Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond

Before Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond...

Hi I’m Jessica. I started yoga in 1997 to relieve really bad neck and back pain.

Jessica Jennings, founder Ma Yoga

I was shocked when my pain was gone in a couple weeks!

I was already in love with yoga, and I knew I wanted to help people out of their own pain and suffering by sharing it.

But first, I wanted to understand HOW it worked. Why does yoga heal us? And why does it sometimes hurt us? 

I studied cadavers with pre-meds at UCLA, became a Certified Personal Trainer and got my Masters in Exercise Science.

But I didn’t find the answers I was looking for until I found a school of yoga that was based in alignment called Anusara.

In alignment-based yoga, every pose is an opportunity to align our muscles and bones with what’s called the “optimal blueprint.”

I learned that it’s not the pose we do that heals, it’s what we’re doing inside the pose that matters.

It’s moving the breath, the muscles, even the bones and organs in their optimal direction, like physical therapy, that allows the body to find body stability and ease.

That’s why we can be hurting ourselves on the mat, and healing ourselves while we’re driving.

I couldn’t believe how healthy, strong and flexibly I got using the biomechanical alignment principles I learned!

Jessica Jennings, Founder Ma Yoga for Pregnancy

I start teaching yoga for pregnancy

And biomechanical alignment principles helped me to fulfill my dream of helping  students and clients to relieve back, wrist and knee pain – as well as heal chronic injury.

And yet when I started teaching prenatal yoga in 2001, I felt like I was missing something.

My pregnant mamas were facing so many challenges that went way beyond the physical.

I learned quickly that pregnancy can be isolating, anxiety-inducing, and exhausting.

I also saw that with yoga and community, moms-to-be seemed to get calmer, more centered, more strong and even more graceful as their babies and bodies grew.

I went back to the essence of yoga – the five elements – and began helping mamas connect on a more energetic level with their innate feminine wisdom and power by aligning with the space (breath), earth (stability), water (play), fire (power) and air (freedom) within.

I began to see pregnancy as an opportunity, rather than just a whole bunch of physical challenges, 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 I saw how when a mama chooses to nurture herself physically, mentally and emotoinally, energetically and spiritually, she finds inner resources she didn’t know she had!

ma yoga for pregnancy, motherhood & beyond founder Jessica Jennings

I become a mom

When I became pregnant in 2006, I thought I was fully ready to have a baby.

I had a blast 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… well, 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 didn’t have a postpartum yoga practice and I didn’t know where to start. 

Despite it all, I was blissed out – here’s me with my daughter – in a fog of exhausted love.

This is me SEEMING to be so calmand happy with my new baby!

jessica - long before mom and prenatal yoga online - other classes in yoga for pregnancy didn't prepare me

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 needed my yoga more than ever, but there was no way I could pay a nanny while I enjoyed an hour-and-a-half yoga class.

I lived for two years in a blurry, blissful, bedraggled love cloud.

When I came to, my pelvis had turned so substantially that I couldn’t do a Cobra. There was a bone in the way! I had not healed correctly postpartum, and I hadn’t noticed because I wasn’t doing yoga and I just wasn’t paying attention to my body.

Years later, I was still undoing the damage and healing the adhesions.

I realized that new moms need alignment-based yoga maybe more than any other time.

So when my baby was two, I started Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond. My dream was to create a Mama 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 Mama 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 Mama Circle in every neighborhood seemed to be coming true…

first ma yoga for pregnancy mama circle

Below is a video one of our students made for us! So sweet…

I was glad to be able to finally come to a class now that they’re online!

I am going to keep coming…my body really enjoyed the hour of moving, stretching, and centering.

Jelena P.

I actually loved the class. I say actually because, as you know, yoga has never been my “thing” and computer stuff is also not my “thing” but Jess!

THANK YOU!

I’ve been walking around for 5 weeks with such pain in my knee/leg and all the alignment work in your Fundamentals class made me feel SO much better!

Sue B.

[Ma Yoga Foundations] was so wonderful! It was the best online yoga class I’ve attended.

Thank you for sharing your energy and beautiful ma presence to help us move energy.

 

Dr. Carley C.

Awesome! Thank you so much! The virtual classes have been saving my life and I truly love these classes.

 

Laurie S.

Thank you for the Ma Yoga Foundations class this morning. I am sooo wiped out I can’t believe it! Feels great.

 

Gary K.

Thank you so much for your wonderful gift of [Ma Yoga Foundations] today. My legs are still shaking but I feel less anxious.

You are amazing!! Can’t thank you enough for your encouragement to join you this morning.

I needed it emotionally and physically.

 

Rosibel R.

The live online class was great! The teacher was very friendly and knowledgeable and made sure to incorporate moves based off of the body aches we all had, so it was a great class… I will definitely be back.

Kayla C.

From the moment I began yoga with you, I knew immediately I was in excellent hands! You and the other teachers have taught me so much, not only yoga but most importantly how to really relax.

