Pregnancy Yoga
Pregnancy Vinyasa yoga is one of the best and most effective ways to exercise safely during pregnancy. Most pregnancy classes are all about relaxing and stretching, but this Pregnancy Vinyasa class will make you work too!
Due to changes in your body during pregnancy, it is important to modify your yoga practice to prevent injury during and after pregnancy.
When: Tuesday’s at 6pm
Duration: 60 minutes
What is Pregnancy Vinyasa ?
Vinyasa or Flow classes link movement through asanas (poses) with breathing. You are continuously using and moving energy throughout the body. Moving the body in sync with the breath will connect the mind and body more and bring you tremendous benefits during pregnancy. Pregnancy, with all its wonders, brings about fear in women for many reasons, in particular the fear or worry of birth. When you are in pain, or think you are going to experience pain, the tendency is to hold your breath and tense your muscles in preparation for “fight or flight”.
“Vinyasa yoga teaches that even when muscles are challenged, there can be movement and breath, and when a woman can connect her breath and body in labour it is an empowering and beautiful thing. Women can release fear and pain with this movement and breath connection. They can help their bodies and babies move forward toward birth by allowing and encouraging that connection of movement and breath.” The Dolphin Method Creator and Teacher, Jennifer More
When you experience pain your muscles tense; this pain you feel during labour will cause the muscles of your pelvis to tighten. This means as you push baby out, the muscles of the pelvis will become more tense, causing more pain. Research now shows pushing against tight contracted muscles makes labour harder, longer and possible increased risk of birthing injuries.
Pregnancy Yoga teaches you how to breathe effectively and decrease the pain you experience during labour. The yoga poses strengthen muscles all over your body including the pelvic floor:
to support your changing body
decrease back and pelvic pain
decrease pelvic floor problems such as leaking urine
Lesley is an experienced Woman’s Health Physio with two Pregnancy and Post-natal Coaching certifications, as well as a 200 hour pregnancy yoga teacher. During these yoga classes you will learn how to relax your pelvic floor, effective ways to manage pain, how to use your body position to encourage and progress labour as well as learning to control your breathing.
When working through the poses/ asanas and feeling your muscles working hard and contracting at the same time as breathing and relaxing the muscles around your pelvis will have tremendous benefits during labour... you can be in control of the pain AND relax the pelvic muscles while pushing to help make birth go smoother, easier and quicker.
We all know pregnancy and being a new mum brings with it all sorts of worries and fresh anxiety, so learning breathing and mindfulness during pregnancy is so important for your mental health now and once baby arrives.
Even if you have never done yoga before, pregnancy yoga will be so beneficial to you.
These classes will teach you:
How to connect to your breath and pelvic floor
Diaphragmatic breathing to help manage fear, worry and decrease pain
Asanas to build strength and endurance and prepare your body for the marathon of labour
Meditation and relaxation to learn to relax the muscles and pelvic floor.
Feel empowered & in control of your body
Benefits of Pregnancy Vinyasa Yoga
Focusing and connecting to your breath to allow you to work with your body instead of fighting against it.
Increased lung capacity
Improve stamina, strength and endurance
Releases endorphins (happy hormones) during yoga practice meaning when you are in labour, using your breath will help release these hormones during labour, decreasing pain perception.
Improving mindfulness