Episode 56: Ashtanga Yoga instructor, surfer mama Lea Marie Perfetti

Episode Description

Today’s guest, renowned Ashtanga Yoga instructor, surfer and mommy of four Lea Marie Perfetti, knows all about having to shed and rebuild our identities as mamas and how motherhood is a rebirth in so many ways. Lea is a mama who knows how to give her children enough love, presence and enough outdoor space to really allow them to thrive. In fact, you’ll see pictures of her children roaming the land near their home in Southwest Portugal riding horses, running around barefoot and joining their parents in their surf, yoga and travel adventures. Her and her husband Tarik, who met in 2008, lead reputable OCEAN WYSE YOGA retreats all over the world and create a sacred space for brining their children along for the ride.  

One picture on her social media account that particularly stands out to me is the image of her young son jumping off of a stack of yoga blankets piled up high while her parents look on with amusement. You can see that their kids are quite integrated into their lives and they make as much effort as possible to let them be the free little beings they came on this earth to be. 

Lea believes in nurturing presence with our children, particularly in the early stages of motherhood to provide them with the most confidence and trust possible. In fact, she nursed all three of her kids until three years old. Lea, who was quite passionate about women’s studies and feminism in her youth, after being raised by a young single mother, admits that motherhood and marriage has softened her and reframed her experience with femininity. 

It is in nature where she feels the most free and the safest. This is why she has built her life around open space. Today she is going to talk to us about integrating children into living the life of our dreams, femininity, rebirth, changes in identity, and mother/child attachment.