BLOG

Prenatal Yoga: Nourish Yourself from Within

Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting periods in your life. Your body creates and nurtures a brand-new life, drawing on your innermost strengths. For over nine months, your body changes, adapting to the growing life inside your womb. Along with these physical changes, pregnancy will alter the pace of your everyday lifestyle and the choices you make.

As your pregnancy progresses, taking care of your body, mind and soul becomes your greatest priority. Before you welcome new life into the world, impending motherhood requires you to pause. As your lifestyle changes, you are forced to re-examine how you move your body, how you nourish your mind, and how you alleviate any moments of stress and anxiety.

Prenatal yoga is not designed to inflict strenuous movement on the body. As your body changes to accommodate your growing baby, the purpose and structure of your practice adjusts to ensure your safety and comfort. Most Prenatal yoga classes follow a similar structure to this: breath work, gentle stretching, sustained poses, and a cool-down and meditation to finish. The purpose of Prenatal practice is to promote relaxation, safe movement, and thoughtful consciousness. These three habits will not only alleviate discomfort during the long months of pregnancy but may mentally and physically assist you in whatever kind of labour you encounter.

Encouraged by Medical Professionals

Prenatal Yoga is a holistic, gentle, and dynamic practice that is perfect for expectant mothers during any stage of their pregnancy journey. Yoga is not only safe, but often encouraged by medical professionals as an effective way to maintain your exercise habits. Unless advised by a doctor that you should be seeking alternative forms of exercise, it is perfectly safe to begin yoga during pregnancy. Slower, more restorative varieties of yoga can be the perfect way to promote modified exercise throughout pregnancy, as well as fostering healthy habits of mindfulness and meditation.

 

During the first trimester, your body is adapting to its new role, so mindful breathwork and meditation can be practiced in lieu of physical yoga class involvement. Give yourself permission to rest, recuperate, and refocus during this time.

As your body reaches the third and final trimester, movement becomes increasingly more difficult. During these final months, your yoga practice will begin to focus on preparing your body and mind for birth, and postnatal recovery. Your centre of gravity gradually shifts in conjunction with your growing belly, so your body needs to be supported. Prenatal classes focus deeply on posture and alignment, teaching you how to best alleviate the weight and tension felt throughout the body as you near labour.

Throughout your labour, it is imperative that you, and your support system maintain a sense of calm, trusting in your body, and the guidance of the experts around you. Birth can be the most physically draining thing the human body will endure, so an unwavering and resilient mindset is crucial. Breathing exercises that are practiced during your prenatal classes will allow you to feel present in your birthing experience.

Yoga’s inward focus naturally encourages a deeper connection with your pregnancy and unborn baby and helps you develop the inner awareness and strength that will carry you through the entire birthing experience. Practicing yoga habitually also endorses a strong connection with your baby while in utero. Nurturing your mother-baby bond is the core foundation of motherhood, and your time on the mat is the perfect place to dedicate your time and consciousness to it.

Online Pregnancy Courses Available

We’ve been teaching expectant mothers for many years and have witnessed the positive benefits of practicing throughout pregnancy time and again, which is why we’ve now designed a special Online Pregnancy Course for mammas-to-be. Throughout your pregnancy, it is vital that you maintain your strength and flexibility. Regardless of your experience level, practising Yoga contributes to your general well-being in many ways, particularly encouraging proper body alignment and comfortable sleep.

Tamara Yoga’s online pregnancy course focuses on postures and practices ideal for every stage of pregnancy, as well as useful information about pre and postnatal care to help support you and your baby to grow and thrive together. Yoga has also been shown to aid recovery and encourages you to deeply care for yourself as you begin your journey into motherhood.

Prenatal Yoga will help you feel more energetic and mobile throughout your pregnancy journey, preparing you physically and mentally for the experiences associated with welcoming new life. Pregnancy is a beautiful time to start your yoga practice, and we encourage beginners.