Prenatal Yoga – What to Expect
Prenatal Yoga – What to Expect
Namaste!
Did you know that namaste means “I bow to you”? It is a way of conveying deep respect to the person you are addressing, so we thought it was the perfect greeting for today’s post which is all about prenatal yoga! Birth Center Stone Oak offers on-going Childbirth Education Classes to help our families learn about their body, birth, and answer all of those lingering questions. One of our classes is prenatal yoga.
Prenatal yoga is a great way to prepare for childbirth. It not only helps the mama relax and stay fit, but it also helps prepare for labor and promote the baby’s health. It is much like other types of yoga practices where you focus on stretching, mental centering, and focused breathing. Studies have found prenatal yoga offers multiple benefits like improved sleep, decreased lower back pain, decreased headaches, and the reduction of stress. What momma doesn’t want all of that and more during pregnancy?
So now you are convinced that prenatal yoga sounds like a good idea, but what does a prenatal yoga class look like? Here is what you can expect:
Breathing
Breathing is an important part of yoga. Deep inhalation and exhalation are methods for calming the body both mentally and emotionally. Deep breath provides more opportunity for cells to absorb oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide. You can also take these breathing exercises into labor to help reduce or manage contractions.
Stretching and Poses
Another thing you can expect from yoga is stretching. Whether you are a beginner or expert yogi, many poses are comfortable and safe to do during pregnancy. A study was done on twenty-five healthy pregnant women from all different experience levels that found that during 26 yoga postures, there were no acute adverse maternal physiological or fetal heart rate changes. A few common poses you might practice are the Cat-Cow stretch, Warrior II, and Legs-Up-the-Wall.
Cooldown and Relaxation
At the end of each class, there will always be a cooldown. It’s important to relax your muscles and restore your breathing rhythm and resting heart rate. When you stop exercising abruptly, your muscles suddenly stop contracting vigorously which causes blood to pool in the lower half of your body, making it hard for it to be pumped back up to the heart and brain. Cooldowns are all about promoting relaxation through listening to your breathing and paying close attention to sensations, thoughts, and emotions.
To register for our prenatal yoga class, call us at 210-481-7549 or complete the class registration form on our website!