Ingredients

• 2 cups Almond Flour
• 1 TBSP. Cinnamon
• 1 tea. Baking Soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas-mashed
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tea. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with foil wrappers (these work best for non sticking).  Mix Almond Flour, Cinnamon and Baking Soda in a large bowl and set aside.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add mashed bananas, Maple Syrup, Vanilla and water. Add mixture to dry ingredients and stir till all is moistened. Pour mixture in muffin tin- I used an ice cream scoop to keep it equally proportioned. Bake for 20-25 mins and top is brown.  This recipe made 12 muffins but can be made in loaf pan (bake for aprox. 45 minutes)

Serve warm with fruit and enjoy!

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I know how hard it is for the moms out there with young children to find exercise that they can do while not feeling guilty about missing out on time with the kids.  So, I wanted to know more and emailed to be put in touch with the class instructor, Sara Day, to be able to share with all of you more details about what “Mommies on the Move” really is.  Sara was more than happy to share her passion for her business with me and I think it would be a great fit for any mom looking for a way to get out of the house with some exercise and no need for child care built in.

Sara explained that the class is actually called Stroller Strides and this company is brand new to the York area, although it is in 45 states already and there are other Pennsylvania locations.   While on maternity leave with her son, Sara started researching businesses to allow her to work from home.  Luckily, she caught a segment on WGAL about Stroller Strides as well as noticing a magazine advertisement.  She contacted the company and after talking to a franchise owner in Lancaster, and attending a class with her 8 week old son, she was hooked!  Her passion for the program is evident when you talk to her and she is really enthusiastic about all of the programs that will eventually be started in the York area.

Stroller Strides is the basic moms with children in the stroller class.  Any age child is welcomed but they must be able to stay in the stroller for the duration of an hour long class.  Classes are a mix of low impact cardio, core work using a mat or towel that the mother brings, toning using Stroller Strides provided exercise tubing and all around fun for moms.  Once a location is secured that can incorporate mornings, Sara would like to expand the business to include Mom’s Club, a playgroup that would meet immediately after the Stroller Strides class as well as offering Mom’s Night Out programs.  Another program is called Fit 4 Baby, a program for expectant mothers to keep active and fit throughout their pregnancy.  All program participants must have a doctor’s note to participate.

Equipment for the classes is simple. Other than an umbrella stroller, any stroller will do – umbrella strollers aren’t allowed because of the ease in which an older child could tip over if the mother was doing an exercise and not holding directly on to the stroller.  Even a double stroller could be used – “It would be more of a workout,” Sara says.  A mat or towel to do floor exercises and be dressed for moving, including athletic shoes.

If you’d like to register, you can contact Sara for more information through the Stroller Strides website or at saraday@strollerstrides.net.

Stroller Strides really sounds like a great program to bring moms and their children out to meet and work out with other moms who completely understand what a struggle it can be to balance a mom’s needs with those of her family.  Thanks to Sara for bringing it to York and here’s hoping for lots of successful classes!

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#1 Workout whenever, wherever. Do you need a gym membership to get healthy and fit?  Not really.  Instead, just work at keeping fit into little moments of your day.  Stirring the pot making dinner?  Do some squats – just be careful!  Don’t spill something or let dinner burn.  Taking the dogs out?  Sounds like time for a few lunges or deep bends.  I purposely break trips up and down the stairs into smaller loads just to make more trips.  Little things like that add up!  And don’t get me started on how much working out you can get done just watching tv!

#2  Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Waiting until your skin looks like the Sahara desert is not when you need it – it’s an every day, all day kind of affair.  Especially in the winter.  Your skin will thank you later. And try and find a facial moisturizer with some spf in it to make sure you don’t forget to really protect your skin.  One of the best moisturizers I’ve found for the body is super affordable and works great – Suave with Cocoa Butter or if I’m feeling a little more extravagant, Bath and Body Works Cashmere is wonderful stuff!  For my face my favorite is Aveeno Positively Radiant and I love it!

