“I thought the yoga class was great and something we all needed. She was so welcoming and a great instructor.”

“I personally really like how accessible it was, made me think of how successful a stretching class would be.  Her meditation course also seems great.  Loved the teacher and content. I think it'll be great for the whole office.” (-my boss)

"I cannot thank you enough for helping me through 2 pregnancies. Saturdays at yoga with you were the highlight of my week." ~B Peachtree Yoga Student Atlanta, GA

Can I get some more stars to give Elika, please? This review is for both prenatal yoga and doula birth services.  I met Elika in 2012 when I was pregnant with my first baby. She was my weekly prenatal yoga teacher and I loved loved loved her class. I had been practicing yoga for 10 years before I got pregnant but still learned many helpful perspectives and techniques from Elika.  Most importantly, her personality and attitude are glowing with nurturing love and support.  When I found out she was also a doula who assisted couples in the birthing process, my husband and I thought it would definitely be a good investment to hire her to support us and the birth as well.  She met with us several times one on one in person to show us some poses, relaxation methods, and just get to know us as a couple. She also gave me a private prenatal yoga session in my backyard. Bliss!  She had us complete a questionnaire which was very helpful in guiding us through various situations and how we anticipated responding to them if they came up. She helped me type up a list of birthing preferences to give to the nurses at the hospital. My preference was to go completely natural if possibly to do safely for me and baby.  When I went into labor, my husband and I called Elika hourly (even though it was the middle of the night) and she explained moment to moment what was going on and gave us suggestions of what to do in the next hour before calling her back(eat something, take a warm bath, use the birthing ball, take a walk, keep a log of contractions, etc). This was incredibly helpful for both me and my husband because it kept us focused and working together without anxiety or stress.  Then Elika met us at the hospital (my labor was very fast, so there wasn't time for her to come to the house). She massaged my legs while I was laboring, fended off the annoying nurse who was getting in my face, communicated my wishes to hospital staff, but definitely let my husband be my primary coach. She watched my healthy baby girl arrive and we all celebrated together.  A few days later, she brought over an awesome healthy yummy meal for us. We got together about a month later with 2 other mom/babies who were in prenatal class with me. Then we all took her mom/baby yoga glass. Does it get any better than this? I love Elika!!

I love Elika's Sunday morning prenatal yoga class at Namaste Yoga on Lakeshore in Oakland!  Her warm, positive energy keeps the tone of the class welcoming and fun.  She gently shares ways to modify poses based on folks' abilities and how they are feeling that day.  I always leave the class feeling great and with a positive outlook towards my baby's birth next month.

Elika is a fantastic prenatal yoga teacher! She is extremely knowledgeable about the journey the body takes during pregnancy. Not only did she help me with my pregnancy aches and pains, but she also helped me reduce my anxiety and helped me relax through a stressful process. I found her teaching so helpful that I also did private prenatal yoga sessions once a week. Her classes are warm and inviting, which is no surprise since Elika herself is a very kind and empathic person. As a bonus, her prenatal class also offered a nice community of women who were going through the same thing. I would highly recommend prenatal yoga with Elika to any pregnant woman.