The connection that binds a mother to her child is immediate, irreversible and irreplaceable. Dr. Thom E. Lobe, founder and medical director of Beneveda Medical Group in Beverly Hills, Calif., joins Mindful Mama to discuss the miracle of such a beautiful and amazing energy. The energy between a mother and child begins in the womb. What sparks this connection? Every living thing has energy, inanimate objects have energy — it all started with energy. When a child is conceived, the mother-child bond develops immediately. The fetus isn't yet its own being, so its innate core energy is directly from the mother. Of course, some energy comes from dad, too. All basic energy comes from parents at the moment of conception, and is nurtured by parents through life. During pregnancy, everything mom eats, feels and experiences is transferred to the fetus. A mother and her unborn baby's energies are so intertwined and comingled, they're hard to separate — it's the essence of...

Every prenatal yoga class I teach starts with what I call "circle time." During this brief introduction, each student says their name, how far along they are in their pregnancy, and if there is any ache or pain I should know about. While I never claim to be a doctor, I do have a pretty good understanding of anatomy — especially anatomy and physiology related to pregnancy — and how pregnancy changes can create aches and pains. Luckily, many of these pregnancy-related issues can be addressed and remedied through yoga asanas, or poses. Back Pain The most common complaint from...

"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you, yet they do not belong to you ..." Kahlil Gibran Children come into this world with their own soul and life path. We, as mothers, are simply here to love and guide them on their journey, as well as support, nurture and help them find their own authentic way of expression and being. When we have not made peace with our childhood, our wounds and ourselves, we tend to project what was done to us onto our children, and...

Marriage is the foundation upon which your entire family is structured. If your marriage is strong, your whole family will be strong; your life will be more peaceful, you'll be a better parent, and you'll — quite simply — have more fun. To create or maintain a strong marriage, you will have to take the first critical step: You must be willing to put time, effort and thought into nurturing your marriage — you have to make a commitment . The ideas presented below will help you follow through, and will put new life and meaning into your marriage — which could encourage...

"Do you do yoga with your son?" I'm asked this question pretty consistently. The answer: yes and no. When I was asked to film a class with him for YogaGlo , I wasn't sure. My work is to serve my students from an educated, experiential place, and I haven't been trained to teach yoga to kids. Art for kids, yes. Yoga for kids, no. Our attempts at practicing together essentially consist of me doing two sun salutations and a few standing poses, 4-year-old Jonah walking all over me, transforming my back into a pony ride and holding on for dear life as I lift from up dog back into...