Episode #31: Pre/Postnatal Yoga and Pilates with Cat Gieser
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In this episode, Rhonda has the pleasure of chatting with one of our colleagues Cat Gieser.
Cat Gieser is a pre and postpartum movement specialist and founder of Mama Flow Studio - a virtual yoga and sculpt studio for postpartum moms. The studio is also known as the anti-bounce back studio, encouraging moms to move with strength and nourishment instead of the pressure to bounce back. Cat's also a mother of two based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We’re so grateful for Cat for sharing her passion and wisdom with us. We touch on a lot of topics in this episode including:
🔹How Cat going into the yoga and Pilates world
🔹Cat’s experience of delivering during the pandemic
🔹Her 2 very different postpartum experiences
🔹Her inspiration for creating Mama Flow Studio
🔹How Cat incorporates Pilates into her client’s training
🔹Her personal return to exercise postpartum journey
🔹Cat’s story of dealing with various postpartum symptoms
🔹How her mindset with exercise has shifted away from all-or-nothing
Enjoy! ☕️🧘🏻♀️
➡️ We would LOVE if you would share this episode with a friend, drop a star rating in Apple Podcasts or leave us a review!
Mentioned in the episode:
1. Follow Cat on Instagram
2. Check out Cat’s website and get a free 7-day trial of Mama Flow Studio!
3. Email Cat
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Episode #31: Pre/Postnatal Yoga and Pilates with Cat Gieser
We're excited to have you join us for this episode of Pelvic Health and Fitness. I'm Dayna Morellato, Mom, Orthopedic and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. And I'm Rhonda Chamberlain, Mom, Orthopedic Physiotherapist and Pre Postnatal Fitness Coach. On this show, we have open and honest conversations about all phases of motherhood, including fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause, and everything in between.
We also provide helpful education and information on fitness, the pelvic floor, and many aspects of women's health, including physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Please remember as you listen to this podcast that this is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical conditions. Please contact your medical provider if you have specific questions or concerns.
Thanks so much for joining us. Grab a cup of coffee. Or wine. And enjoy!
Welcome everyone to another episode of the Pelvic Health and Fitness Podcast. Today, we are honoured to welcome our guest, Cat Gieser, who is one of my Instagram friends. Instagram is such a cool place for that. Cat is a pre and postpartum movement specialist and founder of Mama Flow Studio, a virtual yoga and sculpt studio for postpartum moms.
The studio is also known as the anti bounce back studio, encouraging moms to move with strength and nourishment. Instead of the pressure to bounce back, which I love that. Cat's also a mother of two, based in the San Francisco Bay area. Welcome Cat. Hi, thank you so much to you Rhonda. And I know Dayna's not here, but thank you to Dayna as well for having me on.
I'm so excited and so honored. Yeah, so before we get into it, I would love to just hear a little bit more about your backstory and what got you into yoga and Pilates and then what led you to working with the pre postnatal population. Yeah, so, Like you mentioned, I'm a mom of two little, so I have a four year old and a two year old.
Um, I started teaching yoga back in 2015. Ooh, taking me way back. Um, and I taught at a studio here, uh, called Core Power Yoga. Um, it's a, a big franchise and it focuses on hot power yoga. So I was really into that particular side, style of yoga, which has definitely evolved. It was like really intense days before baby.
Um, but I taught up to my, like, 38th week of pregnancy with my first, um, and I just remember, like, everyone in the studio, especially all the moms, being like, oh my god, you're gonna have such a great, easy labor and delivery and postpartum, you're gonna bounce. back and I was like, okay, everybody, like, let's like, not jinx me here.
Yeah. And lo and behold, totally was jinxed. Uh, and I just had a really, really rough experience with birth, um, and with postpartum recovery. Um, so I had a almost four day long labor. So I went through. Your Dremel labor, um, so which is where you're contracting, but your uterus is, or your cervix is not dilating.
Um, which is, for anyone who has had that experience, it is the most devastating thing because you are going through so much pain and you're just like, for nothing. Nothing changing. Yeah, so, um, it was really long and I ended up having an unplanned C section. I pushed for an hour and a half. So that made for a really lovely recovery experience where it felt like I had to recover from that as well as the C section.
Um, and I think similar to the experience of a lot of moms, as, as you know, is that I just felt like I had no support, um, after, after my delivery. Um, and I just remember coming to my eighth week or my eight week checkup with my midwife slash OB and, I was very honest because I was so broken at that point, like, mentally, physically, emotionally, and my husband was like, you just need to, like, share how you're feeling.
