Blog | Full Circle Yoga Studio in Kansas City

Transitions throughout Parenthood

August 27, 2024 by Full Circle KC

Tricky, sticky, yucky transitions that bring beauty, growth, and new chapters. New schools, parenting through puberty, and the end of summer fun brings big feelings for this Mama. Transitions are hard! I suck at them. I was reflecting on the transitions happening in our household and the transitions that expectant and new parents are navigating in the FCYKC community. The common thread of all those transitions is a deep sense of love and a desire to do what’s best for our child and family.

some examples of transitions throughout parenthood:

Transitioning from partners to parents
Transitions as children are added to the family with additional pregnancies or adoptions.
Transitions from pregnancy to postpartum
Transitions from one trimester to the next
Transitions from work to staying home
Transitions from daycare to school
Transitions from maternity leave to returning to work
Transitions with each milestone as our children grow older

As your baby is growing, at the same time you are growing and creating and new version of yourself. And as our children grow, we may find ourselves creating yet another version of ourselves as we navigate our evolving roles as parents.

While the transitions from pregnancy to parenthood and through each stage of a child’s growth may vary in their specifics, the emotions and struggles parents experience often share a common thread. Whether it’s the anticipation and anxiety of pregnancy, the exhaustion and joy of caring for a newborn, or the bittersweet pride of watching a child gain independence, these phases are united by a deep sense of love, responsibility, and the desire to do what’s best for your child. The challenges may shift—from sleepless nights with a baby to navigating a teenager’s emotional world—but the underlying emotions of hope, worry, fulfillment, and the occasional doubt remain constant. Despite the differences in each stage, parents often find comfort in knowing that these shared feelings are a universal part of the parenting journey.

Classes that Build Community and Offer Support in Kansas City

If you’re looking for a place to meet new friends and build your parenting community, Full Circle Yoga KC is your magic little nook in the heart of Kansas City. Our studio offers a variety of prenatal and postnatal yoga classes as well as wellness workshops to support you and your growing family. See our calendar for classes, workshops, and events.

Celebrating Breastfeeding: A journey of Intuition, Resilience, and Connection

August 5, 2024 by Full Circle KC

Last week I asked a question in our prenatal yoga class about thoughts, wisdom, and desires around breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is often celebrated as one of the most natural and nurturing ways to nourish a newborn. It is a beautiful journey that fosters a unique bond between mother and baby, providing countless benefits for both. However, like any journey, it comes with its own set of challenges and learning curves. As we celebrate breastfeeding, it’s essential to acknowledge the importance of listening to your own intuition, being prepared for potential pitfalls, embracing it as a team sport, seeking support, celebrating small victories, and giving yourself grace along the way.

Trusting Your Intuition

One of the most powerful tools a mother has is her intuition. From the moment you hold your baby for the first time, an instinctive connection forms. This innate sense often guides you in understanding your baby’s needs, hunger cues, and comfort levels. Trusting your intuition can make a significant difference in your breastfeeding journey. While advice from healthcare providers, family, and friends can be invaluable, your inner voice is an equally important guide.

Being Prepared for Pitfalls

Breastfeeding can be challenging. From latching issues and sore nipples to concerns about milk supply and fatigue, it’s crucial to be prepared for potential pitfalls. Knowing that challenges are a normal part of the process can help you stay patient and persistent. Educate yourself about common breastfeeding difficulties and their solutions. Remember, seeking help from a lactation consultant or a support group is a sign of strength, not weakness. We are so fortunate to have amazing lactation consultants in the KC area such as Nurture Lactation, Heaven Sent Support, KC Well Nest and Peachy Births: Doula and Lactation Services.

Breastfeeding: A Team Sport

Breastfeeding is a collaborative effort between mother and baby. It requires patience, practice, and synchronization. Each baby is unique, and so is each breastfeeding experience. It’s important to recognize that both you and your baby are learning together. Celebrate the moments when you find your rhythm, and be patient when things don’t go as planned.

