Because of the work that I’ve done with Danielle, I now take relaxation very seriously. Before the first session I attended with her back in 2010, I found myself frustrated by yoga classes that seemed to be more about recreation or athletic skill-building, than building an integrated physical and spiritual practice. I had no idea that what I was looking for was permission to relax, breathe into poses, and take my time. I found that by going slowly and integrating a relaxing practice, I almost immediately had more energy to push myself on my bicycle, and in my daily life. It seemed so counterintuitive at the time, but taking yin with Danielle allowed me to restore so that I could bring more energy and fullness to my life.
Even though I wasn’t pregnant at the time, I found her storytelling and personal stories as a birthing doula to really resonate with how I was thinking about projects, work, and personal transformation. It only made sense that in 2020, I would take on prenatal yin with her, leading up to the birth of my twins. At a time when pools and yoga classes were closing, I was lucky enough to have one-on-one zoom sessions with Danielle. I was blown away by how much attention she was able to give me and I always found it helpful to discuss what I was going through physically and emotionally. She really helped me work through tension, pain, and discomfort.
In prenatal yin, Danielle was instrumental in helping me find relaxation and acceptance throughout pregnancy and childbirth. At 5 months pregnant, it was a surprise to learn that I was having twins. From that moment on, my care drastically changed: Regimented diets, constant ultrasounds, doctors, nurses, and more medical attention than I had imagined. This caused me to get way too much in my head. While I’m ultimately grateful for the medical care and attention I received, Danielle’s warmth and creative storytelling allowed me to find my own self-expression within a sea of patient intake forms and checkboxes. She worked with me to re-connect with my body and breath, and really met me where I was at, physically and emotionally. Even with a giant pregnant belly, extremely low iron, limited mobility, constricted lungs (2 breech babies!) and brand new hormones (2 times the placenta, 2 times the hormones!), I was shocked that I could find strength and deep breaths that I carried with me towards a healthy recovery.
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Sincerely, Emily.
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