Organic tea and my homemade cake are served at the end of each class and there is plenty of time to ask questions and chat. Classes are small, friendly and relaxed and many friendships are often made during these sessions.

 

Please bring 2 cushions or pillows, a blanket, a yoga mat (I usually have a few spare to lend during the class, please let me know if you need to borrow one) and a bottle of water and wear loose comfortable clothes. 

 

Yoga based exercises for pregnancy -

These gentle postures help to stretch and strengthen your body, relieve discomforts, increase flexibility - particularly in the pelvic region - and improve body awareness. We work on postures that encourage the baby into a good position for birth and some of the positions are also helpful to adopt during labour. No previous yoga experience needed.

 

Breathing -

Developing awareness of the breath helps you work with your body and the energy of contractions during labour and birth. It also calms the mind and increases energy.

 

Pain coping practices -

To help you stay focused, build a pain coping mindset and manage the intensity of labour.

 

Relaxation -

To help reduce anxiety and tension, rest your body and give you quiet time with your baby.

 

Education on pregnancy, birth and beyond -

Topics include optimal foetal positioning (how to encourage baby into the best position for birth); the role of birth hormones; importance of your birth environment; what may happen during labour; use of movement and gravity in birth; how the body is designed to labour and birth; birthing the placenta; bonding; breastfeeding and caring for your newborn baby. If there are other topics you wish to look at let me know and I will try to include them.

 

“I started the course at about week 20 of my first pregnancy, mainly to get the chance to do some pregnancy yoga. However, as the weeks went on I found the other information in the classes increasingly helpful. I looked forward to Thursday nights for a chance to ask questions, share my pregnancy experiences that week, catch up with new friends and have a nice relax! I learnt how to have the natural birth that I hoped for in the environment of my choice and I feel that it was the classes that allowed me to have an easy and relaxing birth” (Fiona)