Taking Support Where You Can

Support is crucial in the breastfeeding journey. Surround yourself with a network of supportive individuals, whether it’s your partner, family, friends, or other breastfeeding mothers. Join breastfeeding support groups, either in person or online, where you can share experiences, ask questions, and receive encouragement. Healthcare professionals, such as lactation consultants, can also provide expert guidance and support. Remember, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

Celebrating Small Victories

Every step forward in your breastfeeding journey is worth celebrating. Whether it’s the first successful latch, overcoming a breastfeeding challenge, or simply enjoying a peaceful feeding session, these small victories are significant milestones. Celebrating these moments can boost your confidence and reinforce your commitment to breastfeeding. Keep a journal to document your achievements and reflect on your progress.

Giving Yourself Grace

Breastfeeding is a deeply personal experience, and it’s important to give yourself grace. Understand that it’s okay to have good days and bad days. Be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned, and avoid comparing your journey to others’. Every mother’s breastfeeding experience is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Give yourself permission to take breaks, ask for help, and make decisions that best suit you and your baby’s needs.

Adapting Your Plans for Well-Being

It’s important to remember that your wellness and the joy of motherhood are paramount. If you find that breastfeeding is significantly impacting your physical or mental health, it is perfectly okay to reassess and shift your plans. Whether that means supplementing with formula, pumping and bottle-feeding, or transitioning entirely to formula feeding, the best choice is the one that supports your overall well-being and allows you to fully enjoy this precious time with your baby. Prioritizing your health ensures that you can be the best mother possible, creating a nurturing and joyful environment for your child.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding is a remarkable journey filled with love, connection, and growth. By trusting your intuition, being prepared for challenges, viewing breastfeeding as a collaborative effort, seeking support, celebrating small victories, and giving yourself grace, you can navigate this journey with confidence and joy. As we celebrate breastfeeding, let’s honor the resilience and dedication of mother’s everywhere and support each other in creating a nurturing environment for both mother and baby. Remember, however you feed your baby is the right way for you and your little bundle of joy.

Prenatal Yoga in Kansas City

May 9, 2024 by Full Circle KC

prenatal yoga class at Full Circle Yoga KC

“I came for the practical, but returned for the mental” – Full Circle Yoga KC expectant Mama

Prenatal yoga continues to grow in popularity for all the benefits it offers and positive growing research. In honor of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week we want to highlight the mental benefits prenatal yoga offers. From my own experience in the last 8 years as the owner of Full Circle Yoga KC I have time and time again seen the positive benefits of prenatal yoga. Students report feeling less aches and pains, learned coping strategies, increased understanding and connection with their body, decreased anxiety, and more prepared for birth mentally, physically, and physiologically.

Benefits of Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal Yoga offers comfort and relief from back pain, hip discomfort, pubic pain, and sciatic symptoms. This is primarily the first reason expectant people come to a prenatal yoga class. However, after attending they experience the added benefit of mental wellness. Research shows prenatal yoga can reduce stress, ease anxiety, and decrease depression.

Mental Health Benefits

Anxiety, depression, and stress can be common psychological factors. We know these factors can have an impact on maternal mental wellness which can affect baby. Stress can spiral into to medical complications impacting mother and baby. In one randomized control study published in the Journal of Depression and Anxiety found just one prenatal yoga reduced subjective and psychological measurements of anxiety to the group receiving the intervention.

A 2023 systemic review with meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found prenatal yoga can be more effective in reducing depression, anxiety, and stress compared to other interventions.

Prenatal yoga can be done at home. However, the benefits increase when practiced in a group of other expectant people. At Full Circle Yoga KC one of the number one reasons expectant Mamas come is for the community and mental support, wellness, and readiness.

“Prenatal helped me manage the anxiety, find a sense of community, and finally be able to enjoy the last few months of my pregnancy. I strongly believe that prenatal yoga classes helped change the course of my pregnancy.” -Full Circle Yoga KC Mama

supporting expectant Mama at Full Circle Yoga KC

Prenatal Yoga Classes in Kansas City

If you want to experience the mental health benefits of prenatal yoga, join us at Full Circle Yoga KC! Explore our prenatal yoga classes and reserve on our class calendar. Check out all of our workshops and special events we offer to support your growing family too! We also offer an unlimited Prenatal Yoga Video Bundle for days you can’t make it to the studio or live outside of KC!

5 Benefits of Preschool Yoga Class

January 18, 2024 by Full Circle KC

While kids of all ages can benefit from yoga, it’s especially helpful for preschoolers and the skills they’re working on. Whether your little one is developing their physical, mental, or emotional abilities, yoga can provide support and move them forward. Keep reading to learn about the invaluable benefits of preschool yoga classes for your child!

