MALISSA LARSON YOGA & DOULA SERVICES

“Let choice whisper in your ear and love murmur in your heart. Be ready. Here comes life.”

— Maya Angelou

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“All suffering can and should be avoided” ~ Pa

“All suffering can and should be avoided”
~ Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.16

Karma in hinduismn means the sum of a persons actions in this and previous existence, viewed as deciding their fate in the future.

I spend a lot of time thinking of all the mischief I’ve created knowing and unknowingly. Maybe too much 🤦🏻‍♀️

Like, daydreaming when I should be curbing my dog, watching for one ways (opposies!), eating the last brownie, etc.

@angelazjamison, during my last trip to India, taught me the Saturday ritual at the local Shani temple.

Shani is the god Associated with the planet saturn.

There I learned a ritual to burn intentional and unintentional karma as an offering.

I cried a lot. It was such a release.

While, Buffalo isn’t the capital of the world for Shani temples, I still practice this ritual in my own way, from time to time.

It helps me make peace with the moments where I cause emotional harm, unintentionally.

Gosh, it’s the worst feeling to hurt someone’s feelings or fall short with a client. Sometimes it’s the trying so hard that does it too 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

A huge part of the ritual for me is acknowledging and accepting that I will accumulate bad karma. That’s the nature of being a human. And that’s ok.

If you’re carrying some heavy stuff including but not limited to making a mistake, failing, being too depleted to go the extra mile, anger, resentment, fear, or just plain daydreaming and running a red light…

Here is a snippet of the ritual I do to find inner peace ☮️ I hope it helps you too.

🧘🏻‍♀️ Go somewhere peaceful and quiet. You may Offer these minutes of silence to Shanidev, the God of Saturn who gladly takes all karma, good and bad, or any other deity that feels right to you.

🔥 light a candle
❤️ chant Om three time
🧘🏻‍♀️ Sit quietly for ten minutes inhaling and feeling the new experience and new breathe come in, exhaling and releasing all of your breath deeply (you may do this for as long as you need, sitting, lying down or in child’s pose)

Check out the link in my bio to connect @malissa.larson or DM me here. I’d love to hear from you. Photo credit @bert_brews

I remember the first time I saw my good friend in

I remember the first time I saw my good friend in college dance.⁠
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When the light hits someone in that way, flecks dance in the air.⁠
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As the music began, her body would float effortlessly across the stage.⁠
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She filled negative space with movement, breath, and told us a story with shapes.⁠
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I was lost in it and I lost myself.⁠
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Expression is a gift, not just to the artist.⁠
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What's your expression of choice?⁠
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Leave me a comment below ⬇️ 😊⁠
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I was ALWAYS thrown by stage left and stage right.

I was ALWAYS thrown by stage left and stage right.⁠
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It makes sense, in theory, 🤪⁠
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Similarly, a baby's fetal station can be confusing.⁠
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Did you know, that when a baby is -1, -2, -3 they're positioned above the rim of the pelvis?⁠
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Station 0 is right at the rim...⁠
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and +1, +2, and +3 are in the vaginal canal. ⁠
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getting your baby low before labor can be SUPER helpful. Lower baby, less pushing, closer to cuddles.⁠
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Everyone wins 😉⁠
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Here are some things to do to encourage a baby lower:⁠
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😻 Walk! This is possibly the best thing you can do to help a little one wiggle down.⁠
😻 Squats and yoga hip openers⁠
😻 Homeopathic remedies to help soften the cervix (more on that in future posts!!)⁠
😻 Climb stairs⁠
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Want to learn more about Homeopathic and natural remedies for induction... Stay tuned! Check out my classes and offerings @malissa.larson link in bio 💋⁠
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Some general human guidelines are really helpful.⁠
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For example⁠
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🥕 Walk outside a lot⁠
🥕 Play⁠
🥕 Laughter is medicine. Do more of it⁠
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Then there are some guidelines that are more preferential. Those guidelines are the ones that can box me in, manipulate and make me feel crazy.⁠
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Children teach me that everyone is different and not by choice. Gifts of the individual may come out when we are just little ones. ⁠
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I ask myself, over the years, which one of my gifts has been put to the sidelines. Let's face it, while coloring in a coloring book is super satisfying and I may be really good at it ( yea I said it!) it's not likely to bring in the chedda. ⁠
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Yet it's digging into those exact little things that have deepened my connection to my yoga practice and doula work. ⁠
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Looking to bring a little extra individual flava and style to your yoga practice and birth experience, I'll invite you to ask, what parts of me have I lost along the way?⁠
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I know, its a deep question!⁠
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BUT maybe you'll just find that missing piece to bring the magic back.⁠
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For more on my ever-evolving relationship with creativity in my work visit my website link in bio @malissa.larson.⁠
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In 2018/2019 I spent two months in India. Every Fr

