Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond
Ma Yoga 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.
My Postpartum
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
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.