5 Benefits of Yoga for Preschoolers

If you’ve practiced yoga before, you know it can transform the way your mind and body feel. But yoga’s benefits aren’t just limited to adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has found yoga to be a therapeutic intervention with positive effects, especially for children dealing with emotional, mental, and behavioral health issues.

These are some of the benefits of preschool yoga:

1. Yoga develops preschoolers’ strength and coordination.

Most yoga poses (asanas) utilize multiple muscle groups, and when kids practice holding yoga poses regularly, it can help them build strength. Children who practice yoga also improve their balance and flexibility, contributing to their motor skill development and overall coordination.

2. Preschoolers build self-confidence through yoga.

Yoga classes are a low-pressure environment where preschoolers can try using their bodies in new ways. Teachers will provide modeling and guidance but allow students to explore yoga poses in their own manner. When a preschooler stays balanced in a tough pose, they can be proud of their hard work and know that they can do difficult things, both in yoga class and other environments.

3. Yoga improves focus and concentration for preschool-aged children.

Preschoolers have famously short attention spans, but children who practice yoga often experience improvements in focus and concentration. In yoga classes, students are encouraged to remain in the present moment, whether focusing on their breath, a pose, or the instructor’s voice. Regular yoga practice can help preschoolers gradually enhance their concentration, improving their listening skills and preparing them for academic settings.

4. Preschoolers learn to manage their emotions through yoga.

Little kids can have big feelings! Yoga helps preschoolers manage their emotions by learning to control their breathing, which can calm their nervous system during a moment of escalation. Yoga also teaches children to be aware of their bodies, which can help them notice physical signs that a big emotion is on the way. Then, they can use the skills they’ve learned in preschool yoga to calm down and avoid a tantrum.

5. Yoga improves preschoolers’ digestion.

If your preschooler seems to always have a tummy ache, it’s time to get them to a yoga class! The stretching, bending, and twisting of various yoga poses get things moving, relieving gas and constipation. Your child will leave preschool yoga with a calm mind and happy belly.

Preschool Yoga Classes in Kansas City

If you want to sign your preschooler up for a yoga class, you’ve come to the right place! Our family-centered yoga studio offers classes for both adults and kids of every age. Explore Full Circle Yoga KC’s class calendar to reserve a spot for your kiddo in an upcoming preschool yoga class!

Are you Depleted or Full?

November 30, 2023 by Full Circle KC

We have filled the studio space with so much gratitude energy this month, talking all things gratitude. I hope you’re feeling that refreshed joyful energy in your spirit when you leave the studio, and take it out into the world and pass it along. Gratitude matters and research shows it can foster greater life satisfaction, even when life feels heavy, and for many, this time of year, and all that’s happening in the world, the feeling of heavy is real.

I ate lunch with a dear friend of mine a few weeks ago and she asked a question that has stayed with me and I want to share her wisdom with you, especially as we enter the holiday season.

Does it make you feel full or depleted? Did anyone else go WOW after reading this? When my schedule is booked with activities, or to-dos, or, being an uber driver to my children, or my work, I’ve been asking myself do I feel full or depleted? I can 100% say without hesitation when I’m at Full Circle Yoga KC I feel FULL! I have such a tremendous amount of gratitude for the Mamas, Dads, Partners, Parents, and Kiddos I get to share time, space, and energy with at FCYKC. I think I have the best job ever! When I’m feeling run down or over extended I have to evaluate where I feel depleted and decide if I can let that go or sometimes it’s a matter of reframing the thought from “I have to”, to “I get to” and it changes my whole perspective.

As I sign off to connect with family and friends for the upcoming holiday, I hope you find a feeling of fullness and gratitude.

Full Circle Yoga KC has gift cards! In an attempt to do our part in protecting Mother Earth we only offer online gift cards. If you’d like to purchase you can find them here. Thank you for entrusting us to support your family member or friend!

Reminder of New Classes on the calendar!

Fridays 10am- StoryTime Yoga with Emmi. Click here to reserve. Next class Friday December 8th at 10am.

Our first Mamas Morning Out Yoga will be Saturday November 25th at 10:30am! Join me and other FCYKC Mamas on the mat to breath, connect and recharge.