MOTHER & BABY / POST NATAL YOGA

Post Natal Yoga reinvigorates your body, mind and soul following pregnancy and birth. It works to rebuild strength in your pelvic floor, arms and legs, incorporates postural adaptations for the shoulders and neck whilst at the same time focuses on increasing your core stability with abdominal and lower back attention. The Yoga postures are specifically chosen for their suitability for the postpartum body. These will encourage you to counter and work with the effects on those muscles now being fully mobilised and put under strain to carry and feed your new baby. As well as strengthening, toning and balancing your body as a whole.

Utilisation of your breath to energise and revitalise depleted energy levels will encourage your body to relax and recharge more easily and more freely. Through Post Natal Yoga you will gain the physical and psychological benefits of doing Yoga alongside the opportunity to bond and play with your new baby, learning to adapt to and move with one another both actively and mindfully. Incorporating gentle movement and positive touch for the baby with rhyme and music to both stimulate and calm. The Yoga exercises for your baby are all age appropriate for their development and there are always adaptations or variations to every pose to make everyone feel happy, healthy and safe.

Mothers are advised to attend class 6 weeks post delivery provided they are feeling fit and well. Special precautions and considerations are essential post Caesarean births, where there is still bleeding and with abdominal complications. All new students will be required to complete a health questionnaire prior to their first class to ensure you and your baby are looked after during the session. The class is a space where babies (and mothers) are free to cry, feed and giggle when they feel like it, and for everyone to meet and share. Sometimes just the presence of other new mothers is enough to make you feel good!

In 2006 I qualified to teach Baby Om techniques following training in Postnatal Yoga with Sarah Perron and Laura Staton, cofounders and authors of Baby Om in New York. I have since continued with advanced training in Post Natal Yoga for Mother and Baby with Francoise Barbira Freedman, founder of Birthlight.  I love the way both Sarah and Laura and Francoise are so passionate about looking after the mother and baby post delivery and the importance of community and sharing experiences with one another at a time when for a lot of mothers they are feeling at their most vulnerable.  

The classes are suitable from 6-8 weeks postpartum and up until crawling (then it gets a little tricky!) I have some mats but if you have one at home please could you bring it along with you as we do not have enough for everyone. If you could also bring a cushion or blanket for your baby to lie on whilst you do the mummy yoga bits that would also be very helpful. Favourite toys, rattles or blankies are also great distractors :-) Please wear loose comfortable clothing, no shoes or socks required. Babies are welcome to feed, cry and be changed at any time during class (or anything else creative they can think of) ... Just in case you wondered ;) I'm very adept at talking loudly!

I hope all new mummies and babies are happy and well (and surviving those sleepless nights!?). I love to hear your updates please keep in touch especially if you won't be able to make class.