Yoga for Pregnancy & Birth
mamashanti :: yoga for pregnancy & birth
The mamashanti yoga for birth :: birth support prenatal yoga program has been created to enhance your experience of pregnancy and ignite your birthing wisdom. This program is designed to compliment your childbirth education classes; is of great benefit for first time mothers and an excellent refresher for women who have birthed. Whether youre a novice or seasoned in yoga practitioner, you will experience a fresh perspective on active birth.
In each class we explore the significant role yoga can play in active childbirth, through stretching, deep breathing and guided relaxation. Practiced through out pregnancy, these techniques can be drawn upon during labour to increase your chance of having a positive experience of childbirth.
We aim to develop feelings of well-being through gentle and progressive stretching integrated with practical breathing exercises. With regular practice, you will appreciate a more supple and flexible body; increased muscle tone and pelvic stability; improved posture and balance, and diminished back pain.
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Some Benefits of Practicing Yoga Classes Entirely Devoted to Pregnancy
It feels great – to come to class, meet other pregnant women, stretch, breath and relax all in an environment thats nourishing and uplifting. Regular practice of prenatal yoga will bring about mental and emotional clarity, a greater sense of well-being and the ability to cope with the rapid pace of change that comes with pregnancy. By practicing prenatal yoga you will acquire practical skills for coping with the ups and downs of daily life – great preparation for motherhood!
Time to consciously connect with your baby – practicing prenatal yoga gives you the time and means to connect with your growing child, to fine tune the rhythms of your day and patterns of your week to accommodate your experience of pregnancy.
Lay down the foundations of motherhood – we work with simple and effective breathing and visualisation techniques to consciously create an internal dialogue between mother and child that is positive and nurturing and will last a life time.
Enhance the flow of energy – prenatal yoga assists on a physical level to improve your posture, this can free up energy that would otherwise be consumed by the task of carrying your growing belly around.
Relieve back pain - with regular practice, you will appreciate a more supple and flexible body; increased muscle tone and pelvic stability; improved posture and balance, and diminished back pain.
Make space for your baby – regular practice of prenatal yoga will encourage your body to gently open to make room for your growing baby and prepare for childbirth. Techniques that involve sitting on the floor, squatting and hip opening exercises work to encourage your muscles to relax, become more flexible and gain strength, without force or strain.
Optimal fetal positioning – the asanas (stretches) that we use have been selected to encourage your baby to gently take on the optimal fetal position for childbirth – occiput anterior presentation ~ your baby is upside down and looking at your back.
Empowering – prenatal yoga has the capacity to empower women to see ourselves as strong and capable this positive outlook can help to diminish fears associated with impending childbirth. By regularly practicing yoga through out your pregnancy, you will become empowered with the mental and emotional flexibility and fortitude to face the challenges that childbirth and mothering will bring.
And finally, just what constitutes daily prenatal yoga practice? - each womans experience of pregnancy and childbirth are unique and changes happen at least on a daily basis. Its important to understand that a days practice may be to simply take ten minutes to stop and consciously breathe and tune in to yourself and your baby.
Its all about consciously moving, breathing, standing, sitting, stretching. Its about choosing to make your experience of pregnancy more comfortable and more joyful.
Who can practice prenatal yoga? These classes are terrific for women from the start of the sec
ond term of pregnancy; all levels of fitness; for both new comers and experienced yoga students. Nina has considerable experience in working with pregnant women with special needs.
Great Reasons to Practice Yoga During Pregnancy There are many reasons to practice yoga while you are pregnant. Learning ways to move to enjoy pregnancy more, easing common discomforts and preparing for childbirth. For many women, pregnancy comes with a number of other conditions that need to be managed with care
and consideration. I have had the great blessing of teaching prenatal yoga for the past 5 years. Looking back, its humbling to recall some of the conditions my students have trusted my assistance in managing, here’s a brief overview: • Pelvic instability – this is a condition causing pain and mobility problems during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy the hormone relaxin softens the ligaments around the joints of your pelvis, enabling it to open in preparation for childbirth. This is an essential process, however, for some women the effect of relaxin on the ligaments can be intense, destabilising the joints of the pelvis. • Separation of rectus abdominus muscles • Anxiety, mood swings and medically diagnosed depression • High and low blood pressure • Cervical weakness and cervical stitches • Twin pregnancies • Previous pregnancies and previous miscarriage • Pregnancies resulting in unexpected birth outcomes including caesarian • Preparation for vaginal birth after caesarian (VBAC) • Babies presenting in posterior, transverse (sideways) or breach positions • Diagnosis of placenta praevia • Type I, Type II and gestational diabetes • Uterine fybroids • Thyroid conditions • Inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and muscular fibromyalgia • Previous injuries • Older first time mothers Prenatal yoga is a highly specialised form of yoga. If you are pregnant and experiencing a long-term condition or a new condition has recently manifested, take time to chat with your teacher. A trained and experienced prenatal yoga teacher can work with you and your health care professionals to help you get the best possible outcome from your experience of pregnancy and childbirth.