Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond

How Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond was born...

Hi I’m Jessica and when I finally got pregnant in 2006 after almost three years of trying I thought I was fully ready to have a baby.

I had a so much fun teaching my prenatal yoga class while I was pregnant – I’m still friends with some of those mamas today.

And while my labor didn’t go QUITE as planned, the prenatal yoga find my calm, powerful center and breathe through all the changes.

The hardest thing was… after labor.

Being home with baby without help and waking up every three hours throughout the night to feed left me exhausted and depleted.

I was used to going to yoga classes and I wasn’t used to doing my own practice.

I didn’t know how to heal, or re-energize, or get my body back.

The truth is, even though I’d been teaching prenatal yoga for years, when I had a baby, I was realizing that I had never really learned how to take care of myself.

I realized then that new moms need alignment-based yoga maybe more than any other time – and it needs to be affordable, and accessibleHi

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond is born

In 2009, when my baby was two, I started Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond.

My dream was to create a “Ma Circle” in every neighborhood.

I gathered some teachers I’d trained in prenatal yoga, we all found different locations in our neighborhoods, and we made sure to offer Mom + Baby classes so our mamas could come back easily with their babies.

Below was my very first Ma Circle! I remember each mama so well.

And with moms and moms-to-be loving their classes at four locations in the Los Angeles area, my vision was a Ma Circle in every neighborhood seemed to be coming true…

Below is a video one of our students made for us! I remember all these mamas so clearly. Every Mama Circle has its own beautiful vibe.

Love Ma Yoga!

It’s individualized, calming, balancing, strengthening and nurturing…

for both body and the nervous 1st-time mom soul.

Kristina D.

Ma Yoga was exactly what I needed!

I always felt a lot better after class than before, more relaxed and with less aches and pains.

I highly recommend Ma Yoga to any pregnant woman, but especially yoga-nitwits like me who need some extra reassurance and support.

Trynke DeJong

The instructors are knowledgeable and confident.

I only wish I found this when I was pregnant!

Leilani W.

I started going to Ma Yoga when I was 16 weeks pregnant. It was the best thing I could have done for myself!

Prenatal yoga helped a lot with the normal aches and pains of pregnancy.

I felt myself getting stronger and overall feeling much better each time I went. It also helped me deal with the stress of being pregnant.

Kristin L.

These yoga classes are great. I often walk in feeling like my back and hips are all out of whack and then walk out feeling *amazing*.

I love the community here too – it’s a very supportive place.

All choices are embraced and that feels really nice.

Lyra K.

I just wanted to drop you a line and express my gratitude for the confidence you’ve inspired in me as I approach labor. Your class was like a lifeline, with your words of wisdom echoing through me as I approach the big day and beyond!

Additionally, the learning and insightful instruction I’ve received has led to a much more comfortable last month than I anticipated.

Angie W.

Thank you again for another great class. You don’t know how much I love coming every week.

Not only is it nice to finally “move” my body, but I love being able to connect with Grayson.

And he loves doing yoga with mommy too!

Jennifer W.

Practicing yoga with my baby next to me is such a rewarding experience – even if I only get to do a few poses, a little goes a long way.

Jessica is an amazing yoga teacher, especially for pre and post natal women who need a little extra care from an experienced teacher.

Her class is challenging, but gentle, and I leave feeling like I’ve had a spa day.

Tiffany F.

I can’t tell you enough how much yoga helped me, not only through my pregnancy, but also through labor.

I know that it made all the difference for my health, and also for my body & mind through pregnancy and when I was laboring and pushing.

Can’t thank you guys enough!

Lilly-Jade

I am so thankful for my experience with yoga and I am so excited to continue my practice now that my baby is here.

I love having dedicated ‘me time’ in the calendar. Yoga definitely changed my life.

I am more at peace with myself now than I ever have been before.

Kelley L.

My prenatal class with Ma Yoga has been the best thing in my life. I am now 29 weeks pregnant, and I know this class has made all the difference in the quality of my pregnancy experience.

