Category Archives: postnatal

Wellness Wednesday :: Meet Massage Therapist “GiGi”

gigi

Angela “Gigi” Lull, Blooma St. Paul massage therapist

Blooma welcomes massage therapist, Angela Lull — also known as “Gigi.” She moved to the Twin Cities about year ago from Des Moines and we’re so happy to have her as part of the Blooma family!

Gigi is the full package: nationally certified massage therapist of eight years, certified birth doula, and certified lactation counselor. Get to know Gigi in our Q&A below and book a massage (click on Wellness/Bodywork) for yourself or your partner at Blooma St. Paul, Tuesday evenings or Saturday mornings!

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

Q :: What kind of massage do you specialize in, and what should I expect as a first-timer to see you?
A :: I specialize in several types of massage, including prenatal, postnatal, infant, cupping, deep tissue and MRT (a technique that stretches and elongates the muscles). I listen carefully to what you need, and bring a warm and down-to-earth approach to structural healing.

Q :: What is it that you love about massaging mamas? (And do you take appointments for partners, too?) 
A :: I love being a part of the birth journey for women and families, and I’m honored to provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support during the childbearing years. I enjoy helping moms melt their muscles … either preparing them for birth or helping their bodies rejuvenate after birth. Putting life back into one’s body makes my heart sing! I’ve been called the “Epi-Doula” — magic hands!

I also regularly work on partners, family members, and friends, too — anyone can see me at Blooma. My massages are tailored to what you need.

Q :: Tell us more about you? What kinds of things make your heart swell and what do you love doing outside of the massage room?
A :: When not working at Blooma, I can be found working at HCMC as a doula on the Birthing Unit. You’ll also find me enjoying new restaurants, live music, and the arts with friends new and old.

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Your Mama Yoga Practice, Inspired.

I’ll admit, even as a yoga teacher, I’ve been guilty of convincing myself that I can’t practice yoga with my small children running around the house. At least not the way I’d like to — uninterrupted. But as mamas we know that finding uninterrupted time isn’t always feasible. And it doesn’t mean your yoga practice, your self-care, your attention to breath should suffer.

This Mother’s Day, let’s all recommit to nourishing ourselves, even when it doesn’t seem convenient.

So lately I’ve eased up on holding myself back from a daytime yoga practice, which I typically do before the kids are awake, or after they’re asleep. True, my yoga practice looks different with my children crawling under me, on top of me, around me, or chattering in the background. But this is my life — my sweet, sweet, sometimes chaotic life. And I want to share the yoga that I love with my children.

Think of the example we can set for our children — self-care when we need it, breath awareness, and loving attention to creating a strong body and open heart.

The below video, posted on Yoganonymous, is a reminder of the sweetness of practicing in the presence of your children. Continue reading →

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*Live* Your New Mama Yoga Practice In the Small Moments

One of Blooma’s prenatal yoga teachers in Shakopee, the lovely Anne Johnson, recently gave birth to a sweet baby girl, Emilia. Congratulations, Anne!! Like many of us new mamas, she struggled to figure out when it would be appropriate to start postnatal yoga. She shares with the Blooma blog her path to rediscovering yoga and self-care in a new body, with new demands on her time and energy. (Thanks, Anne, for admitting that not all moments are Zen moments, either!)

Mamas, comment below with your own tips on finding yoga practice time — or any down time — since becoming a mama! 

Love,

Blooma prenatal yoga teacher Anne Johnson practicing with Emilia inside her belly!

Blooma prenatal yoga teacher Anne Johnson practicing with Emilia inside her belly!

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

{By Anne Johnson}

I found I needed yoga in my second week postpartum just to connect and to breath and tap into the energy I found both before and when I was pregnant. I’ve missed my own physical practice for centering and feeling strong in the first two weeks of Emilia’s life outside my belly — a very large yet wonderful transition for both of us. Continue reading →

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