So I, like, mustered up this courage to actually be really vulnerable and, like, crying and be like, and I was like, I'm feeling really sad all the time and my c section scar feels really uncomfortable and I can't do really basic chest opening poses. Like I wasn't trying to do wheel pose or anything, I was literally just trying to open up the chest and it just felt like so much tension and tightness and a little bit of sharp pain and really all that I got was this is very normal and will likely go away with time and if you'd like to be prescribed medication, you can and it was very like Matter of fact, but with a smile, um, and I had really appreciated my midwives and my OB during the Pregnancy process and in that time, I just felt like I was so let down because yeah it the feeling of normal, uh, normalization of your very real struggles is one of the most painful things that you can experience.
And so I kind of left that experience at the, at the doctor's office being like, I will not let this be my normal. And I had already about five years prior had my own, like come to Jesus moment with like, health and wellness and needing to take that into my own hands. And I was just like, okay, here's another one of those like blips in the road where I can't, I'm not gonna take What my health care provider said to me as like the holy grail and I got to figure this out for my own for myself Yeah, no, I went on my own healing journey, which essentially led me to be like, okay There are so many other moms out there that are just like me that need additional support and resources Yeah And I was like I need to I need to be part of you know This amazing group of people that are already doing this work and support as many moms as I can too Um, so I added on pilates as one of the many trainings that I did to help, you know, uh, get myself ready to be able to support moms with the right credentials and experience.
Um, and really shifted the way that I approach yoga, not only for myself, but how I teach to postpartum moms and pregnant moms too. I love that. So that was after your first, um, postpartum experience where you felt sort of that almost like dismissed, it sounds like with your provider, like, oh, this is normal, you know, suck it up.
It's part of being a mom. Yeah. Yes, totally. So how did that, cause then your, your kids are two years apart, correct? So how did that experience and sort of what knowledge did you gain going into your second pregnancy and then postpartum experience? Yeah, so my second pregnancy I went in obviously with so much more knowledge and which was really great Um, I'd say my pregnancy was really smooth and was really able to work on a lot of the things I had wished I had learned and um, I think brought a lot more humility to my practice my movement practice and I didn't really need to be pushing myself and even though I I could do things in my third trimester, I didn't do them because I was like, there's really no point and who, like, who am I trying to prove that I can do this?
Yeah. Um, so my second pregnancy was so much about like listening to my body and removing the guilt of I feel tired today and I'm not going to work out at all. I'm actually going to take a nap. And like, Be like, Oh, wow. I'm really proud of myself for actually listening to my body. So pregnancy was really smooth until COVID hit.
And that kind of threw things, uh, for a loop. Um, I was supposed to give birth at Kaiser, which is kind of the big healthcare provider here where I'm based in California at a hospital and at 37 weeks pregnant. So everything shut down in San Francisco, which is about an hour from where I am. They were already telling.
Uh, pregnant moms, you know, you cannot have anyone in the room with you. Wow. Um, so after my very traumatic birth experience the first time, I just looked at my husband Brenton and we were like, no, like we can't, this cannot happen. Yeah. Like I need to have you in the room. So I called my doctor and she said, you know, Cat, I really wish that I could.
guarantee that Brenton could be in the room with you. Um, but I can't because we're just in such, like, unprecedented times and I have no idea, like, it's changing by the day. So panic set in and, um, is very fortunate to even have the the option of looking into birth centers and home births and things like that.
Um, with a C section of course, you know, there's risks, um, but I felt really confident in having a VBAC and my, uh, OB at the hospital, in fact, was really supportive of having a VBAC when I told her that I was going to have, was. Trying to have a VBAC at a birth center. She wasn't so supportive. Yes. Um, I did find a birth center actually like really close to us that I had never known about before.
This experience and the owner and like midwife there, um, took me in and was like, yes, I will do this for you. Like, and I'm so confident in your ability to have a VBAC. And so that experience is kind of like the silver lining of. Of COVID for me. If I could say there's a silver lining and I I'd like to say that very cautiously, just because I know that COVID is, has brought a lot of pain for other people, but, um, it, without that experience, I would have never actually gone the birth center route, even though that was my dream, but, just, Here in the states with our health care insurance, how terrible it is, my insurance didn't actually cover that.
But it forced us to like look at things a little differently and get support from family and like what not to be able to do that. Um, and the whole birthing experience at the birth center was just complete opposite of what I experienced at a hospital birth where I mean, I think if I were to kind of reduce it and, and explain it, it just was like the, my midwife was just supporting me and feeling the process of birth and just really encouraging me to follow my instincts, my intuition, and like what my body was telling me.
Yeah. I wasn't getting checked for how far I was dilated, you know, like every hour or anything like that. I wasn't being told. Push now. Stop now. Push here. Stop now. I was literally like guiding myself and then like she was there and available if I like looked at her like am I doing you know this right or is this um whereas with the at the hospital I literally felt out of control was just following cues from every one else in the room um and then of course it ended in c section so I had It's just there, but um, so it was a very transformative experience for me and I just left that experience feeling like, holy crap, like I, my intuition and the power that I just have within is
Um, yeah, because there's so many outside things and even our own thoughts in our head that are telling us that we're not right or, you know, we should listen to other people and whatnot. But really, if we're able to cut through all that noise, like we really know what's right. So, yes, I love that so much. I would totally agree with that, that I, so I had two vaginal bursts and I feel like it was, I was just, uh, sharing this story with another friend of mine and it's such an experience where you truly have no choice but to listen to your body.
