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Articles
By Carrie Parker Gastelu
Article by Jillian Prnasky for Yogi Times profling Carrie Parker Gastelu
By Jillian Pransky
16 years ago, I met Carrie Parker Gastelu in a gym locker room. At the time we were each accelerating up the corporate ladder and, simultaneously, on fire with our newfound love for yoga. What I remember about the early days is that Carrie was always clear that she wanted to be a full-time mother as well as continue working passionately. All these years later, she has done that so artfully and publicly that she serves as an inspiration for many mothers and mothers to be. “For me the path of yoga has been a journey of finding union between engaging in meaningful work while growing my family and mothering in a way that feels authentic. Historically women have always worked alongside their children, and even though this is not traditional in our culture it is important to me. So I set out to make this happen. I taught many classes with a baby sleeping on me in a sling.”
Carrie is the premier PreNatal Yoga instructor in New Jersey and Director of the the new Yoga Works 40- hour Prenatal Teacher Training that launches this spring. In addition to teaching yoga, Carrie is a Lamaze certified Childbirth Educator and teaches Yoga-centered Childbirth Education, a holistic approach to prepare women for birth and motherhood. She feels that her work is especially important at this particular time. “In our modern culture we have grown out of sink with our nature. This has greatly affected women’s experience of pregnancy, birth and motherhood which are inherently primal and instinctual. Women are increasingly relying on sources outside of themselves for a knowledge that innately lies within. However, I believe all women already know how to give birth and nurture a baby. It’s in our cellular makeup and is our birthright as women.”
Carrie credits her yoga practice for her ability to trust the process of birth and relax into motherhood. After three ‘life-changing’ home births she explains, “Had I not practiced yoga before I got pregnant I don’t know if I would have had the courage to follow my intuition. More importantly though, after the births of my children, I was able to recognize the slow, repetitive nature of early motherhood as being inherently meditative.” When asked about the benefits of prenatal yoga, she expands on this concept. “One of prenatal yoga’s greatest gifts is the development of mindfulness which helps a new mother to relax and become more present and connected to her baby.” While Carrie celebrates every aspect of motherhood she uses her yoga classes as an avenue to educate expected moms on the challenges and realities as well. “The slow pace and monotony of caring for an infant can be a difficult adjustment, particularly in our fast paced, modern world. We live in a culture that demands you can ‘do it all’. Yoga teaches the ability to slow down, tune-in, and become mindful of the moment-to-moment attachment happening between mother and baby. When we surrender to this slow pace and let go of the “to do” list, moments of blissful quiet turn into transformative days of getting to know not only our babies but ourselves.”
Carrie created the Yoga Works Prenatal Progam based on these philosophies, incorporating the most modern medical information with the ancient knowledge and wisdom of birth. The program is rich with all of the practical information a prenatal student needs for a safe asana practice while offering so much more. It is fertile with Carrie’s deepest passion; to inspire women to rely on inner strength, courage and intuition to have a peaceful and empowering pregnancy, birth experience and transition into motherhood.
Jillian’s BIO
Jillian is known as a nurturing guide, with an uplifting and playful spirit. Her teaching weaves together mindfulness techniques and breath based yoga flow, with an emphasis on bringing the practice of yoga and meditation into everyday life. Her work is greatly influenced by her extensive studies with Erich Schiffmann, Pema Chodron, and John Friend. She was initiated into the ISHTA lineage in 1998 by Mani and Alan Finger and is currently an Anusara Inspired Teacher. Jillian is co-director Bright Spirit Teacher Training, an instructor for Yoga Works Teacher Training and specializes in Restorative Yoga Training. Jillian s Relaxmore CD has garnered excellent reviews from many including Dr. Memhet Oz and it is used in the healing program at the Heart Institute, New YorkPresbyterianColumbiaUniversityMedicalCenter. Visit www.yogajillian.com for more information about her teaching.
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