5 reasons why you should do pregnancy yoga

Actually there are so many more, but here are five pretty good reasons why you should do your body, your mind and your baby a favour and book into a pregnancy yoga class. I’ve been teaching for 16

years and think it is the best way to start your journey into motherhood… enjoy! 

1: Connection with baby

This is dedicated, uninterrupted time for you and your baby. Each class includes practices and techniques to nurture your connection with your baby – through visualisations, breathing practices (such as heart to heart breath), movements – even massage!

2: Ease away aches and pains

Pregnancy has been compared to running a marathon – there is so much going on within the body. As your baby develops and grows this can create shifts within your centre of gravity and alter your posture.

And with the increase in the hormones such as relaxin and progesterone, you’ll find your body is more flexible than every which can lead to a higher degree of instability – especially in the hips, lower back and pelvis. Pregnancy Yoga focuses on improving your posture and movements specifically targeted at areas which can feel tight in pregnancy, such as neck, shoulders, piriformis muscle and the psoas muscles.

It should feel as if you’ve had a massage by the time you float out of the yoga studio!

3: Be prepared and empowered for birth!

Did you know you can practice yoga during your labour? The breathing techniques you’ll learn will help you through each stage of your labour. The movements are great to encourage your baby into the Optimal Foetal Position (OFP) which is likely to make your birth more efficient (and dare I say it more comfortable and quicker). The postures you’ll learn are part of Janet Balasakas’ Active Birth positions – allowing gravity to assist you and your baby to dilate and rotate (respectively!).

Plus you’ll be able to switch off your mind and go with the flow of your labour. Did you know that thinking is so totally overrated? Yoga helps you learn how to simply be and switch off that monkey mind!

4: Stress less! And sleep more…

That has to be good (and incredibly valuable for when you have had your baby too). The meditations, mindfulness exercises, relaxations, breathing practices and restorative positions will give you a tool box brimming with ways to help you restore and rejuvenate your mind and body. And get yourself back to sleep when you’ve got up to pee at 3am…

5: Connect with other mums

If you can – aim to attend a pre-natal yoga class in your local area and that way you’ll meet other mums-to-be who live nearby. This is a great way to learn what’s available to you and where and your yoga teacher should also be a wealth of knowledge for all pregnancy-related questions!

So what are you waiting for?

Book on to Katie’s next pregnancy yoga course – spaces still available!

Sunday, September 10 – Sunday, October 15, 2017

Collaroy Plateau Community Centre.

9am – 10.15am

BOOK NOW

Each class covers: breathing practices

massage techniques (specific to pregnancy, labour and baby massage) I am a trained massage therapist and qualified in labour massage and baby massage.

movements for pregnancy and birth – name your symptom and there WILL be a pose I can give you!

Preparations for birth and relaxations to quieten your mind and soothe your soul 🙂

 

Katie is a mum-of-three, she is a lecturer on the IYTA’s Diploma of Pre and Post Natal Yoga Teaching, and she’s been teaching thousands of mums-to-be and new mums on the Northern Beaches for more than 16 years (continuously!).

If you have an enquiry please email: katie@katiebrownyoga.com