I feel right. It's such a whole embodying experience where your body just truly takes over. It knows what to do so that I love to hear that, that you were able to have that sort of. Second chance almost with that second delivery and yeah, I just have a different experience all around. That's great. So how, how was your second postpartum experience?
Yes. So, second postpartum experience actually was better mentally, so I went through postpartum depression and anxiety for, with, for a variety of different reasons the first time. Um, and the, I think, you know, coming in as a second time mom, you just, like, you're not necessarily Googling things about whether or not your baby is going to live or die through every single experience of every single Like, every other two things that happen as like a reminder, depending on how long it's been since you've had your first.
Yeah. Um, so, you know, my mind was just a little bit more at ease that like, I can do this, like we've done this before, um, and there, I think the experience of birth itself, having felt like more in control, that really carried into the postpartum experience. Like when you have a birth that feels like.
Everything was stripped away from you. You came in with a birth plan. And it just, you know, not only did it not go as planned, but you almost felt like you had no control over what was happening at all. Then that carries really into the postpartum experience, where a lot of that happens. You know, like, your schedule isn't your time, and you're really on the time of the baby, and especially with the first, your firstborn, it's like so much of it is new, so The birthing experience really unearthed a lot of that the first time around, I think, to, you know, the nth degree, whereas the second time, the ease and Like peace of the birth really helped with that even from like the recovery period because you go home from at a birth center After like four to six hours depending on like how you're feeling.
Yeah, I got to sleep in my own bed You know after and I didn't have someone taking my vitals every hour You know knock on the door at the hospital But I did experience prolonged incontinence and this was the wild thing For me that really just solidified and like hit home for me that like we need so many more people Advocating for not just postpartum moms, not just for maternal wellness But like women's health is that i'm in this field now, right?
Like i'm I am now teaching postpartum moms and whatnot and now i'm going through this a second time and I knew already from the beginning experiencing that level of incontinence early on was like, okay, I really I know that I want to see a pelvic floor physical therapist. I knew that before I even went into it.
Yeah. Um, and when I asked my doctor, I told her, okay, now I'm at the, uh, six week mark and I'm still experiencing, um, incontinence. I'd like to see a pelvic floor physical therapist. It was like You know, jumping through hoops to try to get a recommendation because they only have one, I believe pelvic floor physical therapist here locally within, within, um, my region of Kaiser.
Um, and my OB had already been on her maternity leave. So I got kind of pushed to this other OB that I had never worked with before. And of course it was the same story, like normalized, like very, very normal cat. Um, so I would recommend waiting another month and see. How it resolves, and if you are still experiencing leaking, then I'm going to send you something, a few like self tests, and then depending on how you report back, then we'll come in, do a few tests, and then we'll see if we'll recommend you to PT, and it was like What?
Like, so that means that I'm going to, like, come back in in two months? And so, I essentially was like, I'm not waiting. So I paid out of pocket, found my own pelvic floor PT to work with, um, and had already been doing my own rehab knowing what I know. And, you know, and I was able to get everything resolved, like, very quickly.
Prolapse and hysterectomies run in my family, and so it was like something that I was not, like, willing to play around with. Yes. Um, and one thing that I had wished that actually done, um, the second time around was do pelvic floor PT during pregnancy rather than just reading. Yeah. Um, I think that's important for For people to know that you don't have to just wait for postpartum and that it's a great thing to do during pregnancy as well.
Totally. Um, so, yes. Yeah. And I think that's one of the things I love to advocate for is like, like, do not be afraid to push your healthcare provider for a PT rec. And if not, like, there are, at least here, there are ways around it that you can go directly to a pelvic floor PT. Yeah, it sounds, you know, I'm in Canada, you're in the state.
So it sounds definitely different. I feel like in Canada, it's a little easier, I think, to access that care because a lot of, most people it's just through their workplace that they have benefits and, um, most physiotherapists are. Primary care providers. So you literally can just go right to a physio without a doctor's note.
Some insurance companies required it require a note, but most don't now. So that's yeah. Just interesting to hear that perspective to you that you had to kind of jump through hoops to, to even get an appointment. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's, um, it's an issue of accessibility, right? So if I would have gotten the referral from my OB to the.
pelvic floor PT at Kaiser, I wouldn't have had to pay anything. But I, again, this is a privilege of mine that I was able to say, you know what, I'm not willing to wait two months and I will pay out of pocket for a pelvic floor PT that I trust and has been recommended to me and will work with. outside of Kaiser.
