EP41: "The More You Know" Deb Flashenberg

For a very long time I felt I “knew what to do” in many parts of my life... how I worked, how I drank, how I ate... and it wasn’t until I came to the hard realization that I needed help that things changed. Let’s zoom in on my health for a moment... because of all of the things I’d been going through until that point in my life, I had  accumulated a wealth of information. I’m a nerd you see, and when a topic interests me I become addicted. Wanting to know every detail I have to break the subject apart and put it back together in a way that makes sense to ME... and how come I didn’t think of doing that for myself? To break myself apart into all the parts of me that were hurting, and put them back together to make sense… to ME.
Healing, healing again with the healing! Well it never ends, it does get better but then we must begin again. And asking for help while humbling, it is life changing. When the ego becomes my friend and I can say - out loud - I actually have no clue what I’m doing… and can you PLEASE HELP ME.
Today I speak with Deb Flashenberg, the founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC. She is also a labor support doula, Lamaze childbirth educator and mother of two. After the challenging birth of her first child, Deb became incredibly interested in pelvic health and has since become and advocate for women’s health during this incredible vulnerable time, when for some reason, after 9 months of high alert for the mother to be, once the baby comes the new mother somehow moves to the background…
Deb has earned her Pelvic Floor Yoga Certification with Leslie Howard. For those who love podcasts, you can tune into Deb’s podcast Yoga | Birth | Babies where she speaks with some of the world’s leading experts in pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenthood.
A FAVORITE RITUAL
Reading in bed at night is my all time favorite ritual. After a long day, I love slipping into my warm bed, pulling the covers up high and read a book. My husband and I usually go to bed around the same time, so it is nice to mark the end of our day not on our phones but quietly reading.
A NON-NEGOTIABLE
Exercise and yoga. These are non-negotiable and I find a way, even when traveling, to exercise and do yoga. While I do get sore and feel my body work, I don't consider yoga part of my exercise routine. For me, my "exercise" needs to be cardio and weights. My yoga practice is a time to step away from the outside world and explore how my body moves in different positions and deeply listen to what is happening and what is being asked of me in the poses. I have mainly been studying Iyengar yoga for the past 13 years and it is so detail oriented and specific, there really isn't space to mentally go elsewhere. I always feel like I was on a mental vacation when I emerge out of class.
YOU CAN FIND DEB…
www.prenatalyogacenter.com  
 www.whosafraidofthepregnantyogi.com  
Instagram and Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter  
email deb@prenatalyogacenter.com 
AND A TREAT FOR OUR LISTENERS
Anyone who signs up for “Who's Afraid of the Pregnant Yogi” and uses the promo code JOURNAL will get the video Pregnancy Safe Abdominal Toning.  This is the perfect course for any yoga teacher who wants more information and guidance to best support a pregnant person in class. Or for the pregnant student who wants to walk into class with the knowledge of how to properly modify their practice.