"Belle's Mom"

Today Belle and I tried Mommy and Me Yoga.  I was extremely skeptical about the whole experience.  First of all, I am allergic to yoga.  I tried it once with my mother in Farmington, CT and developed a fever within hours of the yoga class.  The fever lasted three days so I deduced that the yoga was responsible for the illness.  That was the last time I did yoga for years...well, until Israel.  As part of my Pardes experience, I participated in an introductory Torah Yoga class.  It was strange and hokey and not my cup of tea, though I was glad I'd tried it (I'll try anything once!).  Friday, Augsut 27, 2010 I tried my first prenatal yoga class.  Within hours, I was in labor and I do not think this was a coincidence: every woman in the prenatal class who was on her second or third pregnancy reported delivery before her due date with her previous pregnancies.  I suspect something about how we moved our bodies during the class actually could have induced labor. Anyway, at Craig's (annoyingly persistent) urging, I bundled Belle on the coldest day of the winter so far and trekked down to 72nd Street to try a Mommy and Me Yoga class.  It seemed crazy, but, as I say, I'll try anything.  Was the class a bit hokey for me with the 'Oooommms' and the funky breathing?  Yes.  Was my daughter happier than I'd ever seen her in her three and a half months of life?  You'd better believe it!  Belle smiled excitedly at the other mommies and at the instructor.  She cooed and squealed with happiness at the songs we sang as part of the class.  She was practically flirting with the other babies in the class (I realized that she really hadn't spent much time with other babies, and boy did she delight in the company of her peers).  Most importantly, Belle smiled and giggled with me when we engaged in the yoga moves together: she really loved the yoga!  When the class was over and I had the choice to pay for the one class or buy an eight-class pass, I didn't really feel that there was any choice to make: Belle loved the Mommy and Me Yoga so much that I felt I owed it to her to commit to seven more classes. At the start of the class, we eight woman introduced ourselves and our babies.  From then on, we adults were referred to as the mommy of our child.  I must admit that, next to seeing Belle in ecstasy, being referred to as "Belle's mom" was a highlight of the class for me. Belle and I will be at Mommy and Me Yoga next Tuesday for sure : )