Um, so we have huge issues here in the States and it's not just pelvic floor PT. It's all different aspects of, you know, healthcare services that we have to jump through hoops to, to get and pay out of pocket. And the insurance industry here is just one huge. Yes. So challenging. I can't even imagine. So your Mama Flow Studio, when did, when was that created?
Was that created after your first kiddo or second? Yeah. So there's been different iterations of Mama Flow Studio. I guess it. The first iteration started after my first, um, after my first child, after my daughter, and kind of mom plus do as it is now, um, really started after my second. So it was the beginning of 2020.
Yeah. Um, started as group. Uh, coaching, uh, rehab, uh, coaching, um, live, and then moved into on demand, an on demand program called CoreStore that's really just focused on postpartum core and pelvic floor recovery. And now, as, uh, Model Flow Studio is, it's a full on demand yoga and sculpt studio that includes that CoreStore eight week program as well as kind of a la carte classes to help build upon what you learn in that foundational program.
That's so cool. That's amazing. So for listeners that maybe don't know much, I think maybe more people know about yoga. Um, can you tell people a bit more about Pilates and what, uh, how that is incorporated in your business? Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, I think a really brief like history of Pilates. So it was started by Joseph Pilates and, um, the 1920s.
And I think it's just interesting because it's, he's a, he was a physical trainer and the, original kind of modality of Pilates was used as kind of a rehab modality to help with injuries and strains and pain. Um, I believe they, uh, he worked a lot with like war veterans, um, and then even with people, some people in the showbiz that had different ankle injuries and whatnot.
Um, And so most people I think who are familiar with Pilates, or have at least seen it, are really familiar with the different apparatuses that are used. So like the reformer, um, and like the spine corrector, and the chair, and the Cadillac, um, and there's also Matt Pilates work, which is kind of what I really focus on to make it a little bit more accessible.
Those apparatuses are extremely expensive. Yes. Um, which is I think one of the reasons that Uh, to be honest, kind of, not necessarily turned me away from Pilates, but I think it can be really intimidating, and I think accessibility in Pilates is a really big issue, right? The classes are extremely expensive, um, and a lot of teachers actually only work one on one, um, and there's a, there's a method to that, and a reason for that, to be able to really fine tune movements and cater movement to that specific body, but at the same time, Not everybody can afford to do that type of, um, training.
Um, so Matt Pilates makes it a little bit more accessible for people where you only need your mat and sometimes some other small props that you can use to help with the movement. Um, now Pilates has really evolved and expanded and there's lots of different types of methods, but, uh, kind of Pilates is really rooted in mobility.
Strength and body awareness and I think the reason why I really, uh, kind of, I was, um, attracted to Pilates as a yoga instructor is that yoga, there, there's a big focus on mobility and sometimes to a fault in that it, there's a certain level, I think of, um, romanticizing our praise that you get for even hypermobility, right?
see yoga and yoga influencers online and things that I was guilty of back in 2015 is, you know, these crazy poses, right, where major back bends and, you know, your spine is just contorting in all these different ways. And as we both know that hypermobility, although it looks beautiful in pictures and whatnot, um, can actually be the foundation of a lot of injuries.
When we're thinking about the pregnant and postpartum population with All the ligament laxity and like, things like that. We, we really wanna focus on building stability, um, in addition to mobility. So I think yoga and Pilates are this really great, perfect pair together. So you can create a really nice balance to, um, your movement routine.
And I think yoga, on the other hand, for me, it really provides more of that meditative flow movement. So there's almost like a. spiritual like aspect to it. So combining both you get the both the best worlds and they really work nicely together and can even be fused together in a class, um, to kind of get a more holistic picture in your class.
I love that. That sounds so cool. Um, so I'd love to sort of rewind a little bit and just hear a bit more about your story. So after your First kid, when you were getting back into yoga and Pilates, um, and you had a hard time with that recovery, what did that return to your fitness journey look like that first time?
I'm like embarrassed to say, I remember going, um, So you bear in mind that I was there's a reason why I was attracted to core power yoga I'm a recovering type a And you know, I think there's this running joke that core power yoga because it's like it's high intensity yoga. It's It attracts people who are like athletes, you know, who want to get this like mobility and you're in a hot sweaty room.
So I was teaching multiple times a week. I was sometimes taking like classes two days. And I was just like thriving on this like intensity. And so postpartum I was like so ready to get back. So I remember going back, I think, Right when I was, um, at my eight week checkup, when my doctor said, Okay, you're good to go, and that's all she said.
I was like, good to go. So, like, and of course they always say, they always recommend, if you ask, like, well, what should I, what can I do now? They'll be like, oh, do things like yoga, you know what I mean? But then no one knows. Yeah, like the world of yoga is so vast, like, um, I don't think she fully understood the type of yoga that I was doing, but I was like, cool.
