Blog – Arise Yoga + Wellness

September 2, 2021 By jessie Leave a Comment

Ask a Doula: What is your philosophy on birth? (pt 2)

Part 2: Birth as transition and initiation

I have 2 answers to this question, so don’t miss the first part! The second part of my answer is a bit more complicated and also answers how I view my role as a doula.

I see pregnancy and birth as a transition, an initiation into a new stage of life: Parenthood. This in-between of life before kids and then after when you have them is a beautiful, rapidly changing time. I see myself as a kindred soul here to walk your path with you. Each person’s path is different to journey from childless to with children, and no matter what your journey looks like, having a trusted companion to answer questions, see you through the changes, and walk beside you each step as I have others on this journey is a comfort and a blessing.

Doula Jessie supporting client and partner at Inanna Birth Center in Denton

This liminal place is magical, and I believe one to be honored. You’ll never have another pregnancy like this one. You’ll never walk this exact path again as each pregnancy and birth are unique. And once you reach the end of the liminal place, when you have your baby, I believe in the magic of honoring this transition. Of being witnessed, cared for, accepted into this new state of being in yourself.

In other cultures and other times, our life transitions were recognized and honored. There were traditions around the coming of age, of birthing. Now our new parents are pressured to “bounce back” to get their bodies back to the look they had before pregnancy, to be a parent and still do everything you were before: work, errands, socialize, feed your family, and the list goes on. There is no space to honor the new state of being. No time is given to reacquaint yourself with your body in this new state after bringing forth a new life. No space is held for the challenges of new parenthood: the sleepless nights, the aching bodies, the changes in the relationship with your partner and other family members. The friends that are lost, and the very real mental and emotional changes that happen in the first year after birth.

This is why I believe doulas are important, and why ceremonies can play an important role in honoring this transition. With a doula you have that support person, the person to hold space for you during all the stages of your pregnancy and birth.

Ceremonies can look different for every individual, but imagine a time of loved ones gathered to celebrate you. Perhaps there is an honoring of the body by oiling it, massage, an herbal bath, wearing special clothes, or some other celebration of your body. A symbolic release of the old self, whether an item that you’re letting go of, the burning of a paper, or the burying of your placenta. Then a sharing of food and wisdom from those who have already become parents, to welcome you to the circle of this new space. Being surrounded by those you love to celebrate the completion of this journey, nourishing foods, a celebration of baby, and this next evolution of your family. I really believe that an acknowledgment of your accomplishment by your community or loved ones plays an important part in feeling satisfied with your birth, in your mental health, and in both the health of you and your family in the future!

August 3, 2021 By jessie Leave a Comment

Ask a Doula: What is your philosophy on birth? (pt 1)

Part 1: What are your priorities?

A common interview question for doulas is “What is your philosophy on birth?” I have 2 answers. The first and maybe most important is that while I have thoughts when I am your doula, the only thing that matters is what YOUR philosophy is, what your priorities and dreams are for the best birth for you and your baby.

It’s about the journey to get to meet your baby, and I want to help you have the best journey possible.

I am here to support YOU, and I am a firm believer in my opinions don’t matter when it comes to your birth. I am here to provide you support, I will provide you with evidence-based information, I might ask questions about how you feel when a provider suggests something. But my opinions really aren’t what is important. You have doctors who are experts in their field, you might have advice from other people in your life who are experts in their areas, but no one will EVER be an expert on you and your baby beside you. I am here to encourage that inner knowing, to help you determine the best choice for your family based on evidence and your knowledge of you and your body. Each pregnancy and birth is unique, even if you have multiple ones they each have their own nuances.

I believe that evidence can help educate us, which is why I am a big supporter of Evidence Based Birth. But I also recognize that evidence is limited, not perfect and that mothers, especially Black mothers, are at risk at high rates. I always strive to give you as much information to help you make an educated decision for what is best for YOU. If you decided you want a fully medicated hospital birth, phenomenal! Let’s make that happen! If you want an unmedicated, home or birth center birth, sweet, let’s do it! Somewhere in the middle? Or open to seeing what will unfold for your birth? What a way to live in the moment! I am honored and happy to support you in whatever way you decide to give birth!

I believe that birth is a moment for you to have agency over your body and to sink into your inner knowing. I believe that birth can be an incredibly empowering moment for you and the family you are expanding. That is the core of my philosophy on birth. It’s about the journey to get to meet your baby, and I want to help you have the best journey possible!

Read the second part of my answer!

June 28, 2021 By jessie Leave a Comment

Finding Balance in Our Lives

If you’re like me there are times when you like things in life that are out of balance. And maybe that’s a feeling you’ve been having lately.

If it is, I wanted to share some of my go-to tips for finding balance in life. While I certainly don’t have it all figured out, these are my go-to ways to get back on track when I feel a little off.

If you’d rather watch me share these tip, you can watch the video or keep scrolling for the text version!

My Tips On Finding Balance In Life:

Jessie and Gracie, her dog, at Lake Ray Roberts standing in front of the lake.

