The Gratitude Edition 12.3.23

I hope you all enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday and honored it in a way that felt nourishing for you this year. I missed writing to you last week, but cherished the quiet time and memory making with my loved ones! ā¤ļø Moving on…I had a beautiful coaching experience with a client this past week as we got to abandon intentions, to let go of goals and instead, to step into celebration and Gratitude. My client had found momentum and progress toward …

Healing & Grief During the Holidays 11.19.23

When I first began planning this weekā€™s newsletter, I felt that Gratitude was the natural topic. As it got closer to writing time, I began to feel as though weā€™re already inundated with the topic of gratitude as Thanksgiving draws closer. I decided to go in a different, perhaps more meaningful direction (but don’t worry, I WILL circle back with Gratitude at another time).  I landed on Nourishment, which also felt suitable and rich with content.  That is until I stepped back, and really thought deeply …

The Celebration Edition 11.12.23

Maura Shirey childbirth educator seattle

It’s November 11, 12, 2023 and today, in our family, we are focusing on Celebration as we are celebrating Will’s 10th birthday and our 10th Anniversary of Parenthood! These feel like such exquisite milestones. Bodies for Birth was inspired by my pregnancy, labor and postpartum experience as a new mom with Will and so it’s only fitting that we share the celebration with the BfB Community! I remember teaching “Mom & Baby Gym” at the Ballard studio with a sleeping Willie in …

The Vulnerability Edition 11.5.23

Vulnerability feels like the perfect topic for this weekā€™s newsletter as Iā€™ve spent the better part of this past week in quite a vulnerable space! When the opportunity to be photographed for the NYT presented itself, I knew I was going to make it happen one way or another. The turnaround was quick, the logistics were many and the team it took to get me camera ready was plentiful–haha! Despite some nerves, I felt unprecedented support throughout the process and …

The Autumn Rituals & Traditions Edition 10.29.23

Itā€™s really feeling like fall in the PNW as we crunch through the lawn on fallen leaves and layer up before heading out in the morning. ļ»æThe fall feeling has me in a reflective frame of mind. It’s no surprise that each season brings new routines, rituals and traditions that help to mark the passage of time. I’ve always been very routine and ritual oriented, but since becoming a parent, traditions have gained an entirely new meaning. Personally, our family uses rituals …

The Joyful Movement Edition 10.22.23

With the days getting shorter, darker, cooler and…on the cusp of getting very wet in the PNW, you might be finding that you need to adjust (and readjust) your outdoor exercise habits. I know I have already! These days, Will, my nine year old and I, leave and return in the dark for our daily early morning walk. When the wind is howling and the rain is coming down, it can be so hard to get out the door, but …

The Friendship Edition 10.15.23

When I planned to cover the topic of Friendship in this week’s newsletter, I had no idea just how much Friendship would mean to me this week. This week, Friendship has meant feeling picked up and put back together with the help of Mom Friends, it has meant supporting friends grieving over the political atrocities unfolding in Israel, it has meant emotionally and spiritually cradling friends experiencing unfathomable grief here at home. It has meant helping my 4th grader and …

Pain in The Butt, A Guest Post

Pain in The Butt, A Guest Post from Dr. Allison Feldt, DPT, PT Owner and Physical Therapist of Body Motion Physical Therapy You are having an irritating pain in the butt. Itā€™s sharp, it could be going down your leg, and you just want to know, ā€œwhat is this and how do I fix itā€? Ā You have heard it referred to as sciatica or maybe you have also heard about some muscle called the piriformis. All you know is, you …

Postpartum Research Review from Bastyr Student

Shelley, the author of the research review below, recently completed her 40 hour practicum at Bodies for Birth and has now officially graduated from Bastyr with a degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science! Ā Shelley set out to learn more about what the current research says about exercise for the postpartum population and has summarized her findings. Read her research review here and more about Shelley and her experience as a student at Bodies for Birth below: Research Reviewed:Ā Postpartum Womenā€™s Perspectives …