She gave me the green light for yoga. Green light go. Yeah, so I, I went back and did a, C1 is kind of the beginner class and I was like, okay, you know what? I'm gonna be smart about this I'm gonna do a beginner class, but I think what most people don't realize about yoga and especially like a vinyasa style yoga, which is really dynamic and you're flowing through poses is that the Transitions can be kind of the trickiest parts of the class, right?
Like oftentimes people are So in flow and in their meditative movement and kind of their breath is not really synced in with that transition and they're just trying to get from one movement to the other. And that's where a lot of like tweaks and like feelings, like, Oh, that didn't feel kind of right can happen.
Um, so I definitely felt that during that class and I was like, Oh yeah, this is not going to be okay. Um, and I had a lot of, um, Issues with fecal incontinence, too. Not during class, thank goodness, but, um, I just remember we lived in a, uh, one bedroom condo at that time, and so we only had one bathroom, and I just remember several times a week yelling at my husband, being like, You need to let me in the bathroom right now.
Yeah. Um, and so that was terrible. Um, and so what I did really was, I can't remember which, uh, certification or which training I did, but I basically backed off of everything and just came back to foundational, like, really learning how to breathe. And I don't even think I knew how to breathe the right way prior to my postpartum experience, so it was kind of this, like, mind blowing thing of like, oh my god, I think that I've been breathing the wrong way, like, possibly my entire life.
Yeah. Um, so, working on breathing, working on my c section scar a lot, which did wonders for me, um, that kind of is like the thing that I hold. A slight grudge on with my, uh, my midwife as I read about C section scar mobility in my late night of Googling, you know, as you're like doing the late night feeds at like 3 AM.
And I was like prepared with this article to bring to my eight week appointment to say, is this something that I should be doing? And I just got this look from her like, no, like your scar looks good. And it was like, I now knowing what I know now and like the experience that I had after it was just like, so I am on a mission to tell every C section mom.
I know that C section scar mobilization is. It's such an important piece to recovery and that issues that you have that don't even you think could be possibly involved with your C section scar is likely involved from that scar and adhesions forming and whatnot, um, from digestive issues and back pain and things like that.
Yeah. Um, so rewinding. So I started with, um, diaphragmatic breathing started, uh, with. Gentle like core work and then just slowly progress started building I actually stopped yoga completely because the yoga that I knew just didn't make sense with where my body was at yeah, like I was so used to being in flow and doing so much chest opening and dancers pose and you know, um and headstands and things like that.
It just didn't make sense. So, um, I stopped yoga and really, and that's where Pilates came in and started working more with Pilates and building strength and mobility and then adding on the yoga once it felt really safe and confident in my body. That's great. And so was it the incontinence symptoms that sort of made you pause and rethink what you were doing at the time?
Or what was it that made you think, oh, maybe this is a bit too advanced for where my body's at right now? Yeah, it was the incontinence paired with the tension that I felt in my c section scar. Gotcha. Um, it just like, Every time I would, um, try to go into something like a camel pose or even like a standing backbend, I Intuitively was like, wow, my body is telling me like, please don't do that.
It does not feel right. And so that's when I realized like, okay, I need to re rethink this and start looking for other ways to move for now that will prepare my body for this later. That's so good. And then, so what was the second postpartum return to fitness? What did that look like? Oh, goodness. Um, I almost feel like it was slower.
Like I didn't feel like this huge rush back to have to work out. Um, I did a lot of. Breathing in bed and, um, more, I think, stress type of, like, management, a lot of rest, like, I remember the first time around and, and I'm curious to hear what you say about this, but I just could not nap, and it was just this, like, Massive anxiety every time I would close my eyes of like I'm needed or like she's gonna want to breastfeed or I would hear her cry and it'd be like, nevermind, just give her to me because my first was a really fussy baby.
Um, I think the birth trauma was something. That was really transcended into her, like, early newborn experience. Um, and so I just couldn't nap. And so I was just running on fumes for, I feel like, the entire first year. Which I know I was already, I did the second time around, but it was just different. Like, I was just more calm and settled and felt like I could actually nourish myself more.
Yeah. Um, so that kind of, that word, I guess, nourishment, which is, I think, what, created so much inspiration for Model Flow Studio and its mission and how the verbiage we use to describe the studio. Um, that's where the inspiration came from because I was able to focus so much on that. And, um, with two, you know, you have big aspirations, of course, when you know.
what you know, like I knew the moves that I should have been doing and all these things, but you have two running around now or one running around and one that you have to constantly hold. But I knew that there were other ways, other tools that I had in my self care wellness toolkit to like nourish my body that.
that would contribute to the healing process for myself. So it was like really making sure I was staying hydrated, like really making sure that our food was like nourishing and, and things like that. Um, and once I got into a routine, a better routine, I was able to essentially, Chorestore is essentially what I did for my, um, postpartum recovery.
