Prenatal yoga is a helpful tool for adjusting to pregnancy and preparing for delivery, according to the Expectant Mother's Guide to Connecticut. Physical and emotional challenges can be addressed through yoga's principles of unity between mind, body and spirit, the Connecticut guide's "Prenatal Yoga" article states.
Prenatal class offerings, techniques and philosophies may vary, depending on the studio or exercise facility hosting the practice.
Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga can help expecting mothers relax, strengthen muscles associated with childbirth and work toward feelings of peace and acceptance throughout the pregnancy. Exercises may include breath work, pelvic and abdominal toning and relaxation techniques, according to the Expectant Mother's Guide to Connecticut.
The Connecticut guide describes the demands of pregnancy on a woman's body, including back strain, neck and shoulder tension and swelling throughout the body's extremities. Yoga postures and flows can help release physical and emotional tension while strengthening the physical body.
Family-Friendly Yoga
The Kaia Yoga wellness center in Greenwich, Connecticut is a family-friendly yoga facility offering a variety of prenatal yoga and family-friendly yoga classes. Their Prenatal 1 class is an introductory yoga class for expecting mothers who are new to yoga. Prenatal 2 is a yoga class intended for expecting mothers who are somewhat familiar with yoga and feel confident in standing postures and some inverted postures, including Downward Dog. Kaia Yoga's Prenatal Open Level offering is a mixed-level class.
Kaia Yoga moves beyond pre-natal yoga to offer classes for new mothers interested in continuing their yoga practice and toning the core body. Their "Belly After Baby" class is intended for students who are six weeks to six months post-natal. Additionally, "Baby and Me" classes are available for babies who are six weeks old to crawling-aged.
Yoga For Everybody
This Connecticut yoga studio emphasizes the broad appeal of yoga for everybody, including pregnant women. Yoga For Everybody offers a Prenatal Yoga Class including postures that specifically address the physical discomforts and emotional challenges related to being pregnant. The class also emphasizes the important of beginning a relationship with the baby early on. Expectant mothers are required to get permission from their health care provider prior to participating in the course, according to the Connecticut studio's website.
Yoga For Everybody also offers "Mommy and Me" classes for new mothers and babies who are not yet crawling.
Fertility Yoga
Women who are not yet pregnant but wish to develop their fertility through yoga practice may be interested in the Fertility Yoga class offered by YogaSpace, a Connecticut yoga studio. The class focuses on addressing emotional barriers including tension, fear, anger and depression that sometimes arrive when couples are struggling to conceive, according to the studio's website. The class, taught in 2010 by a national patient advocate for couples facing fertility, includes techniques to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.
Private Classes
Some women may prefer to take prenatal yoga classes in the privacy of their own home, or with a small group of friends. Interested yogis may contact a studio of her choosing to inquire about the process and pricing of arranging private prenatal yoga classes.
Concerns
Prenatal yoga classes can be a safe and memorable experience for pregnant women, although some precautions should be taken, according to a Baby Center blog entitled, "Is it safe to do yoga during pregnancy?" Pregnant women participating in traditional yoga classes should notify instructors of their condition, according to the site's fitness expert, Tracey Mallett. Avoid supine postures, which can constrict blood flow, avoid "hot yoga" in facilities that raise temperatures in the yoga practice room and avoid excessive twisting through the abdomen.
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