About

I'm Mareike Leitermann

... and I'm holding a space for you.

I am a mother of a 3-year-old daughter, and I live with my family in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I am a certified 500h yoga teacher, specializing in pre-/postnatal yoga and Vinyasa Yoga. Besides yoga, I am inspired by Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Human Design, Personal Development, and a lot of methodologies I've been learning and practicing in the corporate world.

My yoga classes are characterized as gentle flows that are for everyone and are packed with stories. I love stories! You will leave the class feeling strong, calm, and centered.

If you have any questions, get in touch here.

My Story

Immediately after the birth of my daughter, my body felt like a broken package.

My intimate area was torn, and blood flowed from the wound left by the placenta in the uterus. My belly, which had just been a large dome, had collapsed inward after the birth, feeling soft, floppy, and empty. I felt fragile and incredibly weak. The gap in my abdominal muscles and my weakened pelvic floor robbed my body of its stability. I had painful issues with breastfeeding and suffered from multiple sleepless nights in a row. In 12 weeks I would go back to work.

In front of me lay the impossible task of finding clothes that fit me and in which I would feel comfortable, maybe even pretty (let's be audacious, shall we?).

One question kept circling in my mind: Is this really me?

But besides this sense of loss, there was also an enormous feeling of pride and power. I was infinitely grateful to my body for what it had done. It had created a life and had brought it into the world under the greatest possible exertion. It was only logical that it was profoundly exhausted.

Nevertheless: I had spent quite some time thinking about how my body would change through pregnancy and childbirth. But I had not expected the extent of the changes. And my shattering feeling of helplessness.

Our bodies change throughout life - especially during puberty and later during menopause - but they never change as quickly and radically as in the hours and days after the birth of a child. Many women struggle with the consequences long after pregnancy, with a body that is unfamiliar to them. A body that sometimes no longer fully obeys them. This is about more than stretch marks, softened muscles, and pairs of jeans that don't fit anymore. So, so much more.

Why are expectant mothers hardly prepared for the enormous physical, emotional, and mental transformation, whose consequences accompany some women for many years, some for a lifetime? Why is this talked about so little?

Let's Claim Our Mama Power

This was the moment Mayoga was born. My vision for Mayoga is to create a sanctuary where mothers - both expectant and new - can reconnect with their bodies, reclaim their strength, and embrace the profound transformation that motherhood brings. I believe every mother deserves to feel empowered, supported, and celebrated in her unique journey.

My mission is to guide mothers through the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery with yoga practices that nurture their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Through online courses, in-studio classes, and personalized 1:1 sessions, I want to provide tools, community, and encouragement for women to step into motherhood with confidence and grace. Mayoga is a space where we honor the incredible power of mothers, together.