Why Yoga for Relaxation is the Ultimate Practice for a Gentle Birth and a Conscious and Confident Motherhood Journey
Today’s mama faces unprecedented challenges. Stress levels are at an all-time high and rates of perinatal mood disorders have increased dramatically, particularly post-pandemic.
For a pregnant mama, in a world filled with distractions, decision-making can feel overwhelming, and it can be difficult to quiet the chattering mind. Does this sound familiar? Does this resonate?
“As a new mom, you want to feel confident you’re making the best choices for your family. ”
Pregnancy yoga helps a mama support herself&baby throughout the pregnancy while preparing for birth and motherhood. It helps you steady your mind and cultivate confidence while surrendering to nature.
Since yoga is a journey of introspection, it’s a perfect companion while you prepare physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically and spiritually for the birth of your child. It helps you feel grounded. It’s from this place a steadiness that you can courageously let go of unhealthy patterns and past disturbances and confidently settle into your inner knowing, truth and wisdom.
“Pregnancy Yoga helps you connect to your divine feminine essence.”
As a modern, well-educated, ambitious and working woman who’s on her laptop and in virtual meetings most of the day, tapping into your divine essence may seem like a bizarre or foreign concept. But it’s essential as you prepare to surrender fully to birth and motherhood- a radical surrender of control and a radical transformation of who you are.
Yoga helps you prioritize being in your body, with your baby and your breath, rather than being in your head. (Time to close your laptop!) Feminine energy is creative, fierce and powerful energy. It’s also soft, tender and receptive. A mother, pregnant, birthing or raising children, embodies all of these qualities.
Interestingly, the path of yoga parallels the path of motherhood closely. The eight limbs of yoga mirror the steps a mother takes throughout her journey. In 2.29 of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali delineates the eight limbs of yoga which form the foundation of practice. They include:
yama: restraints
niyama: observances
asana: posture or pose
pranayama: breath work
pratyahara: sense withdrawal
dharana: concentration
dhyana: meditation
samadhi: serenity; perfection; supreme devotion; profound meditation
If you’re pregnant, and new to pregnancy yoga, my suggestion would be to focus on asana, pranayama, pratyahara and dharana.
Pregnancy Yoga - The ultimate practice to prepare body, mind, soul and home for motherhood.
Asana, physical shapes, poses and movements, helps relieve common pregnancy discomforts like shoulder tension, sciatica and tight hips. More importantly though, staying in a pose helps you cultivate a feeling of safety as well as mental strength and stamina. This leads to dharana, concentration. The more you can maintain mental steadiness, the more easily you’ll be able remain confident and focused inward, especially while laboring at the hospital.
The use of props for Restorative Yoga helps you explore pranayama, breath practices. By focusing on your breath, and learning how to manipulate it, you can stay calm and centered - whether you’re under pressure at work, laboring at the hospital or recovering postpartum as a new mom. Ultimately, breathing techniques help you tune out distractions. This sense withdrawal, pratyahara is essential so you can listen to your body, baby and intuition, and is especially important to ensure a positive birth experience.
“Imagine you’re in labor, moving through an intense contraction. Nothing is more important than focusing inward and allowing yourself to move through the changing sensations, fully conscious and in a state of trust. ”
When I started teaching pregnancy yoga in 2007, I had no idea how impactful it would be for the hundreds of mamas I’ve worked with over the years. If you want to get started, and incorporate pregnancy yoga into your daily routine, I’ve put together an educational video that demonstrates how to practice safely. I give you step-by-step guidance so you can figure out what will support you best, It gives you movements to relieve tightness and tension. And the restorative poses will give you an opportunity to observe your breath and bring your whole self- body, mind and soul - to a state of relaxation and trust.
“Are you committed to doing everything possible, including learning how to consciously relax, to ensure your positive birth experience? ”
Then Pregnancy Yoga for Relaxation is for you! Learn the ultimate practice to prepare for birth and your motherhood journey.
Get your FREE 40-minute video Pregnancy Yoga for Relaxation video when you click below.