In January 2024 I completed my 40 hour prenatal yoga training and I am now offering pregnancy yoga classes!
Pregnancy yoga isn’t simply making yoga safe for pregnant women – it’s practicing yoga to support the pregnant body, breath and mind. Finding openness, spaciousness, comfort and ease in the pregnant body… Practiced overtime techniques can be called upon with ease in daily life – and instinctively during pregnancy, labour and beyond.
I'm Becs and I'm a certified Yoga and Modern Meditation teacher. Here to share yoga, meditation and wellbeing guidance with individuals and organisations.
“The ancient self-help system of yoga promotes mental and physical well-being and balance, which is vital during times of transition or uncertainty. Your experience of being pregnant and giving birth will involve great physical and emotional changes, and knowing how to use and adapt yoga techniques to breathe, move and relax during this time will help you to lay deep foundations for decades of mothering.”
~ Francoise Barbia Freedman (Yoga for pregnancy, birth and beyond, 2020)
So what are the benefits of prenatal yoga? (... And FYI prenatal yoga classes are suitable for beginners and from 16 weeks pregnant)
1. PRENATAL BONDING & CELEBRATION
Supporting pregnant women to connect, celebrate and enjoy the nurturing of a new life in her body and help form prenatal bonding. Yoga classes offer the space to slow down, relax and turn our attention inward and promote joy and wellbeing.
2. CONNECTION, LOVE & OXYTOCIN
Building connection with baby, reducing stress and increasing oxytocin (love hormone) needed for a natural, healthy birth.
3. CHANGE & EMPOWERMENT
Pregnancy is a time of real change. Yoga supports physical and emotional needs of pregnant women for adaptation to change. Yoga classes will allow pregnant women to feel empowered, confident and supported.
4. BREATH AWARENESS & EXHALATION
Finding awareness of breath and learning how to use our breath for relaxation, throughout pregnancy and different stages of labour. Focus on expanding breathing capacity and lengthening exhalation of breath, activating our parasympathetic nervous system.
5. BODY AWARENESS & POSTURAL BALANCE
During pregnancy our posture changes and we can practice movements to come into a more neutral and comfortable alignment. In class we explore finding a neutral position, or postural balance, feeling into stability and ease (sthira sukha asanam) and easing pregnancy symptoms.
6. STABILITY & EASE
Relaxin hormone softens muscles, joints and ligaments to allow our pelvis to stretch during pregnancy. This allows more mobility in the pelvis which is ideal for birth, but causes instability and pain in the pelvis during pregnancy. We can focus on stable postures and strength to build elasticity in the body.
7. MIND AWARENESS & FINDING EASE OF MIND
Learn to observe thinking patterns and let go of what does not serve us. Pregnancy is a stressful time and in yoga classes we create a healthier mindset in preparation for birth ~where we need to be in our parasympathetic nervous system. You can learn how to reduce stress and calm the mind during pregnancy (appointments!), birth and beyond.
8. POSITIONS FOR LABOUR
Yogic movements practiced overtime, empowers you to be intuitive and move into the right positions for you and your baby throughout labour. In class we explore positions and movements for labour and encouragement for baby in optimal position for birth.
9. PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES TO BUILD ELASTICITY
Awareness of pelvic floor muscles that will become birthing muscles. The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. The most effective way to keep the integrity of pelvic floor muscles through pregnancy and birth is to increase their elasticity during pregnancy. In order to gain elasticity, maximum toning AND release need to be practiced.
10. RELAXATION, RELEASE & LET GO
Preparation, empowerment, learn to release, let go and relaxation for pregnancy, labour and beyond.
“During the last weeks of pregnancy, your baby actively prepares to born, so getting ready for this arrival becomes your main focus. Your priorities are to keep fit, comfortable and relaxed. Yoga postures and breathing will prepare you physically, mentally and spiritually for labour, greatly empowering you from within. However your birth may unfold, yoga will help you stay centred and connected to your baby.”
~ Francoise Barbia Freedman (Yoga for pregnancy, birth and beyond, 2020)
What to expect from my pregnancy classes in Stockport
~ Meet other local pregnant women and share celebration and challenges!
~ Mats set up in semi circle to create a comfortable sharing circle. In the middle will be provided dates (food for the uterus!), essential oils, affirmation cards and healing stones
~ Grounding, breath awareness, connection to baby, meditation, affirmations, mudras
~ A time and space for you to connect to your changing body and growing baby ~ and cultivate loving kindness! Finding openness, spaciousness, comfort and ease during pregnancy in body, breath and mind
~ Gentle class to honour the need for gentleness in pregnancy, but will include strong postures to empower and strengthen pregnant woman
~ Dynamic postures and movements in standing, seated and all fours positions. This will include energising sun salutation variations, movement to find stability and mobility,“funny walks” to ease pregnancy symptoms and support baby to find optimal position for birth
~ Focus on building strength and stability! Relaxin hormone in pregnancy is helpful to allow our muscles, joints and ligaments to relax for our growing body and birth, but creates instability
~ Focus on exhalation of breath throughout class. Increasing the capacity of the breath, lengthening the exhalation and learn to release resistance in preparation for birth
~ Pelvic floor exercises to build elasticity!
~ End each class in guided relaxation / meditation with affirmations and intentions for pregnant women to takeaway off the mat to support a healthy, happy pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Pregnancy yoga, Tuesdays 7.30-8.30pm at Tides Within in Stockport. Prenatal yoga suitable for beginners and from 16 weeks pregnant. Book in advance. Limited spaces available. Book at Tides Within or use the contact form below to enquire.
I am here to share my experience and offer yoga, meditation and wellbeing guidance with others. I want to empower people to know they can change, from the inside out. If you found this stuff interesting please subscribe, comment and share with your family and friends. Each month I'll explore a different theme on yoga, meditation and wellbeing topics. Get in touch if you have any questions or if you would like us to work together.
Comments