#3  Eat more whole foods. You don’t need to give up every processed food in the pantry, but start replacing things that won’t be as missed.  Not overly faithful to your morning breakfast cereal?  Give good old oatmeal a second chance!  Even if you don’t go all the way to steel cut oats and eat rolled oats, it’s a healthy, one ingredient meal that your body will be thankful for.  Instead of buying boxed meals that you add this or that to, look up a recipe online for the same item and make it at home.  Chances are it won’t be that many extra steps and it will be fresher and healthier.  When I’m tired and think that I would rather not make dinner or that I don’t have time, I’m always amazed at how, once I just suck it up and do it, it comes together quickly and I’m sitting down with my family eating a healthy meal that is less expensive and was faster than I could have ordered in for.

#4 Give up soda. I know, I know.  I was there.  A true soda addict.  And, every so often, a migraine or a bad day will send me (or my hubby or even once, a very wonderful daycare parent) to the store for a big ol’ Coke Zero but I know it’s not good for me.  At all.  Even diet.  I’m being completely serious when I tell you that giving up diet soda and picking up water instead will help you lose weight as well as make your skin look better and make your bones stronger.  It’s really true.

#5 Stop Stressing. Yeah, easy for me to say – much, much harder for me to do.  I am a worrier by nature.  I worry about EVERYTHING and it’s not an exaggeration.  I worry about things that have no impact on me, my life or even people I know.  I just am a worrier.  But I’m getting there…slowly, very slowly.  When worry or stress pops up in my life now, I try to shove it right into perspective.  This is what helps me:  I ask myself, “Does this affect me?”  No?  Moving along then.  If yes, “Does it affect me right now?” No?  Moving along then but maybe I’ll jot a quick note if it’s something I need to remember.  If yes, “Can I do anything about it?” No?  Then, let it be.  Don’t let it take another second of your thoughts.  If yes, then I ask myself, “what can I do?”  And I do it.  Or, I go back to the question before, jot a note and move on.  Life is too short and there will always be something to worry about.  Try not to let stress and worry rob you of the joy of living in the moment…which brings me to #6….

#6 Live each day -don’t put off learning something new or trying a new food or calling a friend or whatever you’re putting off because of “I just need to do (insert your catch phrase here) first.”  Life will not wait for your to-do list to be complete, it’s happening out there every day.  Get caught up in, enjoy it.  Live it.

#7  Get out into nature! One of my favorite places to go is Rocky Ridge County Park here in York county.  It’s a huge forested park with trails and my husband and I spend a lot of time in all the seasons there.  We bike, hike, run and walk there and it never gets old.  Last weekend,  I was feeling cooped up and we headed out to the trails to do a little running/walking in the snow.  How can you not feel in awe of nature while running through fresh snow with little snowflakes falling all around you?  Wherever you are, find somewhere that inspires that sense of wonder within you.  No matter what’s happening in your life, a place like that just smooths those rough edges.

#8 Don’t make resolutions, make changes. I tell my husband this all the time!  If you think of this new eating plan as a “diet” it means that at some point you’re going to go back to the old way of doing things once you lose weight, fit those clothes, whatever.  How does that work?  Give it some time and you’ll be right back where you started and getting ready to embark on a new diet.  But if you change your eating and fitness habits slowly and create a new way of thinking in the process, you’ve make a new life for yourself that will be harder to undo and fall back on.  And if you go out to eat and really over eat on a diet, you’ve blown it and the motivation to keep eating that way is gone because “what does it matter?”  But if you’re just changing your eating, it’s not big deal, it’s just a day and tomorrow you’ll be back to your usual way of eating.  Huge difference!

#9 Find the joy in your life and honor it.  For me, joy is found in the strange things that make me happy like Black Friday shopping at Tanger Outlets in Lancaster…people may not understand the joy that is found in wandering around in the middle of the night shopping after a full day of cooking and eating but it’s my joy.  And I don’t let it bother me that people don’t understand.  It’s my way of finding joy, not theirs and that’s okay.

