Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Obstler & Deborah Anderson.
Hi Wendy & Deborah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Wendy’s Story: I started practicing yoga seriously in 2003 and landed in a studio in North Hollywood that, at the time, was owned by Brenda Strong. She was teaching a class called “Female Balancing.” That sounded interesting to me so I checked it out. Had I known that it was a class geared towards fertility, I probably wouldn’t have ever stepped foot in there! At that point in my life, fertility enhancement was the last thing I was seeking. However, Brenda’s teaching deeply resonated with me and I immediately fell in love with the work. The “sugar on top” was that this specific practice felt amazing to me. It provided me with tools for stress relief, moving my body and breathing in ways that honored my natural cycle as a woman and helped me feel more grounded. I attended that class over the next year and then completed yoga teacher training with Brenda the year after that. Since that time, I have continued with and deepened my studies, eventually becoming a Certified Yoga Therapist. Ultimately, my time being mentored by Brenda changed the entire trajectory of my life’s “career.” I now specialize in yoga for women’s reproductive health (across the lifespan), those with musculoskeletal issues/conditions, older adults (65 and over), and Corporate Wellness. I work daily teaching therapeutic yoga one-to-one, in small groups and corporate environments.
I met my business partner, Deborah, in one of the training with Brenda for Strong Yoga® 4Fertility and Fertility Ball Method®. At that point, I had been teaching fertility yoga for several years and Deborah was deep in the midst of her own fertility journey. We became fast friends and the rest is history.
For over 17 years now, I have had the honor to guide and hold the space for hundreds of women moving through the tumultuous roller coaster ride of fertility. I have also been through my own personal bumpy ride on the fertility wagon. After two miscarriages, I conceived my amazing son, Henri. My pregnancy with him was not without its challenges, but in the end, I was blessed to have my “ideal” childbirth and delivery. I owe much of my ability to stay calm and trusting of my body to my yoga practice. And that experience drives me to pass that knowledge on through my teaching.
After a diagnosis in 2009 of a “severe” disc herniation in my low back, I used the practice of specific yoga approaches, therapeutically, to stabilize and manage that injury with no other medical interventions. It now brings me great joy to share the tools of yoga therapy with other individuals in chronic pain, recovering from injury, and post-operative rehab, and to help build awareness towards injury prevention. I feel that one of the most important things we can learn on this journey is to receive whatever life has in store for us, and that may not always be the path we expected to take.
Deborah’s Story: When I went to graduate school, I specialized in the field of Health Psychology, which was in its infancy at that time. It was very exciting to be studying mind-body medicine and the relationships between our thoughts, emotions, and physical well-being at a time when many people still did not believe they were intimately connected. I loved being able to teach my patients how to use their breath, visualization, hypnosis, and other techniques to change their experiences. When I first moved to Los Angeles, I dabbled a little in yoga more so for exercise purposes but in 2006 I felt a strong draw towards pursuing yoga teacher training and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I always say, “Being a yoga teacher has made me a better psychologist and vice versa”.
When you read the yoga philosophy texts that were written thousands of years ago, you are reading good psychology.
They figured out much of what creates good mental, physical and spiritual well-being a very long time ago and that’s why it has stood the test of time. Many of these ancient yogic techniques and principles are now routinely being used in the mental health field, particularly the practices of mindfulness and meditation. Transformation can certainly come from talking alone but there seems to be even more power when you combine the mind, emotions, body, and spirit in the healing process. I love being able to teach these both in my private practice as well as in the yoga studio!
I came to fertility yoga because of my own fertility challenges. As I began to research what might help to optimize my fertility, aside from any Western medicine, I happened to find what was called, at that time, the Strong Yoga® 4Fertility program created by Brenda Strong. Brenda’s pioneering work in this field began as a personal journey to find answers and solutions to her own secondary infertility challenges. The next round of teacher training was scheduled for a few weeks later and it was in that class that I met Wendy.
We continued to study with Brenda and teach her work for many years, and in 2015, Brenda gave us her blessing to take this work and continue to expand the program. We initially started teaching in-person classes and workshops and fortuitously, a few years before the pandemic, we began to create an entire virtual-based program so that we could help women and couples all over the world who are experiencing fertility challenges.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely not always been a smooth road! But that’s part of the journey of being a human being and definitely part of what we teach: how do you find your equanimity, your center when life is throwing you off balance?
Because we both were experiencing our own struggles with fertility at certain points during the past two decades, there were definitely times when it was a challenge to hold space for our students while also trying to honor and take care of our own mental and physical well-being. But this has helped us to empathize with our clients at such a deep level; there is an authenticity that we bring to the work that would not otherwise be there. We know what it’s like to feel such grief and helplessness; we also know what it feels like to move through that pain and come out at the other end feeling more empowered, even if the story did not end the way you originally hoped it would.
