Carrie Parker Gastelu

She has been teaching yoga for more than twenty years. In addition to yoga, she also teaches holistic childbirth education and is known for her honest, non-dogmatic yet passionate approach. BabyMoon Prenatal Yoga was created out of the many years of serving thousands of pregnant women. Her philosophy combines vinyasa yoga with traditional women's holistic modalities, eastern mindfulness practices, personal transformation, rituals, the conscious birth movement, attachment theory and childbirth education.  Carrie is also Founder and Co-Director of Bright Spirit 500-Hour Teacher Training and Director of Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training for Yoga Works. Yoga Works is one of the largest teacher training programs in the United States. They have twenty-three yoga studios located throughout California and New York City. Carrie created all of their prenatal programming and training materials for both their 200-hour and 300-hour teacher trainings. She leads all of the trainings in their NYC locations. Carrie is a regular speaker and contributor at conferences, websites and print publications as an expert in her field. She has been a presenter for Birth Works International Conferences, has been featured in Fit Magazine, the Yoga Zone Book and in the Yoga Zone Video, “Flexibility and Stress Release.” Carrie was also featured in the widely acclaimed Discovery Documentary, "From Conception to birth." Carrie is a Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator. She teaches childbirth education to pregnant women at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. In addition to Lamaze, Carrie has taken both Birthing From Within and Birth Works Childbirth Education Training. She has studied with many other inspiring and amazing teachers including Jean Sutton, Midwife; Michel Odent, MD; Ina May Gaskin, Midwife; and Henci Goer, Childbirth Educator and researcher.  Carrie began her journey when Yogi Raj Mani Finger initiated her into the ISHTA Yoga lineage after training with Mani’s son, Yogi Raj Alan Finger. In addition she has studied many other yoga traditions as well as anatomy, physiology, movement and awareness practices to create an eclectic style all her own. Carrie specializes in female anatomy and draws extensively on training with neuro-muscular movement specialist Irene Dowd and somatic movement teacher, Dr. Ruella Frank.  Prior to teaching yoga, Carrie was involved in children’s entertainment marketing, developing high quality toys and books for children. She is the mother of three children, her greatest teachers, after yoga-filled pregnancies and beautiful homebirths!