#10 Listen to your body.  So many clues are sent out by our body that it really does know what it wants and needs.  Hunger, thirst, all of the essential functions are all cues from the body.  We’d all be healthier if we really took the time to see what we needed rather than eating foods or skipping sleep that our body really needed or was craving.  Denying your body isn’t like filing a paper away.  It’s more like stealing minutes away from the timer on a bomb.  Eventually you will be out of time to steal and it will explode.  No time left to put it off then.  And, no, I’m not saying that eating a bag of chocolate is okay because your body craved it because then you’ll probably not feel well either but I am saying a chocolate bar when you’re really craving it is perfectly okay.

#11 Make up your own healthy habit here! What do you need?  What do you want?  What will make you feel more at peace, at ease, whatever it is you need?  We all need to give ourselves permission to say “I need…”  or “I want…” and ask for it.  So, I’m giving you permission.

Happy 2011 everyone!  Make it a healthy start to the rest of your life!

The post 11 Healthy Habits appeared first on YorkMama.com.

So, I’ve been cleaning…and cleaning….and cleaning.  The cause of the cleaning is two-fold.  One on hand, it keeps me busy and not focusing on the incessant weak stomach that won’t seem to leave me and on the other hand, I think in my mind I feel like I am somehow cleaning the house of sickness.  Not that shredding the long overdue old receipt box does a thing to rid the house of sickness but, hey, it makes me feel better.

Seriously, though, this is an area that I have been struggling with a bit – How to properly clean and sanitize the house and child care area without using toxic chemicals.  I don’t have the answer.  I will admit though, that although I try to buy recycled, I recycle and I don’t buy new if possible, I do reuse or repurpose things, this is one area that I’ve fell back into old habits.  It’s just easier, gasp!, and I feel like it works better at keeping the germs at bay.  I use bleach water on my toys, bleach water to sanitize, Lysol wipes on the tables, counters, bathrooms, just about everywhere.  Does this mean I’m not green?  I’ve bought the Seventh Generation sanitizing spray, and I do use it but, guess what, it stinks.  Bad.  I can’t stand the smell.  And everything just doesn’t seem as clean, it just smells.

So, as a I struggle to reconcile my non-green cleaning habits with stopping the plague of sickness, I’m all ears to what alternatives I’m missing!!

The post The Plague of Sickness appeared first on YorkMama.com.

But after my surgery, with my crazy hormones all out of control, a friend suggested running.  Me?  A runner?  Well, that was a good laugh.  But, not wanting to mess with my body’s crazy chemistry anymore with pills, I decided to give it a shot.

I’m so glad I did.  Not only was running a great way to stave off those crazy ups and downs of the hormones, it was a fun activity and gave me time a lone to think and decompress after working.  I looked forward to my runs, I even planned for and ran a half-marathon last April, and life was good.

Fast forward to this year.  I hurt my ankle and missed running for a few weeks.  Then, just as I was healing from that, an old hip injury from the beginning of my running days flared up and has me sidelined for the last week, and I’m looking at three more weeks of missing-in-action from running.  And now I have been even sidelined from my nightly walks with my husband by a stomach virus!  And, so, I am grumpy.  Our December weather was brutal here in South Central PA and I would like nothing more than to be out running and enjoying the more seasonal weather out there with a nice long run but instead I’m sitting on the couch, whining about why I can’t run!

But, as with every dark time, I know that the light will break through the clouds and I will be out there pounding the pavement again soon.  I’ve got a half-marathon again scheduled for April and I’m hoping that I get enough training time in before it gets here.  And until I can run, I am still able to walk, lift weights and do other things to keep active.  That’s the most important thing to remember – staying active helps in all areas of our lives.

So, for now, I’ll enjoy the sun outside and the light streaming in through the windows and let that enjoyment hold off my grumpiness for a bit longer.  I know my family will appreciate that!   What activity can you do today that will make you happier and healthier?

My sister, Robin, and I at The Turkey Trot in York in November 2010

The post Not running = Grumpy Mama appeared first on YorkMama.com.