In 2018/2019 I spent two months in India. Every Friday while in India I would go to the Durga temple. ⁠Friday is the day of goddess worship. It's a party 🤟🏽⁠
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I would stand in line with women in beautiful colored saris offering flowers, incents, and mantras(songs of prayer often sung in Sanskrit). ⁠
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I was surrounded by swaths of deep red, blue, green, and gold. Large fire pyres were lit at the entryway. Magic ⭐⁠
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⁠I felt a deep connection with Durga that year. I'd learned that she is the protector of birth, among other things. ⁠
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Her prayers are chanted at the moment of transition, while Hindu women are in labor.⁠ Neat. ⁠
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In times of mystery and vulnerability, one may find comfort in prayer. Sometimes, it can help to feel into the possibility with a sense of direction and asking.⁠
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Ultimately, all that power may come from right inside of us. Who knows for sure? ⁠
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But I know what I feel and MAN does it feel good to think like Durga ♥️⁠
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Here are some other powerful spiritual figures that may resonate with you:⁠
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1. Mother Theresa⁠
2. Ghandi⁠
3. Jesus Christ⁠
4. Ganesha⁠
5. Shiva⁠
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Did I miss Yours? let me know in the comments below ⬇️⁠
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Learn yoga with me! See the link in bio @malissa.larson to learn more.⁠
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Media Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/-nsza_0Ki0A⁠
Photo by Sonika Agarwal on Unsplash

In high school, I had a deep NEED for a hot Plymou

In high school, I had a deep NEED for a hot Plymouth Neon Saturn. ⁠
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Ohhh, baby!⁠
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That desire for freedom drove (hehe hehe) me into my first job as a sub girl. ⁠
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I saved all my money and my dad matched it for a down payment. That was so satisfying, to see money, MY money, put to work in the world.⁠
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I always thought, to make money, you gotta work your dupa off!! ⁠
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As I've grown up, the possibilities to work myself to the ground are endless. But, I'm left asking, must I always me that sub girl, scrapping for her sweet Plymouth Neon?⁠
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Jen Sincero's book taught me so much about how to manage my mindset around money. ⁠
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Lo and behold! a healthy relationship with money has SO many metaphorical cross-overs in yoga, labor, birth, and business. ⁠
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Turns out, hard work IS super rewarding. ⁠
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But not in the way I thought. As a small business owner of seven years, I've learned that...⁠
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While collecting cans and selling my unused appliances when money is tight delivers immediate results, it does not do the foundational work of fliers, creativity, and making connections. ⁠
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Growing my income and business has been less like binge shopping at target (ohhhhh friends, the struggle is real. That place is made for folks like me!) and more like... farming. ⁠
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Yoga and birth are like this too. ⁠
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Sure, you can go in with blind faith, hoping for the best, and you may luck out. For most of us, that isn't the case. We leave our experiences wondering what the heck happened and feeling duped. ⁠
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I LOVE metaphors. Here are a few that I came up with from Jen and a few others. ⁠
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🐈 The proof is in the pudding, you have to make the pudding. ⁠
🐈 Money is a concept. Actual paper Money is gross. What's up with that?⁠
🐈I hand the guy in India a stack of paper and he hands me another stack of paper. That paper makes food and a shelter. what? Money is a concept.⁠
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Any advice, reading, or metaphors for money? I'd love to hear. Leave me a comment below ⬇️

“From little seeds Grow mighty trees” ~unknow

“From little seeds
Grow mighty trees”

