Rosie Matheson: introducing women to their wombs and the power of their bodies

Bliss Baby Yoga Teacher, Rosie Matheson shares her journey to discovering and working with Bliss Baby Yoga and how she balances her yoga practice with motherhood.

Tell us about yourself…

My name is Rosie Matheson.

I am a doula, an empowered birth advocate and educator, and a women’s health and wellness facilitator. I am passionate about introducing women to their wombs and the power of their bodies.

I teach yoga classes and yoga teacher training courses for fertility, pregnancy, and postnatal phases. I also teach workshops on healthy menstruation and how to cultivate the vital understandings needed to enjoy and ultimately fall in love with your cycle.

And, I’m mama to Alaska. I used to read other women’s bios and see “Mother” in their lists, and think it was there as a declaration of love and a sweet gesture. But now I get it! It’s the most full time job of all, and all the other things on the list are really a kind of miraculous juggling act.

How has Bliss Baby Yoga been part of your journey?

Being a Byron local, I became aware of Ana Davis and her work in my early twenties.

When I took my first yoga teacher training course in Thailand in 2010, I was already a doula and knew I wanted to specialise in prenatal yoga. After completing this training, I woke up regularly with Ana’s name in my head. Learning from her felt so urgent, I left Thailand early to find Ana.

I organised to meet Ana and pretty much declared my love for her work and my passion for working with women as boldly and enthusiastically as I could. I left the meeting fairly certain I’d blown it in the process. But she saw something in me, and I began assisting her on everything I possibly could until she felt I was ready to teach. That was 8 years ago. I have been teaching the wonderful Bliss Baby Yoga courses regularly in Australia, Japan and Italy ever since.

How do you fit your yoga around motherhood?

It’s not uncommon to find me doing Downward-Facing Dog pose in the kitchen (sometimes with a cheeky baby attempting a sneaky feed at the same time).

But the days I am the happiest are the days when I make it to the mat. I like to do a simple 5 -10-minute flow sequence, which usually includes child’s pose, cat/cow, vinyasa, twists and an inversion. That is followed by a 10-minute supported restorative pose.

I also like to do short meditations in bed at night. I choose simple things like breathing light into my own heart and letting that flow to my womb. This is a way to call myself home to my own body and my own needs. I find this really helpful after busy days of taking care of a little person and all the pieces that come along with that big beautiful job.

What is your favourite postnatal pranayama practice?

When I was pregnant I thought my favourite postnatal pranayama would be Nadi Shodhana because it’s so balancing. But I have been surprised to find myself gravitating to the 3 Part Yogic Breath in this past year more than any other pranayama.

I use it in my practice but also throughout the day. Sometimes when I catch myself rushing or multi-tasking, I’ll notice I’m holding my breath.

A few rounds of complete yogic breathing is a calming refresh button for me.

What is your favourite track for a women’s (or prenatal) yoga class?

I can’t choose one track. But I have been loving the sounds from the all women’s acapella group Beautiful Chorus. So many of their songs work for me. Their music is  simple, beautiful, uplifting and deeply soothing.

Connect with Rosie:

• For opportunities to study with Rosie in person check our Bliss Baby Yoga course calendar.
• Rosie also offers Online 1:1 Personalised Yoga Classes and Mentoring sessions via Skype.
• Learn from Rosie via our Online L1 Yoga for Fertility Teacher Training course.
• Connect with Rosie via instagram for updates on upcoming courses, events and offerings.
• If you are local to Byron Bay, Australia, Rosie offers one-on-one birth education classes and private classes for yoga for pregnancy and fertility – email [email protected] for further details.

Further Reading related to this topic:

• Batteries included: the best birth support is inbuilt by Rosie Matheson
• On Fertile Ground: Yoga for Fertility (with Womb Meditation Script) by Ana Davis & Rosie Matheson
• Easing the First Trimester Blues by Rosie Matheson
• Chanting for Fertility (VIDEO) with Rosie Matheson
• Rosie Matheson talks Conscious Conception, Birth and Parenting