“ I started doing yoga with Stefi when I was 7 months pregnant. Any lady can imagine the heaviness and tiredness one experiences during that phase. From the day I started practicing yoga with her, my life changed. Apart from her warmth and professionalism, she also designed a program to fit me personally. There was a huge change in me, I would feel more energetic and lively after the session, and this positivity would take me through a couple of days, till I would see her again. I continued practicing yoga with her till the week of my delivery. She kept adjusting the routine to suit my concerns."
Komal Sharma
PREGNANCY & POSTNATAL YOGA
Congratulations. It's you and your baby now! Your time will be mostly dedicated to him or her but as a new mother, you will also need the time for yourself to regain good posture, tone the muscles of your lower back and abdomen, and yoga also helps you to avoid the baby blues!
During pregnancy showers of hormones, achy joints and distracted minds, can sometimes make it quite difficult to keep on living as we used to. The signals are clear, we ought to realize we owe ourselves and our babies a bit more time out and tender loving care.
Practising Yoga throughout your pregnancy will empower and energise you. It will allow you to tune into the changes that are going on in your body, slow the pace and enjoy the whole experience.
You want to know how?
Pregnancy is a cosmic transformation within a single individual. Sounds overwhelming? It can be. Great demands are placed on our bodies, which now have to carry out physiological functions for two.
EARLY PREGNANCY (1 to 16 weeks)
In early pregnancy extreme tiredness and in some cases nausea, prevent us from feeling up to any strenuous physical exercise. During this time Yoga can help us to deeply rest and relax, using mainly our breath.
Developing awareness of the breathing process is the most powerful instrument we have to dispel anxiety and to anchor ourselves in the present moment, so that we can deeply enjoy the magic of life growing inside us.
Also, mild stretches and toning movements can help us preserve a healthy spine and give us a bit more energy to keep us going throughout the day
Public Yoga does not accept women who are less than 3 months pregnant, so this is an especially great time to enjoy a private one-to-one Yoga at home, West London area.
MID-PREGNANCY (16 to 34 weeks)
In mid-pregnancy hormone levels are balancing out and we might be experiencing a sense of welcome vitality. Yoga during this time should not be a normal yoga lesson in which we avoid certain poses, but it should be a very special Yoga, in which things are added, not only taken away.
Positions are specially crafted for this transformative time: lines become sinuous and feminine and movements follow spiraling trajectories. We can start to build up the physical and mental stamina that will be required during labour and experiment with positions and breathing techniques to get to know our bodies at this stage. Visualizations and guided meditations help us connect with our babies and allow us to sink into a deeper mental and physical relaxation.
LATE PREGNANCY (34 to 40+ weeks)
In Late Pregnancy any physical discomfort gets exacerbated by the weight and thus strain imposed on our spines. It's essential to let go of unnecessary tensions and maintain a good posture, especially if we are faced with pregnancy conditions like SPD, etc.
However our main focus is now openly facing any fears, finding that deep connection between mind, breathe and pelvic floor and developing receptivity towards our own needs and our babies.
POSTNATAL - MUMMY & ME YOGA
You do have to wait a little time before practising yoga positions after delivery, but remember, there is always Yoga! Guided meditations, breathing exercises and small movements are essential tools to take care of yourself right from day one.
A one-to-one bespoke yoga class in the comfort of your home could give you the basic tools to make the most of the time you spend with your baby. Trust me, when they start running around, there is no chance to have a lovely yoga session with your baby by your side anymore! I know because I have a toddler of my own right now.
I can give you the confidence to develop a personal practice so that you can work on your own sequence, even if only 15 minutes every day. Consistency, doing a little every day is key, and doing a lot once a week is actually damaging in these early stages.
THE CESAREAN SECTION SCENARIO
I know, it's tough to get your body back after a major surgery, but it is possible. I have done it and I can help you do the same.
You have to wait at least 6 weeks to start working on physical recovery, but even then and even if you have the chance to go to a public postnatal class, there are far too many 'don’ts' for you, compared to women who had a vaginal delivery, so you might feel left out and like you gained little from the class.
A One to One Postnatal Yoga session can provide you with the safe and nurturing environment that you need. Together we can progress on regaining flexibility and strength. We will work on reconnecting upper and lower body, whilst supporting the lower back and abdominal wall.
We can also fight the side effects of any medications you may have had to take and address that very specific sense of fragility and sometimes failure that an unwanted C-section can leave behind.