I feel healthy, strong and empowered; both mentally and physically. I have Ma Yoga to thank!!

Vicky V.

LOVE LOVE LOVE my classes with Jessica at Ma Yoga!!! I’ve been attending since I was 21 weeks and I’m now 26 weeks.

I feel more relaxed and calmer about the prospect of giving birth – it was VERY nerve-racking to think of it before I started my classes.

It helps you breathe and strengthen and just feel more confident that “you can do this”!!!! 🙂

Kate F.

Yoga has relieved the discomfort and the aches of pregnancy and made the experience more enjoyable.

It has made me aware of simple things I can correct on a daily basis to relieve common pregnancy symptoms.

I learn something new every week.

Melissa C.

Melanie, everything you taught me over the past six months came into play and helped prepare me for that wonderful night.

I will never be able to fully express how honored and grateful I feel for all the wisdom you shared with me as I took your class, but my husband, my mother, and I agree that it all played into my ability to stay focused and have a wonderful child birth experience.

Alex T.

I finally didn’t feel so alone in the journey and I learned so much about what I can do during labor.

I literally reared up.

Thank you Ma Yoga.

Erika L.

It has helped me get back my strength and feel like myself again during pregnancy.

Overall, I have seen significant improvement in my ongoing back & chest pain as well.

I feel very relaxed and flexible after each class and plan to continue it through out my pregnancy.

Anshima R.

When I told a friend that my lower back started hurting, she recommended prenatal yoga.

I found Ma Yoga online and started taking Ma Yoga classes virtually.

Wow, my lower back rarely hurts anymore! I also appreciate the chance to hear what other pregnant participants are experiencing at the start of each class.

J.P.S.

Learning so much, and my sciatica pain is so much better since I started taking prenatal classes.

Thank you so much🙏

Tara J.

Thanks for caring so much and for your amazing class Melanie!

All the techniques I learned and practiced in your yoga class also helped me to achieve this birth.

Marc H.

My Ma Yoga prenatal yoga class was an invaluable part of my pregnancy.

I know my baby and I became stronger, and flourished because of your instruction!

Wendy O.

Melanie, everything you taught me over the past six months came into play and helped prepare me for that wonderful night.

I will never be able to fully express how honored and grateful I feel for all the wisdom you shared with me as I took your class.

Brookelin

On Wednesdays, I feel less physical pain, I always feel more grounded.

It’s easier to attend all the needs of my kids.

Your class is truly nurturing my soul and my body.

Judit

I find that the exercises are really helpful for pregnancy and for labor prep.

Plus the teachers are really attentive to different people’s bodies and their varying needs based on belly size and stage of pregnancy.

Fatimah

Ma Yoga classes prenatal yoga classes saved my sanity in my third trimester.

I didn’t start prenatal yoga until I was around 7 months pregnant, and the class allowed me to carve out time to focus on my own wellbeing as well as my baby’s.

Kathy B.

During my pregnancy Rachelle was my savior! It was my first baby, and my first time doing yoga.

I used so many techniques during my labor and they actually helped! I could hear her calming voice in my ear during contractions. There aren’t any words to express my gratitude for her class.

Noemi

Last night’s class helped soothe my nerves and bring me back to center.

The instructor was not only fantastic, she was kind, compassionate and informative about all things birth related.

Thanks Ma Yoga – I’ll be spending the rest of my pregnancy (and beyond) with you!

Jane H.

My class with Jessica has been the best thing in my life. I am now 29 weeks pregnant, and I know this class has made all the difference in the quality of my pregnancy experience.

I feel healthy, strong and empowered; both mentally and physically. I have Ma Yoga to thank!

Danielle S.

Whether you’ve done Yoga a lot before, or you have never tried it, Jessica is very welcoming and an excellent yoga teacher.

When I’m having a good day, or having a harder day, there’s really no excuse to not go to Ma Yoga because it 100% makes me feel even better.