And I think people come into it because so many people know me as a yoga person, like Pilates is somewhat like new. And so they think of Chorestore and like, Oh, it's going to be some type of like really yoga focused, um, program when it's really not, there's some, we take yoga. Inspiration with certain movement, but it's not a flow class and it's for a reason Um, you know, it's it's very much rooted in in foundational rehab breathing and movements that a PT would would give and and that's for a reason it's supposed to be a complement to pelvic floor physical therapy not a alternative and that one of the one of the challenges that I've heard from a lot of moms with pelvic floor PT is like That it can get boring, you know?
Like, rehab is not the most riveting thing, and it's not supposed to be, right? Like, every aspect of modern movement right now, if you think of all the boot camps out there, and all the hit programs, it's like, Go, go, go. Don't listen to your body. Yeah, some, your trainer will say listen to your body, but then he'll also tell you to just take pre workout if you're feeling tired, you know?
So it's like, then when you tell someone to slow down, they're just like, oh my goodness, like this is There's like a mental, like, battle to it, so the idea of being able to turn on a class and have someone at least do it with you is, you know, supporting moms in a, in a little bit more of a way to inspire and motivate them to do the breath work, to do the moves that are going to support them in healing and strengthening their bodies.
That's so good. Yeah. I say to my clients a lot, a few of my clients will say this to me, I just need you to rein me in a little bit because yeah, I, you know, I come from that, you know, similar background of view of sort of that athlete brain mentality for the longest time. I didn't like yoga because I was like, Oh, it's not intense enough for me.
Yes. And uh, you know, now I totally appreciate it, especially the mental health side of it. The slowing down side of it. Um, but yeah, so my clients, you know, I design my program in a way to just, yeah, very slowly ease people back in. And I even say to them, like some of these workouts and I, you know, I don't even necessarily like to call them a workout movement therapy sessions are going to seem kind of boring and seem kind of like, what am I even doing?
You know, this doesn't count as anything, right? But I'm like, okay, just trust the process, stay the course, right? This is helping you build that foundation to get back to the things that you want to do. So I totally relate to your story in that sense too, that, you know, my first postpartum experience, I was sort of able to like bounce back, which again, we can talk about that next.
I hate that term. Um, but I, I guess it was just fortunate that my body just kind of responded and I was able to get back to CrossFit relatively quickly. Second time around, not so much. So I had to learn the hard way when I tried to just get back to it so quickly. And my body just was like, Nope, you're not there.
And yeah, I remember like laying on the couch. I, you know, I told myself you're only allowed to work out three days a week. And on my rest days, I just had so much guilt in those early stages of like, I should be doing something, or I should at least be doing like errands or I should be cleaning the house.
And, you know, the like calming side of my brain was like, no rest is just as important for your healing process. And so I talked to my clients about that a lot. So I love that you talk about that nourishment piece, right? It's recognizing that fitness and exercise is just one small piece of the puzzle to overall health and wellness, right?
Um, yes, it's important for a lot of us for our mental health, for our physical health. But when we're recovering, when we're healing, it is, it truly is just a piece of the puzzle. And there's so many other things that can help nourish you and help you feel better that aren't exercise. 100%. I couldn't have said it better.
Yeah. Awesome. So Talking about that bounce back mentality, which you and I sort of have chatted about this previously, that, uh, it's not our favorite, but again, we, we only know what we know. Right. And so you and I sort of have similar stories that we kind of like, we're told that, you know, you're fit, you're strong, you're going to bounce back.
And I don't know about you, but part of me was like, Oh yeah. Like, You know, it's kind of like a total, right? Yeah. The first time I was like, thanks. Don't jinx it, but thanks. Yeah. Right. But you and I both have now had experiences where we were that fit person and we didn't bounce back. You know, I sort of did the first time, but the second time, definitely not.
And you know, we, we work in this world now where we hear stories of people who are fittest of fit and they have very challenging pregnancies, very challenging recoveries. So it's not that one causes the other, right? So they're totally separate things. So why, why is it important to you to sort of, um, be that sort of anti bounce back narrative with your clients?
And like, what does that look like in the mama flow studio? Yeah. I mean, I think at a foundational level, like for anyone who has. Experience postpartum. And I, I kind of say postpartum in quotes because I will be that person that you'll meet me and I'm like, oh, I'm Cat, I'm like 10 years postpartum. You know, , I dunno, like, it's just like, it's a never ending stage for me.
Yes. Um, but if you've experienced it, especially early postpartum, like within that first year, you really understand how challenging it is. Like on every. single level, you know, from a physical sense to that mental struggle and even like that spiritual, like you just feel like the ground is like breaking from underneath you.
And so it's really like the last fricking thing that moms need is someone in their ear, someone on social media, like showing off their body and how they bounce back and um, Because it, it really affects you, you know? And with the rates of, of postpartum depression and anxiety being so high, it's like, why do we have to have something so stupid and something so like irrelevant as like bouncing back, lingering over people's heads.
