Prenatal Yoga - the benefits

Local Postnatal Doula and Yoga teacher Natalie about the benefits of yoga in pregnancy.

Prenatal Yoga is a beautiful practice of self-care, offering many benefits
for yourself, as well as your growing baby. It is an excellent way to
prepare the mind, body and spirit for the many transitions you will
experience during your pregnancy, labour and childbirth as well as the
wonderful transition of being born into a Mother. Classes offer
invaluable support, breathing techniques, modified poses, specifically
for the pregnant body, which can help strengthen and relax your body,
and sooth your mind during pregnancy, labour & the birth process.
Additionally, these practices will give you the opportunity to connect
more deeply with yourself and your growing baby.
Through the practice of prenatal yoga it can help woman to gain
physical & mental strength & emotional support, power and receptivity
during their pregnancy. Classes offer a nurturing, safe space & the
opportunity to discuss how you are feeling, any issues arising in your
pregnancy which you may find wonderful tips and ideas from other
Mums. We work on yoga postures and breathwork which may help
manage or ease discomfort you may experience during each trimester.
As baby grows and our bodies change, the practice of prenatal yoga
offers tools to help manage the mental and physical energy and
strength required during pregnancy, labour and birth.
There are so many amazing benefits Prenatal Yoga can offer such as
helping woman to enhance, strength & stamina, improves posture &
circulation. As your baby grows within more energy & strength is
required for the tremendous amount of work your body is doing daily
to nourish little one, as well as carrying the weight of growing baby.
Yoga helps our posture, alleviates tension in the pelvis, lower back,
hips, chest, upper back, neck and shoulders as well as help us find our
balance which is physically challenged as baby grows. Circulation is
enhanced within our joints and our muscles are elongated during
practice which helps decrease swelling & enhances our immunity
creating a thriving place for baby to grow.

Breath work practice is an invaluable tool to you will learn in prenatal
yoga to help support you through your pregnancy, labor, birth and into
motherhood.
Through deep breathing, the nervous system goes into
parasympathetic mode, which helps us relax, releases all the wonderful
natural hormones in the body which can help ease discomfort, help
sleep, digest food better & helps our immunity operate at optimal level.
You will learn to consciously breath during each yoga pose, which may
sometimes be challenging. This is a good tool for labor during surges
/contractions. If we are consciously breathing, our blood pressure and
heart rate is regulated keeping us in parasympathetic/relaxation mode.
Calm mama means calm baby.
This transfers into the time of labor, allowing one to practice being
"comfortable with the uncomfortable" through our breathwork. As you
inhale, you acknowledge the tension that is felt. As you deeply exhale,
you let go of it more and more with each breath.
These are some of the many wonderful benefits of prenatal yoga - one I
encourage in all my classes is building a community! It can be very
comforting to practice with other Mums to be who understand what we
are going through. The age old saying “It takes a village to raise a child’
is very true! However now days with living across the globe, family or
our village may not be close by. Prenatal yoga classes are a wonderful
opportunity to gather your village and build a wonderful community to
help support you during your pregnancy and into motherhood!

Beginning a prenatal yoga practice allows us to slow down and focus
attention on what is going on within our bodies. Through working with
our breath and practicing each pose, you become more aware of what
is going on within helping you to connect more deeply with baby.
The practice of prenatal yoga is a wonderful invitation that allows us to
stop and slow down from our busy days. Through the practice of yoga,
you are setting an incredible intention of taking care of yourself and
your baby.

By ​Natalie Yunnie – Postnatal Doula & Yoga Teacher specialising in Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga

Natalie teaches regularly at The Calm Collective in Sidcup and The Yoga House London.

You can find out more about Natalie and the wonderful services she offers on Facebook or instagram @nattieyoga

Are you a small business in and around Bexley that offers a wonderful service to mums to be and new mums? Get in touch and let me know if you would like a guest blog space!