Every meal is a challenge when you live with food allergies.

And no time of year exacerbates these troubles more than the holidays.

Eggnog? Not if eggs or milk trigger a reaction.

Stuffing? Only if it’s gluten- and wheat-free.

Cranberries? Sounds OK, but was that serving spoon just swimming in buttery mashed potatoes?

With a little thought and advanced planning, the holidays don’t have to be a daunting time for the millions of adults and children who suffer from food and environmental allergies.

Here are some tips to get you and your family through while keeping your spirits high.

THANKSGIVING
Plan ahead: Find out who is responsible for making what dish and have a conversation about ingredients and preparation before Turkey Day arrives. Suggest a few easy substitutions that could make the item agreeable for all.

The reality: If you aren’t absolutely certain what you are eating or how it was prepared, then come ready with your own food.

Even the slightest morsel from a baking sheet or serving utensil can trigger a severe allergic reaction. Some allergens, particularly peanuts, get more allergenic when they are baked.

Don’t feed the kids: If your child has allergies, make sure everyone knows it. T-shirts and wristbands can advertise an allergy. Teach older kids to refuse food unless you’ve approved it first. Ask everyone to wash their hands after eating.

Safety first: Always come prepared with necessary medications (epinephrine and a liquid antihistamine).

“It’s important to let people know how serious your allergies are,” Dr. Paul E. Dahlberg of Allergy and Asthma Consultants in York Township said. “Even a small amount can elicit a response. If the person is incapacitated, they need someone who can help them administer (medicine).”

HANUKKAH
Break tradition: Many of the foods typically served during the Jewish holiday can be made with safe ingredients.

Latkes can be made without egg and served with dairy-free sour cream.

Gluten- and allergen-free sufganyot (jelly doughnut) recipes can be easily found on the Internet.

Look for pareve: Pareve or parve food is made without meat or dairy and isn’t processed with heat on dairy or meat equipment.

Look for the labels from the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certification agency. OU means the products are pareve, and OU-D means they contain dairy.

If you have a milk allergy, steer clear of DE, which means the food was processed on shared dairy equipment lines.

However, it’s still important to read ingredient labels, especially if your allergy is severe.

Mint your own money: Make homemade gelt by melting down chocolate that is safe for your child. Enjoy Life chocolate chips are dairy-, soy- and gluten-free and made in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free bakery. Put it in coin moldings and wrap them with aluminum.

KWANZAA
Feast away: A karamu or African feast is held on the last day of Kwanzaa (Dec. 31).

Dishes such as jollof rice (most common ingredients are rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt and red pepper), koki (an appetizer made from black-eyed peas) and yams can be enjoyed without worry or with easy substitution.

Don’t pass the peanuts: Peanut soup is popular but, for obvious reasons, should be avoided by people with peanut allergies. If you are planning on serving this dish, make your guests aware. Peanut allergies are one of the most dangerous, and some people can react to trace amounts or airborne allergens.

CHRISTMAS
Real or fake? According to the National Christmas Tree Association, a real tree typically doesn’t produce pollen in December.

But it can gather dust and mold and other things from being outside all year long — just the same as a boxed tree in your attic.

The NCTA recommends a good hose down, shake and air dry before it comes inside. Plus, you can find bleach recipes that will help stop mold spores from forming.

Smells of the season:
Candles and strongly fragranced items can cause reactions when they release their chemicals.

One solution is to make homemade items with vanilla, cinnamon or peppermint flavoring. Soy candles and beeswax candles are safer and less likely to trigger allergies.

Party favor:
If you are hosting a holiday party, do your guests a favor and identify all foods.

Amy Herwig of Party Belles in York suggests making a placecard to set with the dish naming the food and a list of ingredients on the back.

Another option Herwig recommends is to make a “cheat sheet” available at the front of a buffet for those with allergies to pick up and carry with them through the food line. It can be organized and color coded by allergy.

