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Prenatal Yoga Blog 11

Lauren Windel Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor
Lauren Windel Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor

Here are the tips new moms felt they really could use:

New moms get a lot of advice, most unsolicited, but some of it turned out to be really useful.

  1. SLEEP WHEN THE BABY SLEEPS

          “Forget the laundry. Sleep when the baby sleeps—no matter the day or time”—was the best advice received as a new mom.

  1. BE FLEXIBLE

          “The best advice I received was to forget your preconceived notions of what is good vs. bad and simply make the best choices for your family, prioritizing your health, sleep, and well-being.                  Flexibility will keep you sane.”

  1. ASK FOR HELP

          “The best advice ever: our culture focuses too much on a birth plan when you need a ‘newborn plan, as in, make sure you have lots of help lined up.”

            Ask for what you really need. You may find that there’s a line of people waiting to help you hold the baby…and no one who wants to make dinner or clean the bathroom.

  1. KNOW THAT YOUR BABY IS UNIQUE

          “Every baby is different. What works with one won’t for another. Moms with more than one kid can tell you that even babies in the same family are very different from one another. Even the              best advice is worthless if it won’t work for your baby—and you’re the expert.

  1. SCHEDULES CAN WAIT

          “All bets are off for the first few months,” says Patty, an event producer.

          “That baby needs love and food and a clean tush. Don’t try to enforce sleep schedules and eating schedules or any other schedules. You’ll make yourself crazy.”

  1. SHAKE OFF THE GUILT

          “Let go of the mom guilt. Take time for yourself; it’s OK. Hire babysitters just to get me-time.”

  1. TRUST YOUR GUT

          “Make sure you really, really trust your OB/midwife because you are going to be in the thick of it with them and you need to trust that they are making the best decisions for you if things                      have to change. The same goes for pediatricians, childcare providers, and babysitters. If you have a bad feeling, or the trust isn’t there, listen to your instincts.”

  1. PLAY THE LONG GAME

          “When something about your kid is driving you crazy, ask yourself: is this still going to be a problem in a year? Almost always, the answer is no. It helps put things into perspective.”

  1. GET OUTSIDE & TAKE A WALK

          “In those early days, I recommend trying to get out of the house once a day, even if it’s just a quick walk around the block. Fresh air did a lot for my mental health!”

  1. DON’T FALL FOR SOCIAL MEDIA MOTHERHOOD

          “Don’t hold your life up to what you see on social media. Remember that everybody is just doing the best that they can. And anybody who looks like they have it all together – just wants it to                seem that way.”

Home4Birth clients, pick up a free prenatal yoga pass at our office for Source Yoga’s Sunday 1:30 p.m. classes. After that first free class, Home4Birth will pay for part of the first three class bundle. You pay just $15 (reg drop in rate is $15). So, it’s like getting another two classes for free! Postnatal clients are also encouraged to attend! Class taught by Lauren Windle, Certified Yoga Instructor, (317) 915-9642, barefootgirl@comcast.net.

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Prenatal Yoga Blog 10

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The Psychological Benefits of Yoga for Pregnant Women

Another important effect of prenatal yoga is evidenced in reduced maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms (Prenatal Yoga for Depression) as well as stress management.

Over the course of pregnancy, women experience significant shifts in the reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone, leaving women feeling emotionally taxed. The connection of breath with movement, along with activation of the PSNS via deep breathing, helps to shift perspective and step out of negative mind states. Stepping onto the mat and moving through a practice allows us to move away from the sometimes overly critical or judgmental mind and creates an opportunity to drop into our seat of intuition.

Yogi Bryan Kest

Home4Birth clients, pick up a free prenatal yoga pass at our office for Source Yoga’s Sunday 1:30 p.m. classes. After that first free class, Home4Birth will pay for 1/2 of the first three class bundle. You pay just $12.50 (reg drop in rate is $15). So, it’s like getting another two classes for free! Postnatal clients are also encouraged to attend! Class taught by Lauren Windle, Certified Yoga Instructor, (317) 915-9642, barefootgirl@comcast.net.

