dear parents and parents-to-be!
welcome to spring, the season of new beginnings and to the second issue to tranquil tot news. we hope you'll enjoy it.
just a reminder that we love hearing from you, your stories, ideas and suggestions, be it for the newsletter or for other purposes (workshops etc.).
may your spring be filled with the joy and excitement of new beginnings!
| anne | and | carol |
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www.dc-baby.com is a very valuable web site for parents of young children. a new book, DC Baby, which is available through this website, is a great resource, and received a very favorable review from the Washington Parent magazine. the web site also has information for local parents and an extensive list of very useful links.
www.our-kids.com is a very informative website with a newsletter that comes out weekly, which lists local performances, activities and other useful information for families.
amie perlman recommends:
- baby oxy clean. i tried a couple of other products before this and this one rocks!
- are you a new mom and in need of support? contact pace— they have meeting at the jcc on 16th and q nw.
- i used a baby nurse when i gave birth to zoe. a baby nurse lives with you 24 hours a day, and will take a max of 2 hours off for herself if it's appropriate. she will teach the new parents how to change the baby, bathe the baby, feed the baby (including help with breastfeeding), dress the baby, and generally take care of him/her. in addition, she will do the baby's wash, clean the baby's bottles, help you set up the baby's room, etc. — i.e., she does everything that the baby needs.
cost: $180/day, which is the nyc rate, no agency fee (i did research here when i first got pregnant, and the rate of a dc baby nurse was $240/day!). you will need to pay for transportation (bus/train) to and from nyc.
timing: most people get a baby nurse for the first 1-2 weeks, but my baby nurse has worked for people for everything from 1 week to 3 months.
my baby nurse was pamela gillard (cell phone is 646-239-0943; pamelagillard@hotmail.com)
from alicia wittink:
the sling by kangaroo korner turned out to be a lifesaver when anneke was still very little, and is still useful as she enters into the 6th month.
from lisa harris fargnoli:
i love erbaviva baby oil and baby washbags. they smell awesome and are great for their skin.
from susan mettler:
i liked the skip hop diaper bag.
from cynthia hammond:
for older babies who can sit up and eat table food, we recommend a yellow hippo plastic placemat from buy buy baby. it has suction cups to stick to the table and a catch cup for all the bits of food that may otherwise be in baby's lap. it rolls up nicely after having been used in a restaurant.
from carol collins:
the ‘banjo man' performs lively and engaging folk, bluegrass and original music for all kids. he plays at places all around the dc metro area. great entertainment for toddlers and fun social environment for moms! to find his schedule contact banjomanfc@aol.com.
by carol collins
those of you who have attended any of my yoga classes know i love to read from the books everyday blessings: the inner work of mindful parenting, by jon and myla kabat-zin, and wherever you go, there you are, by jon kabat-zin.
kabat-zin writes much about mindfulness. from him i have taken in the idea of a mindful relationship. to me this means accepting that the people in our lives, especially those closest to us, can help us learn about ourselves. being mindful in a relationship is embracing the love and the pain a child or partner brings into our life.
"somewhere between the lullabies and your child's first driving lesson, parenting becomes your spiritual practice." — stephanie renfrow hamilton
sarah powers wrote "every month a woman is pregnant she actually relives, on an emotional level, her own unconscious emotional experience in her mother's womb."
i would extend this to say every month a woman PARENTS her child she relives on an emotional level her own unconscious emotional experience of her relationship with her parents. in other words, all of the unresolved emotions we have with regard to our parents come out in our own parenting.
i've personally been struck by how true this feels for me right now. as i continue to use yoga and psychotherapy to help me remain healthy, i find they are both helping me to uncover a lot of the unconscious emotional drama or trauma i experienced as child. the toddler years were a challenge for me. i should not have been shocked then to find toddler pictures of myself where i am crying in almost every one. i am realizing there are times when my parenting is very similar to that of my mother — distant, dismissive, and stingy. this is my opportunity to not only have a different relationship with my toddler than the one my mother had with me, but to heal myself of resentments and pain.
yoga, meditation practice and psychotherapy have all helped me act more mindfully in my relationships. all of these practices can help us to access old wounds and our stored up emotions, perhaps release them, so that we are more free to make choices that are in line with our values. maybe then we can joyfully receive and give in our relationships.
infant massage workshop
tuesday, april 18, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
tuesday, april 25, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
infant massage (for babies 2-8 months): infant massage is open to moms and dads who are interested in creating another level of communication and bonding with their baby. baby massage has numerous benefits. massage can help babies sleep better, be less colicky, improve their digestion, and help them relax. the teacher, barbara jazzo, is a licensed massage therapist who has been teaching infant massage for 10 years, and is a mom who has massaged her child throughout his whole life. infant massage is an ideal way for dads as well as moms to have some hands-on time with their baby. this will be taught in two 1-hour classes. please bring your baby and a blanket since we will be working with the babies on the floor. if you have any additional questions contact carol@tranquilspace.com.
cost: $20 for single session or $35 for both (both rates are per FAMILY).
family yoga: bond with your bundle of joy! with carol
saturday, april 29, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
ask your partner to join you and your baby in a 2-hour yoga practice! nourish your souls and have some fun as a family!! practice yoga postures with your partner back-to- back and side-by-side. practice communicating with your partner as you challenge each other to align yourselves into standing and seated poses. learn to interact with your baby through baby yoga poses. parents will appreciate learning baby yoga play such as flying baby and baby squats. feel centered with yogic breathing, meditation, and partner massage as well as sun salutations. a full 15 minutes of aromatherapy, massage, and meditation will conclude our practice. bring your baby, your partner, and an open heart! the workshop is geared toward babies 0-9 months.
cost: $50.00 per couple.
preparing for birth with yoga, with carol
saturday, may 6: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
bring your partner and learn how yoga may be useful during pregnancy, labor and delivery. together you can uncover how yoga can help you access your body's resources, wisdom and strength to adjust to the demands of pregnancy, to prepare for labor and childbirth. poses and breath work will be practiced.
cost: $50.00 per couple.
at tranquil space we believe that yoga is a lifestyle. the tranquil space specialty spa is an urban oasis where you can nurture your body and soothe your soul with tranquiliT treatments — specialty services that cater to the yogi spirit.
how tranquiliT treatments can benefit you:
- reduce stress and enhance relaxation
- promote deeper and easier breathing
- reduce blood pressure
- strengthen the immune system
- enhance capacity for calm thinking and creativity
- increase awareness of mind-body connection
- develop and enhance your practice on and off the yoga mat
- foster a feeling of well-being and peace of mind
specifically for our prenatal and postnatal yogis, we offer:
we love to hear from you! if you have any suggestions, want to share ideas, or your experience giving birth or being a parent. please let us know by writing to prenatalprogram@tranquilspace.com or to postnatalprogram@tranquilspace.com.
thank you and namaste!
the mission of tranquil space is to provide a nurturing environment that encourages the unfolding of a creative yoga practice that is carried off the yoga mat into one's daily life.
the vision of tranquil space is to use yoga as a catalyst to live life fully and consciously.
tranquil space yoga
2024 p street, nw
washington, dc 20036 |
please email questions or feedback about the prenatal program to anne@tranquilspace.com and about the postnatal program to carol@tranquilspace.com!
© 2006 tranquil space, llc. all rights reserved.
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