Hand-washing:
The easy solution
The easiest and most effective way to get rid of food allergens is to wash your hands with soap. Be sure to double check that the soap is free of wheat or milk — two common proteins used in beauty products. Research has shown that water and antibacterial hand sanitizer are not effective at removing allergens.

The Big 8
Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food allergies: milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.

Resources:

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network:
foodallergy.org

National Institute of Environmental Health Science: www.niehs.nih.gov

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: www.aaaai.org

National Christmas Tree Association: christmastree.org

Food Allergy Initiative: www.faiusa.org

U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: www.niaid.nih.gov

The post Allergies at the holidays: Don’t let them get in the way of holiday festivities appeared first on YorkMama.com.

North Codorus Township. Kirsten is allergic to chocolate and Dylan is allergic to 'everything outside,' his mom said. SMART - PAUL KUEHNEL

By JESS KROUT for Smart

Is it possible the United States is too clean?

Children are immunized and use so many antibacterial wipes, hand gels and soaps that their bodies are not able to defend themselves, said Dr. Michelle Weiss of the Family Center for Allergy and Asthma in York Township. The dilemma, known as the hygiene hypothesis, has led to a substantial increase in allergies over the years.“There are more people with allergies now than 10 to 15 years ago,” Weiss said. “When I was young, I didn’t know anyone with food allergies, and now we all know someone with food allergies.”

Weiss said if one parent has an allergy, there’s a 50 percent chance each child will develop allergies. If both parents have allergies, there’s a 75 percent chance.

The best way to decrease the chance is to breast-feed, said Ann deBien, a nurse practitioner at Allergy and Asthma Consultants in Spring Garden Township and Hanover. The milk coats the intestines, helping to keep food allergens out of the bloodstream. “It doesn’t give any guarantee that your child won’t have allergies,” deBien said. But, “it’s the best way that you can protect your child.”

Keisha Ricks, a mother of three in North Codorus Township, has a 3-year-old daughter allergic to chocolate and a 9-year-old son allergic to “everything outside,” she said. The doctors told her it’s easier to say what her son Dylan’s not allergic to — cockroaches.

Ricks said she noticed her son’s asthma could happen at any time, and that’s when she asked doctors if it could be linked to allergies. It was.

“Whenever we have patients come in with asthma … almost always they have a very strong allergy testing result,” deBien said. “It’s so hand in hand. It’s like what came first, the chicken or the egg?”

Children can be tested for specific allergies at birth or at any age, Weiss said. Specialists can put an extract of specific foods, pollen, etc., on a toothpick and touch it through the skin. If a bump or small rash presents itself, an allergy is confirmed.

Once Dylan’s allergies were confirmed, doctors prescribed medication to lessen his symptoms. Ricks keeps his allergy and asthma medicine on hand at all times. “Even when Dylan is outside playing, I notice I’m very protective even though I’ve given him his medicine,” Ricks said.

There are three ways to treat allergies. If the allergy is produced by an irritant in the environment, the patient might consider running the air conditioning in the summer, not hanging clothes out to dry and so on.

If the allergy cannot to be treated with environmental control, Weiss suggests over-the-counter medications, such as Zyrtec and Claritin. She cautions against the use of Benadryl. “There are lots of studies of people taking Benadryl at 10 at night,” Weiss said, “driving at 8 in the morning and doing worse than people who are legally drunk. They think they’re fine; they feel like they’re conscious.”

But Weiss said anyone driving under the influence of Benadryl can be charged with DUI of a sedative drug.

A third option is an allergy vaccine, which will change the immune system over the course of three to five years of shots. “It’s a very long, built-up process,” Weiss said. “It takes about a year for them to start working, but it can really help people feel better. In the end, it’s less medicine and less money.”

On the Web
Mom Lyzz Jones deals every day with the ups and downs of her 2-year-old daughter’s food allergies. She searches for discounts and coupons on organic and gluten-free foods, plus she shares recipes at www.yorkblog.com/foodfight.