Find the thing(s) that is out of whack. Once I know where the imbalance in my life is, it’s easier to make an adjustment and get it righted.
Journaling. Journaling is really helpful for me when I feel like something is off but can’t pinpoint what it is exactly. I’ll either put on some instrumental music or enjoy the silence, and set a timer to write freely.
Breathe. No matter what is going on in my life, breathing always helps! My current go-to practice is to inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 4.
Self-care. If you missed last month’s newsletter, we talked about self-care, and making sure my well is filled is always a good tool to help me find balance in life. (If you’re struggling with feeling like that is selfish, I’ve got a blog post for you!

I’d love to hear how you find balance in your life too. Hit the comment box and let me know or ask me questions about my tips. I can’t wait to hear from you!

May 24, 2021 By jessie Leave a Comment

What is Self-Care Anyways?

Jessie after a self-care hair appointment

I don’t know about you but anytime I see or read something about self-care it’s usually about going to a spa or something that feels like a “luxury”. But in reality, self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity and it can take place anywhere.

And as a yoga teacher, I tend to have conversations around self-care pretty often and you know what I find most of the time?

That self-care isn’t something that most people see as a necessity.

So much so that I wanted to share a few things with you today about self-care:

First, the definition of self-care and lots more information can be found in this article. If you’re looking to learn more about self-care and how it can be applied to your life, this article from the International Self Care Foundation is a great resource.

Second, a list of self-care ideas is below. I wanted to share a long list of ideas in case you’re struggling to find what self-care means for you. Because it really is individual. While a massage is great for one person, hugging a tree is best for someone else. The list could go on and on but this will get you started.

Self Care Ideas List

Taking a bath, shower, or immersing yourself in water. It’s been raining for what feels like eons now, so maybe just stand outside in it? (only kidding!)
Asking your partner for a meal at the table with no devices
Reading a book
Starting a meditation/mindfulness practice
Talking to someone you love or miss
Cleaning or organizing part of your space
Discovering your love language and discussing with those around you to ensure your needs are met
Doing yoga (see what I did there?) 😉
Go hiking
Do something to make yourself feel wonderful! (That’s what the picture of me above is, got my hair curled by someone else!)

I got this concept from another teacher and it has changed how I approach self-care: there are well filling activities and well digging activities. Your well is what you give from, and there are things that fill that well up, like reading or taking baths, going on hikes for me. And there are activities that dig your well deeper. They tend to be more work like my meditation practice, continued study of yoga, and volunteering. Just as our self-care practices are different, the things that fill up our wells are different. So keep that in mind when thinking about how to practice self-care this coming month!

I would love to hear from you on this topic too. Hit the comment box and tell me what self-care looks like (or feels like) for you. I can’t wait to hear from you!

March 23, 2020 By jessie Leave a Comment

Love in the Time of Corona

Sliding Scale virtual private yoga sessions

Let’s be honest, this is hard stuff. Our entire lives have shifted in a matter of weeks, and now as of this writing, Dallas is under a shelter-in-place order.

Anxiety, frustration, fear, and so many other emotions abound right now and rightfully so!

But how can we manage those feelings? How can we make being home as much as a healing time for our minds and bodies as possible? There are a lot of resources including Coping with Corona Anxiety which is definitely worth checking out!

Movement and breath are a great tool to use to shift your perspective, get you up and moving and just make your day a little brighter!

So, to help with all the things I am offering sliding scale private sessions, virtually! Shelter-in-place compatible, fun, we get to see each other and laugh, move and work on our breath. For those who can, sessions are normally $100 per hour, but in light of so many people having dramatic changes in income, they will be pay-what-you-can.

Private sessions are a wonderful way to get moving, and are great for all bodies! Prenatal, postpartum, family, couples, chair yoga, strength work, laughing yoga (totally a thing, I’m pretty funny!), vinyasa, beginners, fundamentals, and even restorative!

Private sessions are always tailored to you and your needs. We can do them regardless of if you have a mat and props or not. So no matter where you are hunkering down, as long as you have enough space to lay down, a screen, and internet we can do yoga together! The world is still a magical place sometimes right?!

Technical details:

You’ll need a device with a screen: laptop, cell phone, tablet, etc.
Internet of some sort, wifi or cellular
No props required
We’ll use one of the following to do the session: FaceTime, Skype, Zoom
Don’t worry if the tech part overwhelms you! I will help make it easy, promise!

FAQ:

How do I pay you? Payment will be done via Venmo or Paypal, other options are available but those are preferred
Do I need props? No, you don’t but if you have some, awesome!
I have a small space, can we still do it? YES! I too live in a small space, but as long as you have room to lay down on the floor, we’re good!
I’ve never done yoga/haven’t practiced in forever. No worries! I love working with people of all levels, including beginners!
I’m not flexible so I can’t do yoga. I’m going to write a whole post about this topic, but let’s just say it doesn’t matter! I can’t touch most toes, so it’s ok!

If you have more questions, please send me a message!