Linda E.

Jessica Jennings is a talented teacher, and she comes with both nursing and alignment expertise.

You are in very good hands when you take her class!

Saron O.

I googled around and found Ma Yoga. I went to the first free class and enjoyed it. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I left feeling better.

My instructor was Jessica and I really loved her attitude and the class.

Sarah T.

Practicing yoga with my baby next to me is such a rewarding experience – even if I only get to do a few poses, a little goes a long way.

Jessica is an amazing yoga teacher, especially for pre and post natal women who need a little extra care from an experienced teacher. Her class is challenging, but gentle, and I leave feeling like I’ve had a spa day.

Sara L.

I love Ma yoga classes, they’re exactly what I want to calm my body, soul and mind.

Highly recommend these classes and all the trainers are so experienced and empathetic.

Spandana J

Jessica is attentive and intuitive.

Her presence and feedback set me on my way to feeling better in no time!

Highly recommend Ma Yoga.

Kat F. from our Google listing

I took a class with Haley, and I would like to do it again.

It was relaxing and calming after a busy day, even with my daughter around.

Thank you, Hayley.

Rasha A.

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond grew

The moms loved being together, reconnecting to body and breath, strengthening and releasing tension – and all the while getting to stay connected to baby.

Some moms came back even before they could exercise, just to get a little yoga and grown-up vibe!

In a few years, we had had more than 18,000 moms and moms-to-be come through our ten Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond locations in Southern California.

I was training teachers not only to offer prenatal yoga, but to start their own “Ma Circle” by partnering with a small business in their neighborhood.

But I started noticing a problem.

People came once a week, left feeling amazing, and then a couple days later, that aligned feeling was like a distance memory.

I realized that having a home practice is an essential part of being able to support healing and thriving for ourselves during the difficult postpartum period – and for the rest of our lives.

I started asking my pregnant mamas and moms to try and do a downdog at home.

It didn’t work. Life is too crazy busy and it’s really hard to know what to do at home anyway.

So we raised a bunch of money from our amazing Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond community, and created our online community where our students could get guided through therapeutic, strengthening, uplifting yoga videos designed for exactly where their bodies, minds and hears were.

Here’s the video we made of our vision for what we wanted to become:

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond moves online

The Ma Yoga Living Room was great – except… for ALL the people who WEREN’T in Southern California, and didn’t have an in-person class to combine their videos with.

I tried doing Zoom yoga for pregnancy classes, but no mamas showed up.

And then…. Covid came.

All of our locations shut down.

I would never wish quarantine upon the world, and yet there was a silver lining for Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond.

Suddenly we could reach moms and moms-to-be wherever they were – in towns that didn’t have prenatal yoga, in cities where it was too hard to get around with baby… wherever they were.

Within 24 hours, Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond was online with a full schedule of Zoom yoga for pregnancy and postpartum.

It was so easy for moms and moms-to-be everywhere to have a home practice! With both Ma Membership video practices plus ndividualized instruction from our expert teachers in Zoom yoga for pregnancy and new mom classes, we were finally able to support mamas in the way they deserve to be nurtured.

Looking back, it was quite a windy road, but we ended up with the potential to actually fulfill my dream: a Ma Circle in every neighborhood – and every living room.

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond began training teachers everywhere

I had been offering a weekend prenatal training since 2006, and in 2012 I started the 85-hour, Yoga Alliance-registered Ma Yoga Prenatal Certification Program (RPYT).

I was permitted to do half of it online – and I loved that part!

But after Covid, I was allowed to move it 100% online.

That means women in Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama – where there is very little prenatal yoga – could get trained and coached to start their own Ma Circles.

The program is comprehensive, so teachers are experts in women’s wellness on and off the mat and suddenly, being able to stretch out each module meant it could be life-changing:

Mayurveda: an Ayurveda Training for Women online allowed us to explore the daily rhythms, food-as-medicine routines and self-care practices for busy women, without cramming all the info into a weekend.

