Pre & Postnatal Yoga
Connecting Mind, Body and Spirit
You have discovered that you are going to have a baby –congratulations! What happens next may catch you by surprise. A virtual “mixed bag” of feelings develop that include, among others, euphoria, disbelief, shock and even fear at the thought that your entire life is about to change dramatically. After sharing the good news with family and friends, and taking some time to digest things yourself, what can you do to help yourself sort through the emotions and work towards a healthy baby for the next 9 months? Prenatal yoga! Celebrities like Angelina Jolie swear by it but more importantly, who else can truly understand what being pregnant is like if not for someone who is going through the same thing. Pregnancy can be a long, tough road or it can be a wonderful journey. Having friends to share the adventure with enriches the experience. We turn to yoga to help with stress and to connect our mind, body and spirit. There is no better time to turn to it than when you are creating new life. It takes every bit of our mind, body and spirit to get to the finish line but the prize is amazing!
Sanskrit, the language of yoga, offers a wonderful term called “Sangha”, which means “likeminded people.” Great strength comes from being a part of something bigger than yourself, especially when you are going through a major life change. There are many books and articles written about the physical benefits of practicing prenatal yoga, but you may not be prepared for the deep bond that develops during the classes. The only prerequisite to joining a prenatal yoga class is that you are pregnant. It doesn’t matter if you are a yoga newbie or a seasoned practitioner because as you walk into your very first class, you belong. You instantly have something in common with everyone in the room and the bonding begins. The class attendees become your close friends as you go through the up and downs of pregnancy together. Long-term friendships blossom that are often times passed on to the yoga babies. As you watch your belly grow, so will the connection that you have to the group.
In the comfort of the class, you can learn how to chant to help ease labor and delivery. Partner classes can help daddy feel connected and as if he is playing a big role in the process. Learn how to use the breath to bring your level of anxiety down and help your body relax so that things progress quickly when labor begins. Strengthen the muscles that will be called upon during childbirth. Teach yourself how to quiet the mind and bring your focus where it can help most when your big day arrives. Yoga teaches us about how our body reacts and that we must always respect our limitations. Pregnancy teaches us that our bodies are amazing temples where we can create new life! Prenatal yoga honors the changes taking place and offers modifications that make it possible to practice right up until the baby is born.
After Baby
Your bundle of joy arrives and you are dealing with long, sleepless nights and the demands of taking care of a totally dependent little being. While you may feel as if everything is out of control for awhile, this is again a time when yoga can help bring peace to the mayhem. New moms are strongly encouraged to return to a yoga class to recharge tired batteries. Postpartum depression risk is lower for those new moms who return to the social scene after having their babies. Postnatal yoga is a gentle way to get your feet wet again in the area of exercise while reuniting with familiar faces and drawing strength and support during the overwhelming early weeks of new motherhood.
Mommy and Me classes are offered in many communities so that new moms can bring their infants to class and practice some gentle stretching with them, along with infant massage. If finding babysitting is a problem, this is an excellent option.
Embrace and celebrate pregnancy and motherhood through yoga and become a part of a bigger family!