that school-based yoga cultivates mind-body awareness, self-regulation, and physical fitness. And classroom teachers can benefit as well! Read More

“There is no other organ quite like the uterus. If men had such an organ they would brag about it. So should we” – Ina May Gaskin Mizan (pronounced like Milan) is an Arabic word that means balance. Mizan Therapy uses traditional techniques to restore balance when life feels unbalanced – physically, emotionally or spiritually. Read More

Placenta encapsulation has grown in popularity and is starting to appear more frequently in the media and mainstream conversation.  Many well know women such as Mayim Bialik, Alicia Silverstone and January Jones, have chosen to encapsulate their placentas to support themselves through the 4th trimester. To me the idea that the organ that enables your Read More

It is of popular opinion that prevention is much better than a cure and as many yoga instructors would agree; embracing yoga into your daily life from as young an age as possible will help ensure these preventative benefits. It is my soul belief that what can be learnt in the studio becomes transferable into Read More

Post-natal Nutrition: The Ultimate Guide Ideally, your first, and probably second, drink of the day: COFFEE, nice and hot, probably an extra sugar – you will need the pick-me-up. Lovely toasted bagel, smothered with Nutella, oh and a banana – we must reach our 5-a-day! Snacks, let’s see, what’s handy, small bag of popcorn, some Read More

My experience – how fitting in yoga while being a mama is turning out for me… My little boy Rio will be two years old in August.  Two years ago I couldn’t have imagined how I’d ever fit in a regular yoga practice while caring for my new little baba, but slowly I made it Read More

Hypnobirthing combines hypnosis with relaxation and breathing techniques to bring about relatively pain free childbirth. The mum-to-be will attend 4 or 5 sessions during the last trimester together with a birthing partner. This could be her husband or partner, or it may be a friend or relative who is committed to being with her during Read More

Why should a new parent massage their baby and what are the benefits of Baby Massage?  There are so many benefits of Baby Massage. It is a traditional practice to: increase bonding and attachment between parents and their babies, to stimulate the babies bodies, body awareness and language development, to provide relief of things like growing Read More

We all know that babies are natural Yogis, so it makes sense to help them enjoy this ancient practice. But, the focus of baby yoga is on gentle stimulation and bonding between parent and baby – not exercise. It’s essentially about the parent and baby connecting with one another, learning to develop trust and confidence, Read More

Following on from my post about the meditation album for children. Christie Michael has shared her children's meditation class technique with us. It gives a great insight into how a meditation class for children might be run. Meditation for children can be a great way for them to learn to relax in the hectic world Read More

A few days ago I posted an article about free online classes from Do Yoga With Me aimed at adults. I am also keen to share with you articles about Yoga and Meditation for children. Whilst doing research I came across a wonderful site called Cosmic Kids Yoga and thought I would share it with you. Read More

Can meditation help our little ones find strength and comfort in this busy world we live in? I found this lovely album called Awareness Games for Kids on Do Yoga With Me. My eldest (9yrs) tends to get a little het up when he has to do something he doesn’t want to. I wonder if Read More

As adults we regularly find the western lifestyle tiring, stressful and hardwork. If we as adults feel like this, how do our kids feel? Is it simply natural progression of our species that has resulted in unruly, hyperactive, inattentive children or is there more to it. Are our children stressed in this fast paced, media orientated Read More

Are you aware of the benefits of babywearing in the first year of your little one’s life? Check out this excellent infographic from Close parent detailing the benefits to be gained.