Jessica, you are such a caring and beautiful person and I’m so amazed by what you do!

Thank you for helping me achieve being pain free which allowed me to enjoy the remainder of my pregnancy.

Sari D.

Having lost 2 previous pregnancies, I wanted to be extra cautious in my practice and exercise. I was welcomed and supported in every way.

The instructors have been wonderful! These caring instructors are full of ideas on how to modify poses.

 

Jenn R.

Thank you for all the great classes, it was really excellent to feel strong and confident throughout my pregnancy. Knowing that I could make it through an intense yoga class kept me from being afraid to exercise and really use my body the whole way through.

I actually thought about yoga class during labor!

Something you said a few times along the lines of not being afraid about what might happen during labor, just thinking “is that happening right now”. I’ve heard plenty of yoga teachers say “be in the moment” but it’s never made much sense, so thank you for putting that idea into a more usable phrase.

Liza C.

I took the free class with Viviana on Wednesday and it was great so I am really excited to continue the practice.

Sonal G.

Thank you so much again for providing these tailored classes and community.

I told my therapist about it too because of the impact one class and your attentiveness had. It’s amazing. Thank you for this beautiful space and service.

Erica P.

Jessica’s non-prenatal Saturday morning class is a joy! Her focus on alignment has gone a long way to improve my sciatica injury. She is extremely knowledgeable, patient, encouraging and fun. It is a great way to start the weekend.

Gary K.

I absolutely love Ma Yoga! I’ve been taking the prenatal classes since my second trimester and it has made my pregnancy a dream. I really enjoy getting to connect with other mom’s who are going through similar experiences at the beginning of each class and my body has never felt better.

When I first started I had terrible sciatica pain and could barely bend at all, but Ashley was so incredibly helpful with modifications and stretches that released my hamstrings, and before I knew it the pain was completely gone and my body still feels amazing, even now at 38 weeks! I truly look forward to Mondays at 8am with Ashley. Her classes are so healing and truly set the tone for the entire week.

I also take Friday class with Kathy and I love her as well. I am so grateful to have found these classes and I know they are a big reason why I’ve felt so strong and confident throughout this pregnancy. I highly recommend!! It’s a 5/5 experience for sure.

Amanda B.

Best thing that I found during my pregnancy is Ma Yoga!

Since they have an everyday class option for prenatal yoga, it’s a great option to be able to attend whichever day you want to attend.

Aysegul B. - from our Google listing

I have loved all of the teachers I have met in these classes. They each take the time to get to know each person and their needs and then tailor the classes to those needs.

There is a great balance between mind and body and a lot of great pregnancy advice and knowledge!

Shana K. - from our Google listing

I’m often the only male in Jessica’s Ma Yoga Foundations classes and I love them.

Jessica’s Saturday class has gone a long way in helping me relieve my low back pain and understand how the parts of my body fit together.

I really appreciate her focus on alignment and breath along with her explanations of the mechanics of the body. She is the best!

Gary K. - from our Google listing

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

I come away from Melanie’s class feeling strong, relaxed, and empowered. It’s physical therapy for pregnant people. Move your body! It will thank you.

Janet B.

I love getting insights into different practices and how we can connect and learn from them and our surroundings. Every single class has been wholesome for my mind body soul and baby! I have truly found a wonderful teacher in Daho and I try not to miss her classes.

Salonee S.

I finished Ash’s class with a clear mind and my body felt more open, more aligned, and energized to face the rest of the day!

She started with a thoughtful meditation which I appreciated–it helped me let go of the rest of my day. Definitely recommend!

Marisa H.

Great instructor.

Belinda J.

I was engaged right away with such amazing asanas. Such poses are very helpful in which it prepares us during and before going into labor. Rachelle is an amazing instructor that cares about her students and her class is very welcoming.

Belinda J.

Melanie is amazing, I felt welcoming and love her cues. I enjoyed the class, learned, and practiced new ways on how to incorporate chair yoga in my daily life. After taking this class, I felt more positive, strong, and energetic.

Belinda J.

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond Grows

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  “Mama 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, Motherhood  & Beyond community, and created the “Ma Yoga Living Room” – an online hub 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, Motherhood & 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 Yoga Living 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 (virtual) Mama Circle in every neighborhood!

Jessica Jennings, founder Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy Motherhood & Beyond Certifies 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!

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. 

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

When quarantine happened, Yoga Alliance allowed the whole training to move online.

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 so different from doing a video on Youtube.

You’re connecting with someone who is dedicated to helping women have an empowering journey to motherhood and beyond.

She’s 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  motherhood and beyond!

prenatal yoga certification - yoga for pregnancy teachers

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond Becomes a "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, gather and support each other easily – and share with our students in online support groups.

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.

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond postpartum support

The "Ma" in Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond Today

Ma Yoga for Pregnancy, Motherhood & Beyond is based 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!’