Have you thought about doing prenatal yoga? These classes will increase your confidence for labour and birth by giving you great skills to use which really work! You’ll also de-stress, sleep better and meet some other lovely pregnant women! NEW CLASSES BEGIN IN CANBERRA ON 10TH OCTOBER
- Yoga teaches you to breathe well! Did you know that conscious breathing using the diaphragm properly enhances the vagus nerve and because of that brings you into the Parasympathetic Nervous System – the relaxation response or “rest and digest”. This is an essential tool to have for labour and also generally for life (especially with a newborn!)
- It strengthens your body – if you aim to use Active Birth (which I hope you do for all its benefits) then you need to develop stamina and strength to be able to adopt good wide, open positions to use gravity and help increase the space in your pelvis during labour
- Yoga postures increase your flexibility – again with Active birth positions you will need to have your legs in a wide stance, kneeling or standing – if you have tight adductors (inner thighs) this may be tricky
- Yoga brings greater awareness to your body – in our busy lives we often don’t notice our bodies until they hurt! During labour you’ll go deeply within (endorphins are released to help you there) and connect with your body and baby doing just what feels right. Often, too, this might help you to take better care of your body during pregnancy. You may notice more when you are carrying a lot of tension and take steps to relax and rest. Good for you and your baby!
- Shows you how to relax deeply – not only do you want to minimise stress during pregnancy you also want to stay away from it as much as possible during labour because of its affect on pain and how labour progresses (Fear/Tension/Pain Syndrome ) The skills you learn are ones you can use for the rest of your life!
- It helps you to stay present and mindful – you’ll learn great mindfulness techniques to accept what’s happening right at this moment, to stay focused and be able to choose a response rather than a reaction to challenges that arise. It also includes focusing on sensations in the body, sounds around you, your breath, thoughts and feelings. Brilliant for labour!
- It develops your power of visualisation – if this can be used in sports training why not for labour! With the right hemisphere of your brain more active during labour visualisation can be really powerful.
- The breathing practices include vocalisation – don’t be shy (you won’t be in labour!) practise making some low sounds to manage pain and discomfort and bring energy down to your pelvis. Feels sooooo good!
- The classes will increase your birth knowledge – being a Childbirth Educator I love to share the really important things to help you to have a positive birth experience – the support you need, the ways to increase the flow of birth hormones, making an informed choice, Active Birth philosophy and much more – so that you go into labour with not only your own inner wisdom, but also with current researched information
- You will connect with other gorgeous pregnant women – the friendships you make during pregnancy are often the ones that endure for many years. In class you have the opportunity to share ideas, labour tips, worries and concerns and discover that other women often feel the same. Go into labour feeling the connection and strength form other women and remember that around 300,000 women will be birthing on the same day as you!
For a timetable please go to : www.yogaforbirthandbeyond.com.au/classes