Janet V. Markovits, LMT has been a NY State licensed massage therapist since 1997. She studied MotherMassage® with Elaine Stillerman and took over her practice in 1993 which is when Maternal Massage and More was born. Maternal Massage and More specializes in prenatal and postpartum massage, labor support and baby massage. With the use of the bodycushion clients will be able to lie comfortably and safely on their belly throughout their entire pregnancy. It is so comfortable clients do not want to get off the table.
Janet has had the pleasure of working with women through 2 and 3 pregnancies and couldn’t think of a more special clientele to work with. Janet sees many clients from beginning to end and helps them through the many discomforts that happen during pregnancy ranging from back pain, headaches, sciatica to swollen legs and feet, carpel tunnel and general maintenance and relaxation. She has also studied sports massage, lymphatic drainage and craniosacral therapy. She uses a combination of these modalities and each treatment is catered to the client’s needs. Janet also teaches labor support where the partner comes in for a hands on lesson on how to massage them during labor. We also go over acupressure and reflexology points which can induce and speed labor up. It is a wonderful way to get your partner involved in the process. Lastly Janet also does postpartum and baby massage. You will need a massage after the baby is born just as much as while you did while you were pregnant but for all different reasons. They don’t call it labor for nothing. You may not be are not sleeping well, nursing, sore or achy from the labor itself or from now carrying a newborn and all the things that come along with it; postpartum massage will help tremendously; and Janet’s favorite baby massage. She loves getting to meet the end product of this beautiful process. Baby massage classes are given privately and in groups. Specific techniques will be taught to use if the baby has, chest or sinus congestion, colic or any digestive issues. It is a great way to calm the baby down and get them to sleep; and a wonderful way to bond with your baby.
Janet has offices in Soho and Park Slope, Brooklyn and is available for housecalls.
Cara L. Muhlhahn, CNM I have been a Midwife my entire adult life. I was 19 years old when I felt the initial stirrings of the call to Midwifery. By that time, I had lived in, and/or traveled to several different countries. I knew that what I wanted to do had to bring me into contact with all people, with absolutely no exceptions (all cultures give birth). I also knew that I would not spend many years obtaining mastery in a pursuit, and then allow my life’s work to be rendered obsolete with the invention of some new technology. During my adolescence and early adulthood, I realized how much my personality fit with a life of service. Growing up the second oldest in a family of five girls was a good foundation for understanding how similar and yet uniquely individual each woman’s personal expression can be. That was the beginning.
After almost 30 years of learning and practicing Midwifery, I have come to realize that I have chosen well. With each passing year, I discover that the work that I naturally love to do has many rewards that I never anticipated when I began: the art of refining clinical judgment calls, for one. I have realized that being in a healing profession is a natural extension of my character. It is what I am made to do. It is what I am called to do. I watched a movie about two Italian doctors in Afghanistan, taking care of soldiers from both sides of the conflict. The doctors just wanted to make everyone better, heal the wounds, and see them back on their feet; no partisanship. I related to those guys. As I matured from my ideological beginnings, I have come to realize the joy in facilitating each woman’s unique expression and empowerment.
How and where a woman gives birth has a profound affect on her life thereafter. At home, in a protected space, where intimacy can exist, families experience joy and triumph as they give birth according to their own values, upholding their own priorities. I am honored to be a player in this great event.
Jennifer Daly and Chantal Deeble
As Studio Directors, Jennifer & Chantal train private clients & group classes, ensure the quality of kinespirit's trainers, and conduct Gyrotonic & Gyrokinesis teacher training programs.
As Gyrotonic trainers, Jennifer & Chantal have worked with people with a wide range of needs: from professional dancers and athletes, pre and post natal women, the elderly, to those rehabbing from injury, and everyday folks who just want to look and feel better.
Both Jennifer and Chantal have worked extensively with Juliu Horvath, Gyrotonic inventor, developing deep understanding of the philosophy, curriculum, and training methodology the system is founded upon. Gyrotonic is a living and breathing movement form that continues to mature, and Jennifer & Chantal strive to stay updated and involved in its evolution. This commitment allows them to bring the most advanced and effective techniques to kinespirit's clients.
More about Jennifer Daly
Jennifer is a Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, Gyrotonic Archway, & Gyrotonic Jumping-Stretching Board Master Trainer. In addition to Gyrotonic, Jennifer is also an accomplished teacher in the dance community, having authored and implemented one of the only New York State Board of Education approved middle and high school Dance programs. Jennifer's movement heritage includes being a professional modern dancer, Ashtanga Yoga teacher (trained by David Swenson), competitive gymnast, and recreational runner. She has received both her BS and MA in Dance and Dance Education from New York University. She has been active as a performer, a choreographer, an administrator, and a producer in the New York City dance community.
More about Chantal Deeble
Chantal is also one of the few Master Trainers worldwide for Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, Gyrotonic Archway, & Gyrotonic Jumping-Stretching Board. In addition, Chantal is an accomplished Pilates Master Trainer, fully certified through PMA and Stott Pilates, as well as an ACE-certified Personal Trainer (American Council of Exercise). As a foundation to her Gyrotonic and Pilates career, Chantal was a well established dance artist. She studied dance at Simon Fraser University, the Merce Cunningham School, and the Limon Studio. Chantal performed and taught in South America, Asia, Canada, the United States and Europe with numerous choreographers and companies including The Holy Body Tattoo (Vancouver, Canada), and Elizabeth Streb's NY based extreme action-invention dance company STREB.
