Raising Maine

In life, it is far too easy to fall into our various roles: Mother, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Co-worker, etc. We get lost in these roles and we forget that we are all unique individuals with our own gifts and experiences. For me, this blog (http://thepranamama.com) is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with myself, and share my story with a community of mothers, yogis and women.

I fully believe in the ancient practice of yoga. For the past ten years I have practiced the asanas both in studio and in private. It was this past year when I started to study other aspects of yoga, including pranayama (breath awareness), meditation and most importantly, yoga philosophy through the study of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. I have found a real spiritual benefit to studying the sutras and practicing yoga both on and off the mat. I love sharing this passion with other yogis and introducing yoga to beginners.

As a Certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor and Itsy Bitsy Yoga Facilitator, I have led children and parents in yoga classes throughout the Seacoast area of New Hampshire and in Southern Maine. While I love teaching babies, toddlers, children and their parents in a studio or classroom setting, I believe a better use for my passion and experience is through an online community, so that I may be more present for my own children.

My other passion is for food and cooking. While I have always enjoyed eating (who doesn't?), I was bitten by the health bug ten years ago when I lost 35 pounds on Weight Watchers. It was the first time I really learned anything about nutrition, and I loved preparing my food in new and interesting, healthy ways. I still love learning and sharing information about wholesome, tasty food which can be prepared easily and introduced to your children with little fuss. I love swapping recipes using locally produced foods, and am eager to help moms improve their families' overall diets.

Lastly, I believe wholeheartedly that every mom deserves more time to relax and treat herself well. An unhealthy, unhappy mom will never be able to teach her children good habits for wellness. I hope this blog will reach many women and convince them that it is more than okay to put yourself first-- it is essential to be a good mother and role model.

In sanskrit, the Indian greeting Namaste, is loosely translated to mean: "The light in me sees the light in you." How perfectly fitting for The PranaMama and the wonderful women who have joined this community.

Namaste.