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Prenatal Yoga Blog 9

used-6-14-16-9-9-10-12-11-22-12-29-prenatal-yogaYoga During Pregnancy

Yoga benefits during pregnancy overlap somewhat with the general benefits of yoga, notably with respect to stress management, improved strength and flexibility, and mood enhancement.

Scientific research on the physical benefits of yoga during pregnancy suggest that yoga can help to ease labor and back pain, preeclampsia and minimize complications during pregnancy and labor (Mindful Yoga for Psychological and Physical Distress). Anecdotally, prenatal yoga may also be helpful for relieving tension in the shoulders and neck, tightness in the hips, as well as to build stamina and strength to support pregnant women in carrying the additional weight from the growing fetus.
Physiological benefits of prenatal yoga are evidenced in breathwork, which calms the mind and nervous system through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), otherwise known as the relaxation response. The practice of deep belly breathing also helps expectant mamas to prepare for labor and childbirth. Through deep breathing and subsequent activation of the PSNS, digestion, sleep and the immune system are supported.

Bryan Kest

Home4Birth clients, pick up a free prenatal yoga pass at our office for Source Yoga’s Sunday 1:30 p.m. classes. After that first free class, Home4Birth will pay for 1/2 of the first three class bundle. You pay just $12.50 (reg drop in rate is $15). So, it’s like getting another two classes for free! Postnatal clients are encouraged to attend! Class taught by Lauren Windle, Certified Yoga Instructor, (317) 809-5993, barefootgirl@comcast.net.

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Prenatal Yoga Blog 8

Happy New Year, yoga mamas!

I wanted to share a few thoughts on savasana (pronounced “sha-vah-sana,” and meaning “corpse pose” in ancient Sanskrit.)

It’s the last pose we do in our prenatal yoga practice, and arguably, the most important one. So how is that possible, since it is simply lying still and breathing deeply?

I didn’t get this at all when I first started practicing yoga. In fact, I actually walked out of class before savasana started.

Twice.

I mean, why lie down for 5-10 minutes? I skipped it the first time I did prenatal yoga. I’ll rest at home, is what I told myself.

So next time, my instructor specifically asked me to try to stay for savasana. Her words: “It can be really hard to lie still with your thoughts. But you might be surprised about how much you’ll gain from it.”

I love a challenge, so I stayed, albeit somewhat reluctantly. And found that she was right. Sometimes savasana IS the hardest part of class. And it’s ALWAYS the most important part. Here’s why:

Savasana helps you absorb and “set” the physical benefits of every pose you just moved through. Physically, your body has a chance to reflect on all the beneficial postures it has just moved through before moving on to movement that’s a little more mindless, like walking or typing.

Mentally, those five minutes help you absorb both the energizing and relaxing benefits of your practice.

On top of sealing the benefits of your practice, savasana also ranks high on the list of great things you can do for your overall health and well-being. According to research, savasana has a stress-relieving effect on the body and brain. It may also help treat mild depression and insomnia, raise energy levels, get rid of headaches, and even lower blood pressure.

That means it’s good for you and your baby. You know what else?

Savasana is a fantastic way to kick-start the yogic idea of “letting stuff go,” or “let it be.” Just letting your thoughts ebb and flow without judging, shorting or scolding is great therapy.

So consider savasana a mini meditation for your overworked body; very calming and soothing; cathartic after the mental chaos of the day. Stick with it. Chances are good it will become the highlight of your class.

Namaste~

Lauren

Home4Birth clients, pick up a free prenatal yoga pass at our office for Source Yoga’s Saturday noon classes. After that first free class, Home4Birth will pay for 1/2 of the first three class bundle. You pay just $12.50 (reg drop in rate is $15). So, it’s like getting another two classes for free! Postnatal clients are encouraged to attend! Class taught by Lauren Windle, Certified Yoga Instructor, (317) 809-5993, barefootgirl@comcast.net.