Stephanie Watson-Campbell is a professionally trained birth and postpartum doula, a childbirth educator, child passenger safety technician and a lactation counselor. She is the founder and director of the Stork Store, a premiere baby boutique that also provides childbirth education classes and doula services. Ms. Watson-Campbell is on the council of the Metropolitan Doula Group, is a member of the Brooklyn Doula Group, Lamaze, Dona, New York Lactation Consultant Association and Safe Kids. She also has a fourteen month old son.
Megan Tubman, MS, RD helps women who are pregnant, planning, or have just given birth make a fresh start at healthy eating by providing them with individualized nutrition counseling and education at her private practice Fresh Start Nutrition Studio, in Tribeca. Megan completed undergraduate studies in Dietetics at the University of Cincinnati, graduate work in Nutrition Education at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College, and dietetic internship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is a registered dietitian, a member of the American Dietetic Association, is on the leadership team of the ADA’s Women’s Health Practice Group and the Tribeca CSA. After years of studying nutrition and health, both in the classroom and as a research dietitian at Columbia University Medical Center, Megan was left with the desire to learn more about food - more specifically, how to make it taste great! So, under the guidance of seasoned chefs she completed an intense curriculum to earn a Grand Diploma in Classic Culinary Arts, from the French Culinary Institute, and expanded her knowledge and skills with experience at L’Ecole and Savoy restaurants. Culinary expertise is an asset she draws upon when suggesting diet modifications for health that maintain or improve the flavor, texture, and visual appeal of meals. She knows from personal experience that eating healthfully while leading a busy life and dealing with the physical demands of pregnancy can seem like a huge challenge, but enjoying benefits like improved pregnancy outcomes and better long-term health for herself and new baby are great motivators. With her guidance, healthy eating will be easier and tastier than you’d expect!
Isa Herrera, MSPT ,CSCS owns and operates Renew Physical Therapy, a leading healing center in New York City. She has dedicated her career to helping women and men find relief from conditions such as dyspareunia, incontinence, pelvic pain, prolapse and pre and post-natal complications. Ms Herrera's approach to healing is holistic, utilizing techniques that tie together mind-painful body components. She believes that everyone holds the key to their pain relief, all they need is to be shown the way. Her goal is to always empower her patients with the tools they need to succeed on their own.
Her passion for women’s health and healing began after working for many years with pregnant women, who many times suffered from sexual pain and other problems after the birth of their children. Her experience with these women inspired her decision to further her studies, by getting her Master's in Physical Therapy. Herrera's experience with her patients lead to the development of her treatment protocols and therapeutic methods, which fuse together many types of exercises, self-care practice and relaxation techniques.
Ms. Herrera's other program at Renew PT is called Bodyworks Orthopedics and centers on expert therapy with empowerment and self-help for athletes, and all manner of conditions, with special focus on spinal injuries.
She has appeared on national television on both The Regis and Kelly Show and NBC’s Today Show, where she promoted her work and her first book, “The Pregnant Couples Guide to Working Together.” She is currently working on her second book "End Female Pain" which will be completed in Jan 2009. Ms Herrera holds a Masters in Physical Therapy from Hunter College and a BA in Psychology and Biology from Fordham University.
Bethany Leddy, Licensed Acupuncturist, MSOM attended SouthWest Acupuncture College in Boulder, Colorado and graduated in 2002 with a Master’s of Science in Oriental Medicine. Ms. Leddy was the 2001 acupuncture intern at Longmont Hospital in Colorado and the 2006 Chief Fellow in integrative medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York. Ms. Leddy began working with pregnant patients while still in acupuncture school and assisted at her first birth in 2000. While in school more than 1/3 of her school was pregnant which gave her the unique opportunity to gain extensive experience with all stages of pregnancy. Since practicing in New York for the past seven years she has worked with thousands of pregnant women, assisted during many births, and currently about 50% of her patients are pregnant. She practices a unique technique which provides for harmony and balance for the mother and baby throughout every month of pregnancy. She also does acupuncture for breech turning, labor induction, and acupuncture during labor for pain reduction.
Jen Morris is a green and holistic wellness educator and a Shaklee Independent Distributor. She is passionate about teaching individuals simple ways to live greener and healthier lives. Shaklee, America’s #1 natural nutrition company, has been creating healthier lives for millions of people for over 50 years. Shaklee is also the preeminent leader in the environmental movement and was the first company in the world to be certified “Climate Neutral,” signifying that they leave net-zero impact on the planet through a history of environmental stewardship.
Jen has worked with numerous parents and families to help eliminate toxins in the home and replace every day household products with smarter, healthier alternatives. Her work is personally motivated as she grew up with numerous allergies and chemical sensitivities. After years on various medications and weekly allergy shots, Jen sought out holistic ways to treat her sensitivities and stop the chronic headaches, sinus infections and upper respiratory irritations. Her success has fueled her desire to educate others about greening their lives from the inside out. Whether you are seeking to naturally improve your own health or that of your family's or planet, Jen is happy to share various options including non-toxic cleaning products, organic baby care, children's nutrition, clean air and water, and whole food supplementation.