~unknown

Happy fourth everyone! Shine bright, grow tall ❤️🌈

Instagram post 17938077505542752

Instagram post 17938077505542752

In church, we would always hold hands and pray. Ev

In church, we would always hold hands and pray. Even though my palms would get super hot and sweaty from nerves 😅 I'd always kinda liked it. ⁠
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Does anyone else feel the same? I feel something powerful in lowering my gaze in silence and tuning into my hands.
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I can feel the soft touch of my mother's hand on my head when she brushed my hair and remember the way it felt when my trusted yoga teachers would gently ease my body into a yoga pose. ⁠
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In these uncertain times, being touched brings whole new energy. It feels soothing and unfamiliar all at the same time. Memories flood me when I hug a friend for the first time in many months or am lucky enough to hold and send good energy and love to a newborn.⁠
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In yoga, I was taught something called mudras. If you find yourself ready to practice awareness in the power of touch again, mudras are a great way to begin! ⁠
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Here is one I'd recommend:⁠
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🙋🏽‍♀️ Featured in this picture, my dear friend Olivia is practicing Anjali Mudra ( also known as Pranam Mudra, Namaste Mudra, or the prayer mudra ). ⁠
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🧡 To practice this, begin by placing your hands together, resting them at your sternum. ⁠
🧡 Gentle press your thumbs into your chest and lift the spine. ⁠
🧡 Then, feel each finger as it touches the other, slowly moving to the center of your palm. ⁠
🧡 Allow 1-5 deep breathes, in and out through the nose, for each finger.⁠
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Let me know how it goes! Leave a comment below :)⁠
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and as always, remember there is so much love out there for you. Stay weird ninja <3⁠
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My first heartbreak left me in shambles. Anyone

My first heartbreak left me in shambles.

Anyone else have a first heartbreak hotel?

Such a doozy, amiright?

Over the years I’ve learned how to cope with life’s twists and turns. I must say, I’ve gotten pretty dang good at it.

Even still, Heartbreak…that one is my least fave.

A friend once told me “where there is breath, there is hope.”

Love that!

But the fear that clenches around a heart during love loss can make breathing feel impossible. Utterly and entirely impossible.

Alas, nothing lasts forever. Even heartbreak, in all of its eternal cringe.

Some day, seemingly near or far, the weeds clear and we feel the relief of letting go. Like a good poop 😆!

Looking at loss, previously feared, in the “eyes” for the first time is the very definition of relief. When you can finally say “I’m lighter” and not be sent spiraling, that’s when you know something has lifted from your field.

Phew…

If you find yourself here, in the contractions of “it”.

You’re not alone! Feel that?… it was an insta hug 🤗

Don’t worry mama, papa, goddess, ninja… you’re gonna be alright.

It’s going to be alright.

My go-to body positions these days are⁠ ⁠ 🥦

My go-to body positions these days are⁠
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🥦 Hunched over my iPhone⁠
🥦 computer⁠
🥦 or a steaming cup of coffee staring at my plants ⁠
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My morning yoga practice is a great way to move my body and make new shapes. ⁠
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Some of the yoga poses are easy for me and some are challenging. Either way, breathing into them makes me feel calmer in the end. ⁠
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Bending my back in the opposite way I usually have is one pose that is SO important. It is important for circulation, joint health, and spinal health. ⁠
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Bodies like to move or else they get stuck. If you're feeling stuck, well then friend, come onnnn and move!⁠
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Here are some fun ways to get started:⁠
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1. Take a yoga class at your local yoga studio! You can practice with me at @heartfireyoga or some of the other amazing instructors.⁠
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2. Are you in a pregnant body. Well first, congratulations! Second, find a local prenatal yoga class and commit to it weekly. You'll be happy you did!⁠
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3 Lastly, go hang out and play with some kids. While it may be hard to keep up full you'll find yourself moving and bending in new ways. And, kids can be a hoot to play with! ⁠
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Come practice! link in bio @malissa.larson or visit the website @heartfireyoga ⁠

As a labor doula, I find myself attending birth in

As a labor doula, I find myself attending birth in different environments. ⁠⁠
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🌴 Hospitals ⁠⁠
🌴 Birthing Centers⁠⁠
🌴 Home ⁠⁠
🌴 Cars 😅⁠⁠
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Birth happens. It's happening all around us right now. Every experience of birth will teach us new things about ourselves and the world around us. ⁠⁠
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If you find yourself on the other side of birth. Not just cute tiny humans but businesses, moves, animals, chapters, etc. Here are some journal prompts to extract the most out of your experience:⁠⁠
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✍🏾 Make a list of the even details. Day, time, what was born, and any logistics your find relevant⁠⁠
✍🏾 Find a quote that encompasses the experience⁠⁠
✍🏾 Were there any songs that stuck out?⁠⁠
✍🏾 What surprised you about the expereince?⁠⁠
✍🏾 What made you laugh?⁠⁠
✍🏾 What made your heart explode with gratitude?⁠⁠
✍🏾 Where are you going now?⁠⁠
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Do you have any journal prompts that helped you process a birth? I'd love to know!! Share with me in the comments below :)⁠⁠

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Buffalo, NY 14222

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