Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Almodovar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Right before I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I was in a conversation with friends (all moms) sharing their birth stories. Sadly all the stories being shared had some amount of trauma in each one, to the point where I started thinking, “I’m not sure I ever want to have kids…!” In that moment, a friend who had been quiet in the conversation pulled me aside and said, “Sarah–it doesn’t have to be that way.” She proceeded to tell me about her redemptive home birth with her second child after an unpleasant hospital birth with her first.

(Now, to be clear, hospital does not always mean “negative,” and home birth is not for everyone!)

But this is how my journey into motherhood began–seeing what was accepted as “normal,” and beginning to understand it truly didn’t have to be that way.

I ended up opting for a home birth and had an incredibly empowering and peaceful experience. I had practiced yoga and meditated throughout that pregnancy, and it made all the difference.

When I was pregnant with my second child, and Instagram ad found me for a pre- and postnatal yoga teacher training. My heart skipped a beat, and I KNEW it was for me. I had a lot of hesitation, though, because I felt like I was diving into so many different things at once and maybe spreading myself too thin. I remember thinking, “Why bother taking this training and starting to teach prenatal yoga now? I’m about to give birth and will have to take a pause from everything! Is it really worth building momentum only to come to a hard stop?”

(Spoiler alert: it was 100% worth it.)

Thankfully, I had a wise coach tell me, “If not now, when?”

I had the unique experience of going through a training about pregnancy and postpartum while I was pregnant. I got to lead yoga classes for pregnant moms while also being pregnant myself. Those days were unforgettable and truly became a defining moment of my teaching career.

Since then, I’ve carried the lessons of “It doesn’t have to be that way” and “If not now, when?” with me through motherhood and teaching yoga. My mission has become one that empowers women to not just accept the status quo and resign themselves to things like a dysfunctional pelvic floor, a powerless birthing experience, or constant burnout in motherhood, but instead to equip and empower them with knowledge and encouragement for the journey. I believe all moms everywhere deserve a positive birth, a motherhood experience that’s refreshing, and a body that “works!”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Sarah, NYC-based wife, mom of 3 littles, and dedicated yogi with 15+ years experience. I took my first-ever yoga class in college, and as a natural teacher (Elementary Ed background!), I’ve been teaching pretty much as long as I’ve been practicing (about 15 years!). My passion lies in using yoga as a tool to navigate the intricate journey of motherhood – from pregnancy to postpartum.

As a long-time practitioner and teacher, I’ve harnessed the transformative power of yoga to create a unique program that nurtures both your body and spirit during this unique phase of life. Whether you join me for a live class or catch one on-demand from my website, you’ll leave feeling calm, strong, and ready for what lies ahead.

My mission is to help you feel good pregnant, savor the empowering experience of birth, and embrace your postpartum body with unconditional love and acceptance. Now, that doesn’t mean just accepting peeing when you sneeze, stubborn low back pain, or a “mommy tummy” as the price to pay for becoming a mom. I’ll help you understand what’s happening inside your body so that we can correct these issues together.

My favorite part of my work is hearing from moms after they’ve given birth. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard “I used ____ technique that you taught me, and it made all the difference in my labor!” or “This birth and postpartum time has been so different from last time, all thanks to the work I’ve done with you.”

Leave behind your endless internet searches on strengthening pelvic floor muscles, recognizing diastasis recti, or finding safe exercises for pregnancy. Instead, allow me to guide you on this incredible journey with expert knowledge, compassionate care, and tailor-made yoga techniques.‍

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Compassion, hands down. There’s a lot of morality tied to birthing experiences and parenting choices, and it’s so important to remain a constant source of nonjudgmental acceptance.

I recently had a client tell me she knew pushing on her back wasn’t a good idea, but she did it anyway because she just wanted the baby out and felt in the moment that that made the most sense, even though she regrets it now. In moments like that, I have a choice to make–assert my own thoughts about the decision she’s made, or just welcome her to share her thoughts and find a way to move forward. Birth is such a personal experience that I think it’s important to really find the best way to support someone (especially if that means keeping my mouth shut!) instead of pushing my own agenda.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I’ve learned to be bold. My first business coach gave me the idea of keeping an eye on local Facebook groups for anyone who mentioned pregnancy or having a new baby, and then reaching out to them. The idea TERRIFIED me at first, but after following through a few times, I found most people were really receptive to it. (And the few that weren’t were not what I expected–they were polite and moved on, but never rude!)

I’ve learned to see my business as a service–almost like I’m actually doing moms a favor by offering yoga classes, events, and programs. When I see it like that, I feel more empowered to tell people about classes, to ask for testimonials, to assert myself and my business in the public space.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahjoalmo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjoalmo/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCoOrPl6vI9yGI5AmanZCSA
• Other: Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/sarahjoalmo/

Image Credits
All photos by Sarah Almodovar