Key terms
Allergy: a predisposition to respond to harmful things called allergens, such as dust mites, pollen, pet dander, mold
Asthma: more than one episode of wheezing; could be attributed to ­allergies
Hygiene hypothesis: the idea that allergies are on the rise in westernized countries because the environment is so clean, children cannot develop antibodies to fight infections.
Allergic march: the thought that once you have one allergy, you could continue to get more as you age

Treatments:
Environmental control
Medications
Vaccines

Sources: Dr. Michelle Weiss, Family Center for Allergy and Asthma; Anna deBien, Allergy and Asthma Consultants

The post Stop the Sniffles: Allergies can be prevented and treated appeared first on YorkMama.com.

Let me tell you why getting your tonsils out about a month before your baby does is a bad situation.

First, you know exactly how much it’s going to hurt, sending your Mama Bear hormones into hyperdrive.

Second, your baby might just show you up.

When my tonsils were removed, I couldn’t speak for more than a week. I cried several times a day. I lost nearly 10 pounds in a week. I was utterly, completely miserable. Three weeks post-surgery, I still needed a daily nap.

My 3-year-old boy? About an hour after surgery, he giggled when presented with a Popsicle.

In the days since, he complained that his throat hurt a few times. Total.

He’s eating ice cream, bowls of soup, macaroni and cheese, smoothies and basically living it up.

Now, please don’t get me wrong. I am thrilled that Benny is recuperating so quickly. It’s answered prayers that he is eating, drinking and playing.

And I know that he hurts — really truly hurts. I ache when I see him put a shaky hand in front of his mouth as he speaks and take in the ashen tone to his skin. But he’s much better at rolling with the pain than I am.

Maybe it’s my age. The doctor told me adults who have a tonsillectomy have a much harder recovery (a fact I’ve been reminding my husband often).

But, while Benny complains less than I did, he does hint as his pain. Mostly, he needs to be in constant contact with me. As in, touching. All. Day. Long.

So if I do something selfish, such as use the toilet, he’s waiting just outside. “Are you ready to take care of me yet?” he asks through the crack of the door, his voice squeaky and strange from the surgery and his arms up for me to hold him.
“Where are you going?” he wails when I head toward the computer to check my e-mail after mistakenly assuming his closed eyes and snoring meant he was asleep. “Take care of me!”

Sitting next to me on the couch isn’t enough. He must be on my lap. And that isn’t quite good enough, either. He tilts his little body forward so I have room to rub his back. “That’s the stuff,” he whispers as we watch “Elmo Goes to the Doctor” for the third time in a row.

At dinner, about three days post-surgery, Jon, Emma and I ate taco salads and Benny dined on chicken noodle soup.
“How did you feel today, buddy?” Jon asked Benny.

“I hurt,” he squeaked. “But Mama helped me feeled better. She gave me lots of hugs.”

And wouldn’t you know it, my eyes welled again.

So I placate myself with the possibility that my children are so strong because of, not despite of, my low threshold for pain. Maybe they gather strength when I shoulder some of their pain.

Or maybe I’m just a wimp.

Either way, I have tough children.

Beth Vrabel lives in West Manchester Township with her daughter, Emma, 7, and son, Benny, 3. For more Smart Mama columns visit www.smartmamapa.com.

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Summer days are fading fast, but that doesn’t mean your tan needs to fade away, too. Try NARS Orgasm/Laguna Blush Bronzer Duo and Orgasm Nail Polish Set, available at Sephora.

This bronzer/blush set is ideal for fairer skin types that tend to need a boost in radiance. To get the most natural look, use a foundation brush to blend. Apply the bronzer in a circular motion over the edges of your face. You want to hit the high points on your face where the sun would hit it.

You can lightly apply the blush to apples of your cheeks. Find them by smiling, then sweep the blush over cheeks using a slanted blush brush. Remember to blend the edges after you applied the blush to leave a natural finish.

Lastly, add a splash of color to your nails with the complementary shade of nail polish.

For more makeup tips and product reviews, check out www.yorkblog.com/made-up.