Another struggle we have faced is the lack of awareness about this work – both that it is available AND that comprehensive mind-body programs can positively, and significantly, impact your ability to get pregnant! Thankfully there is more and more science coming out demonstrating the efficacy of yoga practices (mindfulness, meditation, asana, breathwork) on mental and physical well-being across many medical and psychological symptoms/disorders.
The other ongoing challenge is trying to juggle modern-day life – having a full-time job, being a parent, etc., while trying to run a company, especially some of the more “technical” aspects (i.e., switching to a new online learning platform in the past year, updating websites, terms, and conditions, etc.). Thankfully many of those things are now completed so we can focus more on the parts we love – creating new content to share with our students!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Living Lēla is the parent company of Soulful Conceptions™ and was born from over a decade of our work with the Strong Yoga4Fertility™ program. Lēla (derived from the Sanskrit word Lila) means “divine play” – the play or delight of creation, to joyfully embrace all aspects of life, to love, and celebrate life. All of the experiences of life (the joys and the sorrows) set the stage and serve to teach us to find this “play” in our day-to-day lives, so that we may discover and be true to our authentic selves, and share this inner light and creativity.
Soulful Conceptions™ is a proven and comprehensive system of mind-body concepts, exercises, and coaching that teaches our clients how to listen to their bodies, connect to their breath (particularly as they navigate the stress of uncertainty), and cope with the many facets and challenges that arise during the fertility, pregnancy & postpartum journey.
In all of our work and programs, we draw on the many tools of Yoga/Eastern medicine and Western Psychology such as Yoga asanas (poses), pranayama (breathing techniques), meditations, acupressure using the Fertility Ball® Method, neuroscience, and psychological principles, education on diet, nutrition and environmental impacts on fertility, the role of epigenetic and genetic factors in fertility, and Ayurveda (the sister science of yoga).
We offer a variety of programs to help meet the varying needs of our clients:
• Be More, Do Less™ Twelve-Week Coaching Program
Our coaching program includes weekly video calls with an intimate group of others moving through a similar journey. The specially curated content includes weekly online support resources, our special 14-day Guide for the Two-Week Wait, and much more.
• Soulful Conceptions™ Membership Immersion (Independent Study)
This offers members a wide variety of wellness tools and mind-body practices, through mostly video and audio (with some downloadable PDFs). With over 30+ hours of content, in a mix of simple yet powerful yoga sequences, guided meditations, and oh-so-much more, these resources help clients approach their journey in a balanced way. May be accessed anytime, anywhere on a computer or mobile device.
• Fertility Ball Method®
This system utilizes ancient acupressure points in the body — the same meridians, or energy channels, as used in acupuncture. This protocol can be practiced in the comfort of the home and is safe to do if someone is undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), with specific instructions for modifications, when needed.
• Virtual Fertility + Early Pregnancy Mind-Body Group Support
Our one-hour weekly support group visits give individuals an opportunity to meet others going through fertility challenges, learn tangible mind-body wellness tools, and have the opportunity to share in a safe space as much, or as little, as feels comfortable. We have found that having this opportunity to be “seen” by others is an integral part of their healing.
• Mind-Body Movement Classes
These classes are safe for everyone, no matter where they are in their menstrual cycles and if they are using Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). This is a 60-minute combo of yoga asana, breathwork, and meditation/mindfulness.
• One-on-one Coaching and Support
We offer individualized care to those who want a little extra care and coaching.
Our classes and programs are for anyone on the fertility, pregnancy, and post-partum journey. No prior yoga experience is necessary! We have often found that the early pregnancy stage may be even more anxiety-provoking for some, particularly if there is a history of prior losses (i.e., miscarriages, stillbirths, etc.). We also remind our students that this work is preparing them for parenthood, not just conception and pregnancy. We shift the focus from Baby-making to Mama-making!!
How do you define success?
• Progressing and moving forward.
• Learning from our “mistakes.”
• Being resilient.
• Practicing what we preach.
• Sharing our knowledge and leaving people with a toolkit that they can use not only for their current stressors but for the rest of their lives!
• Surrendering to all of the parts we cannot control.
• Making peace with the light and dark of human experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soulfulconceptions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/living_lela/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livinglela
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7YgQftfclswMxtKpLwbBEw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/living-l%C4%93la-los-angeles?osq=living+lela
- Other: www.livinglela.com
Image Credits
Jen Castle Photography and Shari Yantra Marcacci Photography
