Postpartum Place
Holistic Lactation & Parenting Center
 

Participants will have an opportunity to connect to their body in a unique way. Each class holds space for women to connect with the rhythmic essence in themselves that is always available.

 

The goal of this 8-class series is to learn about and connect to the pelvis. Students will be given the time and space to experience, reclaim and embody the pelvic region, the female organs and the rhythms of the female cycle of life.

 

A mix of lecture, discussion, asana and movement practice, each class will be centered on experiencing different anatomical places and their connections. We will practice yoga asana, movement and breathing as well.

 

This class series provides different types of information:

 

1. Exploration of the functional, somatic, and experiential anatomy of the pelvic region.

2. Exercises for self-discovery, flexibility, strengthening, and coordination of the pelvic region to the rest of the body.

3. Guidelines for practicing yoga asana with pelvic alignment in mind, informing the organic body and vice-versa.

 

 

Class 1 & 2 – Bone: Pelvic structure and connections. Spinal connections, lower limbs connections.

Class 3 & 4 – Muscles: Pelvis, pelvic floor, legs and spine, core.

Class 5 & 6 – Organs: Reproductive organs, bladder and rectum.

Class 7 & 8 – Connective tissue connections: Fascia and diaphragms. Opening up to new connections and Integration.

 

Much of the language of the body in Western culture is clinical, therapeutic and pathologic. The intention of this workshop is to offer a space to explore alternative ways of connection, not that of the teacher’s experience but each individual’s version of it.

 

The pelvic area is where the center of gravity lives – the pelvis provides stability to the spine and counterweight to the cranium. The pelvic floor is pivotal for efficient breathing and overall action. In addition, the pelvis contains the space for the organs of reproduction and excretion. Our connection to the womb resides in the pelvis. This class is an opportunity to work with the organic and morphologic structures that we carry inside, our sacred organs and organic wisdom.

 

In her book, “Yoga A Gem for Women”, Geeta Iyengar teaches that a woman can practice yoga to support, understand and navigate the vicissitudes of a complex life. She was the first yogi to write a book and acknowledge a woman’s life in terms of its cyclical nature and corresponding milestones. Geeta Iyengar introduced yoga practices for these stages of a woman’s life, creating a body of work that is unique in its scope and breadth. She also said that it is very important for a woman to “feel” her body. We will address the subject of feeling, connecting and working with what is known as “Body Listening”. In her words: “Even though a woman who practices yoga postures may have a flexible body, she may still have the tendency to hold her body and postures incorrectly. This disturbs her organic body. When asanas and pranayamas are done with accuracy in both ‘doing the posture correctly’ as well as ‘feeling her body’ the mudras and bandhas can happen naturally”.

 

Each of us has native, embodied wisdom that knows what is true. This wisdom reveals itself when we allow the natural genius of our bodies to show the way of practice and connection. Experiential Anatomy, Developmental Movement, and Iyengar Yoga can be vehicles to understand, connect to, begin to reclaim and integrate the territory of the pelvis and its various tributaries.

 

Experiential Anatomy is a term coined by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen as part of the School for Body-Mind Centering training. Each class has a mix of lecture, discussion, movement and art techniques that contribute with learning the material. Classes are interactive allowing participants to bring their questions and shares to the forum if they so choose.

 

This series is open to all levels. Students who complete the series will receive a certificate that can be used for credit with Yoga Alliance.

 

As awareness of the body increases, we want to understand and learn but don’t give ourselves enough time to do it. This class series offers time and space to experience, embody and reclaim our pelvic space.

 

Testimonial:

“It was a detailed and closer look at the structural function of the pelvis, but also an exploration of the pelvis and it’s many relationships to the rest of the body, especially that which involves human experience and emotions, childbirth being one of the unique extreme experience of the women present in class. The class provided a platform for the women to willingly share and explore some of the most intimate experiences, for other examples other than childbirth, but also relationship to pain, maladies of incontinence, and prolapse of the uterus, bladder or bowel…a topic I’d say has been neglected in conversation by many mothers and healthcare professionals in general. I personally loved the art integration portion of the class because it allowed me to detach from any somatic or emotions connection to the pelvis and just be present with the thought of a pelvis”. – Graciella, R.N.

 

Patricia Videgain is a Yoga Alliance 500hr + YACEP Provider, Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Certified Yoga Therapist, Body-Mind Centering Association Member. In 2020 she graduated from Leslie Howard’s Yoga for Pelvic Floor. In 2021 Patricia took Holistic Pelvic Care with Tami Lyn Kent. In 2022 Patricia started studying Structural Integration. Patricia has been teaching yoga since 2002, Experiential Anatomy since 2010, and Somatic Meditation since 2017. She is committed to teach others how to use yoga, movement, breathing and meditation as a tool for inspiration and transformation. Teaching Yoga is a great source of contentment for me. Students are my greatest teachers.