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Pregnancy Yoga
Classes
PRENATAL YOGA The benefits of undertaking a gentle yoga practice during pregnancy is well documented, highly recommended and extremely beneficial both mentally and physically. My specialised prenatal yoga classes are designed to help ease the symptoms of common pregnancy ailments and to help prepare your mind and body for the birthing process. The goal is to relax, rejuvenate, calm and strengthen you in preparation for what is ahead! I aim to help ease out any aches and pains and help reduce anxiety, worry and tension. Sequences designed to gently open the hips, soft and relaxing stretching, refreshing and rejuvenating postures, strengthening postures, practising positions for labour, assisting with diastasis recti prevention, meditation techniques, guided relaxation, breath work for labour and much more. I also offer a great little library of quality CDs and books to borrow on a wide range of child-birthing, pregnancy and postnatal topics. Weekly handouts on each topic (ie back ache, swelling, sciatica, relaxation, birth plans/choices, plus aromatherapy for pregnancy and bach flower advice also freely available.) Pregnancy yoga classes also give you the opportunity to meet and interact with other pregnant women, learn, share, laugh and discuss issues and ideas! I look forward to meeting you, Namaste - Heidi
2012 Pregnancy Yoga classes: (ongoing, you may join in at any time)
I have booked in and would like todownload, print and fill out the REGISTRATION FORM! If you are pregnant you will also need to download, print and fill out the Pregnancy FORM. Please bring both to your first class! Pregnancy Menu:
Yoga is a wonderful, gentle exercise that can be used throughout the varying stages of pregnancy. Under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher, you will learn the safest way to do postures for you and your baby. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Yoga has been used for centuries to help centre a person and relieve stress. In many countries yoga for pregnancy is considered essential; the skills learnt are invaluable for pregnancy, labour and motherhood. Yoga can be a great way to stay flexible, relieve stress and prepare for birth and beyond. By using, stretching and cultivating the muscles for birth, you inherently make birth easier. The muscles are prepared by the yoga to do their job efficiently in labour. You will also bring a range or 'toolbox' of skills to your birth after the months of practicing during pregnancy. Yoga can also alleviate the discomforts caused by pregnancy through yoga. Yoga is beneficial for everyone, but yoga during pregnancy is especially important. Women experience great hormonal, biological and anatomical changes during pregnancy that may cause extreme discomfort. They may also feel trapped, insecure and unsure of the outcome of the pregnancy. All of this may cause significant physical and emotional distress.
Practicing yoga during pregnancy with proper modifications (and
approval from your health professional) can help you find much
needed relief, not only through reducing stress and instilling
calmness, but also in helping to strengthen the body, releasing
tension in the hips in preparation for birth, and increasing oxygen
and energy. Yoga can increase confidence levels and stimulate the
intuitive instincts. These components open a pathway for a smooth,
uncomplicated delivery. Pregnancy classes with The Yogic
Flower will include: dynamic flowing movement and postures; pelvic
floor exercises; breathing; yoga nidra (guided relaxation); sound
practices and meditation. The classes are a blend of active movement
and subtle internal practices. Practices are modified to suit all
levels of experience and all stages of pregnancy. We aim to offer an
inspiring and highly supportive class for mothers to be and mothers
who have recently given birth. Maintaining your Fitness through Pregnancy with Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful practice that helps you maintain your fitness
while you are pregnant. When stretching or yoga is performed, the
muscles in the body are being toned and you are gaining flexibility
without placing strain on your joints. Yoga is also useful because
it teaches you how to breathe and relax. Certain postures will help
with strength for certain birthing/labour positions you may like to
stay in for periods of time, such as all fours or squatting. Breathing (Pranayama), Relaxation and Yoga Knowing breathing and relaxation methods is excellent for helping you to adjust to the demands of labour, giving birth, and motherhood itself. One of the breathing techniques in yoga is known as Ujjayi. Ujjayi has you breathing in slowly through your nose, completely filling the lungs, and then exhaling until the abdomen compresses. Being able to do ujayi correctly primes you for labour and childbirth and it teaches you to remain calm. If anxiety or nervousness occurs during labour, the body will make adrenaline and stop the production of oxytocin, the hormone that makes labour move forward. Being trained in yoga will help you remain relaxed through pain by teaching you how to breathe through it. Pranayama techniques will help mother
and foetus receive more oxygen. It relaxes the mother during labour
and helps her focus and regulate her breathing when labour pains and
contractions begin. Pregnancy yoga will teach you:
As well, it will be useful in helping to:
You are best to practice yoga during your pregnancy under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher. There are some precautions that you will need to take, for instance, you should not do any poses or movements that require you to lie flat on your back as this will decrease the flow of blood to the uterus. Also avoid those movements that require excessive stretching of the abdominal muscles. During pregnancy, you are more at risk of tearing or straining muscles, as the hormone relaxin, which enables the uterus to expand, also acts on the other connective tissues in the body. If you notice any pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, change the way that you are doing your postures. In the first trimester, you probably won�t have many restrictions on what you can and can�t do in your yoga practice. Remember to breathe deeply and regularly, and avoid trying to progress too quickly or too much. It is important to pay attention to your technique in order to avoid placing undue stress on your joints. We will assist you in correct posture to reduce the risk of stress on your joints. In the second trimester, your joints will be looser and you will thus have to take more precautions. Your sense of balance may also start to be affected, so you may have to move into different positions more slowly and carefully. In the third trimester, standing poses should be performed with your heel to the wall, or use a chair for support. We will guide you on all of the postures and ensure you know when to pull back and soften a pose. As with any exercise program it is best to consult your health practitioner before beginning. However, with the exception of not lying directly on your back or stomach after the fourth month, and avoiding what doesn't feel right to you, there is very little yoga that would be a problem during pregnancy. At The Yogic Flower we will ensure your pregnancy yoga is safe for you and that you learn strategies that will be of benefit to you for every stage of your pregnancy, the labour, post natal and beyond. In summary Yoga during pregnancy helps decrease the tension of the muscles and joints. It will improve blood circulation and help balance your endocrine and lymph systems. Yoga increases the strength, flexibility and elasticity of all muscles and improves posture, which helps relieve pain in the lower back, legs, ankles and knees. It reduces blood pressure and benefits the central nervous system.
Regular practice will improve your stamina, which in turn will
assist you during labour, and the benefits continue after delivery
and beyond, helping bring back the strength and tightness of the
core muscles of the stomach and back. Your Yoga class is also a
lovely 'me and baby' time, time out from your day just for you and
your unborn baby. It is a special nurturing time, we look forward to
spending a little of that time with you, guiding and assisting you
as much as we can.
Post Natal
A note from Dr Prafulla Dorle:
Pregnancy is the symbol of creative consciousness of the divine
power. Harmony in the mothers mind, body and soul is important for
the emotional, physical and spiritual development of the child.
Regular practice of yoga before conception is the ideal preparation
for pregnancy. The mother can increase her flexibility by yoga
positions, increase her vitality with pranayama and meditation can
help in spiritual development. The practice of yoga helps the mother
to become a good host for arrival of the new soul. 2012 Prenatal classes:
(ongoing, you may join in at any time)
Heidi and Natasha, The Yogic Flower This article is also available
for download |
check out our 
Should you wish to order your own yoga mat, etc. you can do so
before or after your class in person, or online and we can have it
ready for you when you come to class. 
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