The post Hold on to your summer glow appeared first on YorkMama.com.

Those familiar with yoga know what it means to get into child’s pose.

It’s the relaxing, back-muscle-stretching move where the knees are drawn into the chest and the forehead rests comfortably on the floor.

Some moms-to-be are using a series of with-child poses to steady their nerves and prepare their bodies for childbirth.
Prenatal yoga shows pregnant women how to focus on their bodies and the bodies of their unborn babies.

Deborah Brown, a certified nurse-midwife working at Women’s Healthcare Group in York Township, said prenatal yoga has the potential to help women before, during and after childbirth.

Physically, the stretching motions of yoga help limber up the body for the work of giving birth, she said. And the fitter they are before they have their babies, the faster new moms bounce back.

“Pregnancy is a time when you have to adapt and shift with the changes your body goes through,” she said.

Mentally, yoga can help moms-to-be stay centered and focused on their ­bodies, Brown said. Being in touch with their bodies means that they’re less afraid to give birth.

“Fear causes stress, and stress causes pain,” she said. “Yoga can get the mind focused and better centered.”

Prenatal yoga teachers modify ­traditional yoga poses, or asanas, to make them appropriate for women with growing bellies and some physical limitations.

And there are some moves they avoid.

“We always caution against staying in a position that causes dizziness or lack of breath, and we encourage people to move away from those asanas,” said Carrie Hall, a registered yoga teacher who teaches prenatal yoga at Eight Stones Yoga Studio in Springettsbury Township. She said they also avoid twisting motions and putting the feet above the head after a certain point in the pregnancy.

Prenatal yoga is safe for most women, but Brown said women pregnant with more than two babies, women with high blood pressure or those who have had preterm labor should not participate. Some yoga studios require a doctor’s note before a woman can participate, and most recommend that women tell their doctors if they’re taking a class.

Milly Merkert, 34, who teaches yoga at the Dover Township municipal ­building, said she talks to pregnant women to determine their limitations and reminds them of movements they shouldn’t do.

Hall, who has five children, said she wishes she had known about prenatal yoga when she was pregnant. She said yoga has the ability to focus the mind in a calming way that helps return control to moms who sometimes feel that their ­bodies are alien to them.

“Pregnancy doesn’t need to be ­something that happens to you,” she said. “It’s something that you participate in.”

Yoga is good for all ages

Merkert of Jackson Township has been doing yoga for about nine years. She started when her doctor suggested it as a way to control ­symptoms of Crohn’s Disease.

It’s worked for her, and she said yoga also helps people with other illnesses, including cancer.

Children can benefit from yoga, too, she said. “It’s a focus thing, having them be able to be still and quiet.”

For people in their 30s and 40s, juggling ­children and jobs, yoga can be a way to escape and find an hour for themselves.

Menopausal women say they find that yoga helps them sleep, Merkert said.

For anyone who might be nervous about doing yoga, Merkert said they should know it is not a religion. There is guided meditation at the end of classes, but no one is obligated to do it.

Merkert also wants women to know that yoga classes aren’t filled with “20-year-olds who can stand on their heads and bend themselves into a pretzel.”

“You and your imperfections are welcome,” she said. “You do not need to be flexible, thin or have good balance to begin.”

Where to go:

Not every yoga studio offers prenatal yoga. Here are two nearby that do.

Eight Stones Yoga Studio, 2805 Eastern Blvd., Springettsbury Township, info@eightstonesyoga.com or leave message at 840-4183

The Movement Center, 2134 N. Second St., Harrisburg, info@themovementcenter.net, ­238-0357

Tips for class:

Fancy spandex outfits are not necessary. Wear ­comfortable clothes you can move in.

Talk to your doctor about your plans.

Don’t attempt or hold any pose that doesn’t feel right.

Take your time, breathe and listen to your body.

FYI

Milly Merkert holds yoga classes on Tuesday and Thursday at the Dover Township building, 2489 W. Canal Road. For details, call 792-0341 or visit dovertownship.org.

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