The Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
Pregnancy is a time of great transformation. Women’s bodies and minds endure great change and are flooded with new emotions, thoughts, plans, decisions, and often worries. For this reason, many women decide to attend prenatal yoga classes even when they have have no prior yoga experience.
There are many benefits to creating a weekly yoga practice during pregnancy. During times of transition and stress, such as pregnancy, our minds are often filled with thoughts and emotions that keep us from feeling calm, safe, and resilient. The word “yoga” means to “yoke,” or unify, the body and mind. Yoga practice, which includes awareness of the breath, draws our focus inward and helps us let go of tension, strengthening our ability to soften around the edges, even when our external environment presents us with challenges. Breath awareness is also a priceless tool for coping with the pain and intensity of birth.
Another aspect of yoga practice, asana, or the practice of postures, addresses the common physical discomforts of pregnancy such as lower back ache, sciatic pain, and fatigue. Our prenatal classes are accessible to beginning students and improve mobility, flexibility, stability, and strength, while promoting optimal fetal positioning. The sequences taught also prepare the expectant mom to use breath and movement for coping with contractions during labor, which is especially useful if she chooses to have a natural birth without pain medication. And restorative poses help her relax and unwind to renew her strength for the journey ahead.
Our classes offer a unique kind of support where each woman can build friendships and make connections that last. As our students cross the threshold into motherhood, a new kind of journey begins. At High Desert Yoga, we believe yoga is for everyone, and many of women meet again when they bring their little ones to our Mom and Baby Yoga class, renewing their practice and finding community and support yet again.
The Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
by Zhenya Novareign