Yeah. And From a particular like movement standpoint, we are in this, again, stage of like modern movement where on a holistic level, not even just for like moms, pregnant or postpartum, but we're just pushing everybody more, more, harder, you know? And, um, and the reality is, is that especially for moms, we are consistently all day, all night, running on A flight or fight response.
And. If you are doing that and you're also getting no sleep and then you want to jump into a hit workout It's like you are just constantly pushing your body to its edge And at some point your body is just going to tell you no more and then and I am I respect moms who Really want to focus on weight loss and I think you you talk about this, too That I can't force you to say that that is not one of your goals Yeah, but I will encourage you to not put that in the forefront of what is guiding you but from an understanding of what's going on in your body if you are pushing your body while you are consistently in this fight or flight response, like your cortisol levels are so high and you will just retain that fat because of how stressed you are.
So that HIIT workout, that bootcamp workout, that's quote unquote, going to shed the pounds and, you know, flatten your waist and whatnot is actually doing counter to what your body So there's so much that I can say about this because I'm so passionate about it. And I think for me, as someone who sits in this world of fitness for me, especially being someone who guides people as an instructor.
It's so important, right? Because rarely do you see people as a, as a personal trainer or as a fitness instructor talk about these realities and being supportive of different body sizes and whatnot. Mostly what you see is fitness trainers like showing off their flat abs and you know, and their huge butts and like, you know, whatever like and that's what sells programs and it's And fitness is like so focused on aspirational, like you can be like me and so do my program.
Yeah. And we need more people saying, no, I want you to be you. And I just want you to feel like the, like a strong, amazing, energized you and has nothing to do with me. For sure. Um, I'm just going to help support you with the tools to be there. Um. So, I think it's really important for moms, because they're at a foundational level, like it's very important for moms to build strength, to feel energized, and movement can help you do that.
Um, but movement does not have to be the enemy that is rooted in shame and guilt around what your body looks like now. It should be a tool to really support your body and what it needs. And so what that looks like in Mama Flow Studio is offering a variety of classes based on the phase that you're in, based on the mood that you're in, based on the schedule of time.
So there are, there are sculpt classes that are longer and shorter. We range from five to five minutes to 60 minutes. And there are flow classes that are relaxing, that are just meditation to other flow classes that are kind of power flow classes that you'll get, you know, a workout in. But I think so many people view fitness because mainstream fitness kind of tells Everybody that you need to show up day in and day out with your routine with the same amount of energy Um, you know reaching these pr goals and that's the expectation and if that doesn't happen you are lazy you are unmotivated um or things like that and the reality is especially for women who are working on a cyclical hormonal cycle, like it, that's just not how our bodies work.
Right. We are constantly changing, um, throughout the month, every single month, so we need to promote for women, not just moms, that it is okay to like show up every day differently with a different amount of energy, with a different approach to movement, um, and that's what we do specifically for moms in the studio, is like show up as you are, and we've got some Transcribed thing for you or how, however much time or energy that you have.
That's so amazing. I love that. So I would love to just hear a bit more about Mama flow studio studio. So what does it look like? So if someone had a baby and they're saying, you know, I want to get back into yoga Pilates. What does that look like? You know, how do they course through your program? So do they start with that core restore?
Is that where they start? Yeah. So I recommend, especially if you just had a baby, um, to start with core restore. I also of course recommend it to anyone who may be years postpartum and are actually like symptomatic and have never gone through a formal, um, Core rehab protocol or program, um, and you know, those are the always the moms where it's like you really have to be that emotional coach.
And I always say like it is not to work out and then it may get boring but commit to it. Yeah, um, but I always recommend that you you have some level of foundational core Uh rehab experience because that really informs the classes that are that you graduate to later on. Um, and so if you've worked with a pelvic floor PT and they, and they released you, that's great.
Or if you're continuing to work with a pelvic floor PT, you can do core store, um, alongside, um, and after then. There are a la carte classes and it's kind of like a Netflix style studio where it's based on the type of class flow or sculpt classes flow is our yoga class and sculpt is our kind of Matt Pilates strength training bar mixture fusion class.
And there's, you can search by body focus or length of time, or whether it's relaxing or types of props. Generally the classes are. all levels focus, assuming that you've, you've done course or something like it. And then there are classes that are more intermediate and advanced focused, um, for the, for people who are ready to kind of kick things up a notch.
That's so cool. Do you work one on one with clients as well? Yeah, I do work one on one virtually with, with clients, which is always such a joy. Um, especially I think for postpartum. Moms, like, as you know, who are really experiencing symptoms and things like that, being able to cue someone as they're moving to their body is like something that you can't get when you're like watching a video.
