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Life and Work with Rebecca Poole – Gulick

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Poole- Gulick.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story with yoga and wellness all started during high school. I had been running competitively since I was about eight years old when in high school my left hip finally had enough. I could not even run if I wanted to at the beginning of my injury and I lost complete range of motion to do so. This was after years of over-training, battling an eating disorder and developing amenorrhea. I initially found yoga to help rehab my hip and gain some motion back. I then quickly realized as awful as it was to get injured, I so needed that to force my body to slow down. During this time of my injury, I was also facing some past trauma and yoga taught me how to work through that as well. There were days I would just go to yoga and cry because it was releasing so many emotions that I needed to feel. Through all of this, yoga has helped me heal and taught me to love myself again.

During college, I dove deeper into yoga and completed my 200hr teacher training. I graduated with a degree in Health Science and Kinesiology and a minor in adapted physical activity. After graduation and saving up as much money as I could with my then-fiance (now husband), we moved from the Philadelphia suburbs to beautiful Colorado. To be honest, we did not have much of a plan- we pretty much just picked up a u-haul trailer and hoped for the best. I knew I wanted to go deeper into my yoga studies and considered going to midwifery school.

As I took a closer look at our birth culture I learned that there is such a huge gap of maternal care. Nurses and doctors are absolutely amazing, however, they are often so busy that they only have time to check vitals and catch the baby. While this is happening the mom and her partner (if she has one) are left to labor alone. I thought how scary is that? Who’s going to let them know shakes & throwing up are common? Who is going to be there to guide them through this process and encourage the baby’s descent, anterior position, and open mom’s pelvis? Also, with the crazy statistic that around one out of four women have been sexually assaulted/raped, they deserve to feel birth for what it is and not let birth trigger their trauma. I felt such a huge calling to hold this safe space for these women and really for all women. I knew then I needed and wanted to become a Doula. Simultaneously during my Doula training, I became a Prenatal Yoga Teacher. During my prenatal classes, I incorporate my Doula training by sharing with the moms how the different shapes we put our bodies in can help with baby’s position and open her pelvis up by roughly 25% more, as well as how to breathe through some difficult moments. My hope is that all moms feel powerful, informed and equipped for labor and birth.

I am currently in my 500hr teacher training and I continue to grow not only as a teacher but as a person. I am currently teaching yoga at Flow Yoga as well as Prenatal Yoga at Belly Bliss. In addition, I am a Doula for hire and I currently assist with around one-two births per month! Lastly, I am currently planning a women’s yoga retreat for 2020 that will focus on women’s empowerment.

Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest question I get asked is, “how do you find your birth clients?” I don’t encourage you to chase down every pregnant woman you see through your grocery store. I would say definitely pair your Doula work with something else that is pregnancy-related that you are passionate about. For me, it is helpful to teach Prenatal Yoga and often times moms are excited to ask me more questions after class. As I was still becoming a certified Doula and in the very beginning I found it challenging still to find clients- I think because I was brand new to this field. Hustle. Go to every pregnancy event, Doula meet and greet and market yourself well. After you put in one really hard year of hustling it somehow all starts to pay off. Now a lot of my clients are my second-time-around or referrals from other previous clients.

As for yoga, I teach private classes and at a couple of studios. Find a studio you personally love to practice at to make sure it is a good fit. As for privates, (depending on the studio’s policies) they have either been clients from the group classes or just people I meet out and they ask what I do- don’t be afraid to talk to new people when you are out and about! (just again, do not chase down pregnant women, there is a difference).

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Elevate Within LLC – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a Yoga Teacher that specializes in Prenatal Yoga. Also, I offer birth photography to my clients as part of their Doula package as another way to capture their birth stories. Some people are looking for more ways to move their bodies other than yoga, I am a certified personal trainer as well and offer this service as an additional option.

I am most proud of the business I built on my own. I do not work on a team when it comes to my doula work and to watch that piece of my business grow has been so rewarding.

The work I do is my heart and soul work- I love that I get to do what I am passionate about and make a career out of it.

Who have you been inspired by?
Alison Donley inspired me to become a yoga teacher. She has an incredible way of holding space and has encouraged me to always show up on my mat (and off) even when life feels really hard. I remember crying a couple of times as I flowed through her class and how she completely welcomed me to do so. She made me realize the depth of yoga beyond the physical postures. She showed me how powerful of a tool yoga can be to help work through difficult times. I also learned through yoga and Alison how much joy is all around me and to always seek that. Once I moved to Colorado I completed my RPYT and I am currently in my 500hr program. I had a moment of doubting myself to enroll in the 500hr YTT program. So I hopped on a call with Alison who reminded me that the time is right and I can do it.

The teachers of the 500hr YTT are all so inspiring to take yoga (what I love!) and make a living out of it. I am continuing to be inspired by every single woman in my teacher training program and my teacher, Amy Ippoliti to take things to the next level. They help me realize this is what I am meant to be doing all along and help me peel back the layers I put on so I can be my true self.

My yoga community at Flow Yoga Studio where I teach have all filled my soul. The owner & teacher Suzanne Hauserman the teachers and students at Flow Yoga Studio have become a community for me where I feel safe to be myself as a teacher and a student.

Additionally, all of the women I have served as a birth doula for, have showed me over and over again how truly strong women are both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whenever I think something is hard, I think about each of them and they help to keep me going.

My close girlfriends, doula sisters, and family members have taught me to be; resilient, not to take anyone’s negativity, and have encouraged me to be strong. They have helped pave the way for me to chase my dreams and have always been there for a pick me up phone call and to listen to my frustrations. To all of them I would like to send a sincere thank you!

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