Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga
Soft, mindful movement to keep you strong, open and connected to your changing body.
On the mat, we slow down. This is soft, mindful movement for a body that is changing, or that has just been through a great deal. Gentle stretches, breath, grounding poses, and an hour where nothing is asked of you. In pregnancy that often means easing a stiff back and finding room to breathe. After birth it usually means coming back to your body carefully, with your baby beside you on the mat or in your arms. No experience is needed and there is nothing to keep up with. Your body leads, always, and stopping when something doesn't feel right is the point rather than a failure.
Who this is for
This is for you if you'd like to move gently and be somewhere calm for a while. Perhaps you're pregnant and stiff, or restless, or you'd simply like time that belongs to you. Perhaps you're in the months after birth and want to rebuild slowly. Perhaps you have never done yoga in your life. Perhaps you've done a great deal of it and want something quieter than your usual class. If you've had a caesarean, a difficult birth, or any complication, please check with your midwife or your doctor about when to start moving again, and tell me what they said.
What happens
You tell me where your body is
How far along you are, or how long it has been since the birth. What hurts, what you've been told to avoid, and what you'd like from this.
We move gently and slowly
Breath first, then soft stretches and grounding poses. Everything can be made smaller. Nothing is held longer than it feels good.
We rest properly
The stillness at the end is not an extra. It may well be the part that does the most for you.
You take a little of it home
One or two things you can do on your own - a breath, a stretch, a way to sit - for the days in between.
Common questions
I've never done yoga. Will I be lost?
No. This isn't a room where anyone is watching how you compare. Everything is explained, everything can be made easier, and beginners are genuinely welcome.
Can I bring my baby?
For postnatal sessions, yes. Babies come along and they feed, sleep or complain as they wish. Nobody minds, least of all me.
When can I start again after birth?
That depends on your birth and your recovery, and it is a question for your midwife or your doctor rather than for me. Once they've given you the go-ahead, we start gently regardless of what you were doing before.
Is it one-to-one, or a group?
That's worth asking me directly, since it depends on what's running and on what would suit you. A free discovery call is a good place to put the question.