And even for me, it's amazing what you think you're doing when someone is cueing you and then you record yourself and you're like, Oh, that is what I look like. I had no idea. So I do, yeah, one on one sessions with folks virtually, which is, which is always really fun. That's great. So you and I've chatted, um, on Instagram just about our mindset shifts and how they have changed over time, just in what we've learned, our wisdom.
So yeah, I think we chatted about walking, you know, and you, you're, I think you were saying your husband was like, look at us. We just did a walk. Good job. Right. Before that would be like, you know, that again, that wouldn't count a walk in my previous life. Wouldn't count. That's not intense enough, but now, you know, I love walking and see the value in it.
So yeah. So how, how do you think that has happened for you? How do you think your mindset has shifted to see movement again, as just part of the puzzle and it doesn't have to be this hardcore intense thing all the time. Yeah. It, I mean, I think for me, it's something that I'm always. Always thinking about and my mindset around it is always evolving But it really I hit a moment in my postpartum experience After my first in the middle like postpartum depression and and like I said, it was so multifaceted I I got laid off within the first month of my maternity leave which was as a story for another time.
But I think a lot of what was happening with my postpartum depression was just feeling like this loss of identity. And because I couldn't go to the studio I always felt trapped at home because Amelie didn't want to be with anyone except for me and she was cluster feeding all the time. I couldn't go to the studio more than once a week, even if I could sometimes barely even make once a week.
And In my mind, I couldn't even fathom doing, like, my own class at home, or, you know, throwing on a YouTube class. Because it just didn't make sense. It was like, it wasn't heated, and like, I didn't get the same intensity. For me, it needed to be, I needed to be profusely sweating, like, out of breath. And, like, it needed to burn, you know, so I had this, like, criteria.
But what happened was that I held this high standard for what every workout needed to look like. And then I wasn't working out at all or moving my body at all. Um, and so, it just came to a point where I was like, Okay, I need to adjust something or else I'm just gonna sit here and be guilty, stuck in this, like, shame cycle of, like, I know I need to be doing this, but I can't.
So, little by little, I started changing how I viewed. Working out and viewed movement and now it's just like I The barrier to movement has just been like released It's like I mean if you follow me on Instagram, you see that sometimes my workout is literally while I'm prepping dinner Because it like happens And I am a person Now which is kind of wild saying that but like I enjoy working out But like I'm not that person now that you know There's just people that you see on Instagram that you just feel like they would love to stay at the gym for four hours Yeah Like if they could like that's just like not me and like I have two kids now and in my husband and I run So like time is so short, life is so short.
And so I don't want to spend like a whole hour working out. Um, that's a luxury. Sometimes it happens. Um, but like my sweet spot is like, get in a quick, like 20 to 30 minute movement and like, okay, I'm good. And I'm out. Um, and so. If I'm only going to allot that 20 to 30 minute time, like it's going to be doing something that I really love.
It's it's got to be like a little bit of this and a little bit of that because it's you know, I want it to be covering all bases and so I think releasing that all or nothing mindset and my new motto is like something is better than nothing So like when you get those walks in as a family, I'm like cool like I moved my body today um, and again, I think as like a As an instructor, as a trainer, for me to say that, because I'm like, the professional, I think it gives permission for people who are just living their life.
100%. Um, wanting to move, like permission to like, yeah, celebrate when you get a walk in, because I'm celebrating it. And so, don't think that I'm over here sweating like all day long, like mostly I'm like running after my kids and sitting at my computer. Yes. So, um, I just want to be real with everybody and I am a mom and struggling through it just like everyone else and it's just like you've got to, you've got to celebrate yourself when you get those like small wins in, um, and, and movement should be celebratory.
So find the movement that you really love. So much of the fitness industry is wasting their time fighting over what type of modality is best for people and most effective when, you know, we have a crisis with people not even moving. So it's like, Find the movement that brings you joy and, and do it often.
Oh, fire. That was so good. Love it. So that's a great spot to end cab. But before we go, I'd love for you to just share how people can find you. So can you share your Instagram handle and your website for us? Yeah, so you can find me on Instagram, uh, my handle is just my name, Cat Gieser, G I E S E R, and then mamaflowstudio.
com is the website. We have a free 7 day trial if you just want to try it out and see if it is your jam. Um, and always available in my DMs and email, Cat at mamaflowstudio, if you ever want to chat or vent or talk about all things motherhood. Amazing. And I'll put those in the show notes for everybody.
That was so good, Cat. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. Um, I think you and I have very similar stories and it's just validating, validating to hear, you know, someone who came from that athlete brain mindset to just such peace with movement. Right. I think it's so wonderful to hear those stories.
Yes. Thank you so much again, Rhonda, for having me on and for everybody listening. Yes. Thanks, Cat. Thanks for listening to today's podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation. If you liked what you heard, we would love if you could share this with a friend, leave us a review, or subscribe to anywhere that you listen to your podcasts.
Thanks for being here.
