#aditiathome
Colleen Alabi
Colleen Alabi first heard of Aditi in January 2020 — she was about twelve weeks pregnant, and looking for prenatal classes. She was able to attend a few months of classes in person before COVID-19 turned all of Aditi’s in-person classes into virtual sessions. “The virtual classes have literally kept me sane for the last four months of my pregnancy,” she says. “Being in quarantine and under a stay-at-home order while pregnant was challenging for so many reasons — and I really looked forward to my yoga classes four times a week!”
The classes helped Colleen in a few ways. They helped her build her strength and resilience in preparing for labor, and assisted with keeping her mind grounded and peaceful. She especially enjoys the community that Julie — and the rest of the Aditi staff — create through the classes, even with the new-to-her format. “I absolutely love the check-ins that we do together for each class,” Colleen says.”It gave us a way to connect on our mats, even if it was virtually.”
And, even though she loves attending classes in-person, she appreciated the ease of taking classes in her own home. “I love that all I need to do is set up my mat and click the Zoom link, and I was in class! The virtual offering made it possible for me to take great care of myself during my pregnancy, and I’m really grateful for that.” Colleen says that her regular practice made a huge difference in the birth of her baby as well. “The strength-building and hip openers that we do in each class, the several types of squats — they all helped me prepare my muscles to deliver my baby,” she says. “I think it helped me have a fast birth, and allowed me to deliver in the way I had envisioned.”
In Colleen’s mind, it’s Aditi’s inviting and inclusive community that provides the foundation for the success of its virtual offerings. “Julie and all of the teachers at Aditi are so authentic and warm,” she says. “Of course, I benefited from the prenatal classes, but it’s the little things that make the studio so inviting — Julie makes this awesome loose-leaf prenatal tea, and they offer excellent prenatal massage therapy,” she says. “I was able to get prenatal massages every two weeks toward the end of my pregnancy, and I felt safe doing that with all of the safety measures they put in place.”
Colleen has taken all prenatal classes so far, but now that she’s had her baby, she’s looking forward to starting postnatal classes. “Julie does a fantastic job making us all feel like we belong to a community, especially during COVID-19 and the challenging and isolating times we’re all going through,” she says. “She’s always thinking about how to make the services and classes she’s offering better for us, and she’s been quick to evolve with the changing times. “I recommend Aditi to anyone who is looking for great prenatal or postnatal classes — whether that’s in person, or live-streamed right into their home!”