Yoga during pregnancy is simply wonderful.
It has numerous benefits, physically and mentally and is a true preparation for the immense changes you go through.
No one told you just how impactful a pregnancy is, how it rapidly changes your body from the first second of conception, how nature works an unbelievable magic to create a human being. But it comes with some cost. It's tough! It's really hard on your body (think cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive system and music-skeletal changes) and your mind (emotions!!).
Whilst most breeze through up to 42 weeks of increasing weight, decreasing mobility and changing moods, you are not alone if you struggle with one or many aspects of pregnancy - and what comes after!
Whether you find your pregnancy easy, or hard, pregnancy yoga (or pre-natal yoga) helps to keep your body strong. It maintains cardiovascular fitness, muscle length and flexibility, it can help maintain a healthier weight, improve circulation, co-ordination and body awareness, it prepares for labour and has a proven impact on post-natal recovery.
Mindful Pregnancy Yoga
Focussing on mind-body awareness pre-natal or pregnancy yoga uses postures and breathing to cultivate mindfulness, your attention to your baby, and yourself.
The benefits of mindfulness are widely known and include: increased memory, immunity to colds and diseases, feelings of happiness and contentment, reduction in chronic pain, blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression.
We help you foster self-compassion and gratitude. When you are constantly thinking about the growing life inside of you, we make sure that you don't forget about you.
Stress, anxiety, depression and pain can be part of any pregnancy. Practicing pregnancy yoga helps you deal with these by fostering self-awareness and compassion through non-judgment, patience, trust, non-striving, letting go - and gratitude .
Yoga and Mindfulness - a match made in heaven!
Yoga and mindfulness are a match made in heaven. Both have a goal of fostering the union between mind, body and spirit, and of cultivating a deep connection between the three.
Through quieting the mind, paying attention to breath and bodily sensations, and accepting reality as it is at the moment, you learn to feel less reactive to outside impulses, which can be an invaluable skill as a parent-to-be - and parent!
Increasing compassion, self-compassion, kindness and understanding are other things you learn on the mat, and utilise off the mat. Mindful pregnancy yoga teaches you to allow acceptance to enter your mind.
Our pregnancy yoga classes are always led by trained and certified teachers to keep you and baby safe - we know about dangers and injury potential and will adjust practices accordingly, depending on what trimester you are in, and how your pregnancy is progressing. Our overarching goal is your and baby's safety and comfort.
Ask us for more information, or check here for our next Unwind Yoga Studio pregnancy class or course.
Sources:
Boccio, 1993: Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath, Body, and Mind.
Moss, 2018: The Practice of Mindful Yoga.