Yoga, pregnancy, and the journey

I trained to be a yoga teacher, a pregnancy yoga teacher, eight years ago, and as part of my pregnancy yoga teacher training, I had to observe 18 yoga classes, pregnancy yoga classes. As a result, I went around the country, Dublin, Limerick, Galway to observe these classes.

The teachers were amazing. The classes were amazing. A lot of teachers, a lot of the pregnancy yoga classes held in community halls, community centres and pregnant women had to lie on the cold hard floors to benefit or to be at the class.

I came home one evening to Oliver and said, “You know, the teachers are great. The classes were great, but the facilities and where the pregnant women had to attend the class isn't so great. It was cold, and there was nowhere to have tea or coffee or anything afterwards”

So, that's where we decided, or I decided, to create a space for mothers to be, where they would be able to attend a pregnancy yoga class, be warm, be comfortable, have blankets, cushions and pillows and feel safe. A place where they could be informed of and about their pregnancy, birthing and labour. Where these things could be discussed in confidence with other mommies to be.

Limestone Yoga Studio creates such a space for pregnant mommies. With underground heating, comfort and time to relax as the pregnant women arrive to the class. We have a circle time where we ask questions, where I ask the mommies about themselves: How are they doing? How many weeks are they pregnant? Any issues with their pregnancy? Any aches or pains?

Then we move on to the class where I provide and give golden nuggets throughout the class, different tips and tools that mommies can use throughout their pregnancy, their labour, their birthing journey and the first few weeks of their babies being born. I send them meditations and also create retreats for pregnant mommies. At these retreats we often have other professionals come in with their own expertise and information, tips and tools and tools for pregnant mommies,

I believe knowledge is so important throughout your pregnancy journey, your labour journey and your birthing journey. I think it is so important to have as much information and guidance as possible through movement, with knowledge of how to move, how to use yoga to your best benefit. Whilst in your pregnancy journey and in your labouring journey, using the tool of breath work is really, really important, but also using the tool of communication, not being afraid to ask questions, not being afraid to ask why, and using the B.R.A.I.N method (Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, Nothing). Read more about it on Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond

🩷 Colette

Yoga for menopause

First of all, the benefits of women coming together in a space, a safe space for a retreat, a yoga menopause class, or something like it, is already beneficial. At Limestone Yoga Studio we held two menopause retreats last year, we brought down the beautiful Niamh from Yin Instinct. She held the space and held us all in a space where we could talk openly about menopause and then move into a practice of yoga, to benefit menopause. It was hugely beneficial, to me personally as well; to be in a space where we could openly talk, feel safe and discuss the issues that we have with menopause. I was able to feel for the first time on my journey with menopause, that I wasn't on my own.

I felt I could open up and talk about how menopause could be so shit, and I could open up and express the worry and the anxiety that menopause brought, along with all of the bodily issues.

How do I see yoga and menopause work together? Yoga is the combination of working with your mind and your body, binding them together.

For menopause, the mind has to be right for the body to be right. Whether that means taking herbal medication or going down the route of HRT.

Yoga benefited me, because it got my mind right and it got my body right,  so that my mindset accepted menopause for what it was, the journey of going through womanhood and maturing in womanhood.

I can say now, at this time of my life, at 48 and going through the journey of menopause, or as some people would express, experiencing menopause. Now, I can say I am in a happier place because of yoga, because of the yoga retreats that we did here at Limestone.

Being able to open up, have that discussion and have that conversation with other women that were experiencing menopause, just like me. It is so important to talk. It is so important to express your feelings and to share feelings with other women, and that's where I believe yoga, for me, it benefited and helped with menopause. So use it.

XXX, Colette

Yoga and my local community

We have a great village. I love our village.

Four years ago, I approached Oliver and asked him if he would change our shed into a yoga studio. He said, “No way”. So I stormed off and went for a walk. And by the time I get back, Oliver came to me with a suggestion. Instead of taking his shed, we would build a yoga studio at the back of the shed and a tea rooms. I agreed and we went ahead, spoke to a local architect and drew up the plans.

We got planning permission, and then COVID and the increased prices hit when everything went triple. Our dream looked impossible, so with many tears, I decided the studio could not go ahead.

Oliver approached me and said, “Okay, let's use the shed”.

We went to our local builder, Nick, he arrived down one day, looked at the shed, and made plans to convert our original shed into a yoga studio We installed underground heating, broke out windows out the back, made it as environmentally friendly as possible. Added added biodiversity gardens, a manicured garden as you're coming in, footpaths, fences,. We created a space that was warm, safe, not overly massive, but large enough so that people would feel comfortable.

There were many people who were, I suppose, surprised by us doing this in Corofin, but there were so many, many more people in our community and village that were delighted. Delighted with a new business by local people, creating this new business space and a wellness retreat centre for the village of Corofin.

What has the studio done for the community? It has brought people together. It has created a space where people can meet, chat, talk about wellness, go for walks, and so much more. This is a place where they can be comfortable and safe. in a safe and beautiful environment.

The yoga studio has brought to the community wellness and yoga. People from outside the area have a purpose to come into the village, drive through our beautiful village, and to come to Limestone yoga to meet new people. To create thriving communities, together.

Colette