The Yoga of Birth became a wonderfully healing experience for busy new moms to talk about their birth and get support for whatever still felt unresolved.

The Yoga of Pregnancy, the 3-week prenatal training, became accessible, affordable and easy to do for women in states that told me they had zero prenatal yoga.

And The Yoga of Healing – the therapeutics module – was even better when we could slow down, and take on simple ache or pain a day.

Plus, we included a Ma Mentorship so we could get people started online teaching with us right away.

I believe that Ma Yoga Certified teachers have the most expertese in theapeutic, alignment-based, transformative prenatal yoga and are also the most nurturing of any teachers anywhere.

When you try a free yoga for pregnancy or postpartum class, it’s worlds away from doing a video on Youtube.

You’ll connecting with a Certified Ma Yoga teacher and birth expert who is dedicated to helping you have an empowering journey to motherhood and beyond.

Your teacher is a coach, a healer, and a friend all in one. a truly expert and empathetic teacher, coach and friend who will support you throughout your whole journey to postpartum and beyond!

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond becomes a true "kula"

A “kula” in Sanskrit is a community of the heart. I always wanted Ma Yoga to be a kula, but all of our teachers were spread out everywhere, super busy, and we rarely saw each other.

Now, we can hop in to each other’s classes, chat on Zoom before and after class, Masterclasses and support each other easily in our online “Circles”.

Our Certified Ma Yoga Intructors, Birth Practitioners, lifestyle educators and of course our moms and moms-to-be are truly a kula (community of the heart) who offer yoga, education and support in birth classes, mom support and yoga, and prenatal yoga online.

I am so honored to be part of this community of the heart that comes together to make the world a better place, one mama at a time.

The Framework of Ma Yoga for Pregnancy

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond is a therapeutic, strengthening, grounding method of prenatal yoga that uses the five natural elements – space, earth, water, fire and air – to help pregnant women and new moms align physically, mentally, energetically and spiritually with their fullest, most authentic version of themselves.

We call them the “Five Sacred Steps”:

Make Space for Baby in Mind, Body, and Heart
Create a Strong Container for Baby
Do a Divine Dance with Baby
Stand Strong in Who You Are
Become the “Ma” You Want to Be!

Ma Yoga teachers weave these principles throughout class to help mamas relieve aches and pains as well as anxiety and fears, prepare for labor and motherhood and reconnect to their own innate wisdom and power.

While Ma Yoga was designed for pregnant women and new moms, these principles apply to every body – and support healing and thriving for all physical and emotional challenges.

We see pregnancy as an opportunity, rather than just a challenging time.

It’s a rare moment in our lives when we are actually encouraged to slow down, turn inward in a whole new way, and learn how to take care of ourselves on the deepest levels.

And when we learn to truly nurture ourselves, we step into our highest, most powerful and wise “Ma” Self!

The "Ma" in Ma Yoga for Pregnancy

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond is rooted in the idea that with the right kind of guidance and support, we can learn to change the challenges of this journey into opportunities to step into our highest, most powerful, wise and nurturing “Ma” Self.

The “Ma” in Ma Yoga means mother in just about every language, such as:

Mandarin Chinese: Mãma
Hindustani: Māṃ
Spanish: Madre or mamá
Arabic: Māma
Russian: мама
Bengali: Mā

In Sanskrit, the ancient language of yoga, “ma” also means the highest, most powerful and wise – as in “Ma Kali”, the mother of all goddesses.

Put it together and you understand what Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond is up to in the world.

It’s not only about becoming a mother to a baby.

It’s about learning to mother yourself.

When you allow yourself to be guided and supported, when you slow down and listen inward in a loving way, when you incorporate true self-care into your busy life – you begin to step into your feminine wisdom and power, and co-create a life that reflects your greatest possibilities.

You become a powerful co-creator, whether you’re gestating a baby, a vision, or a new way of showing up for the people and projects you love.

We can’t wait to support you on your “Ma” journey.