Yoga for Pregnancy
Yoga for Expecting Mothers
Pregnancy Yoga
Relax,
Unwind, connect with your baby
and
prepare for birth in a safe,
comfortable
and nurturing environment
Weekly Yoga Classes for Expecting Mothers in South Dublin
Each
class lasts 90 minutes and includes:
Combining gentle yet deep yoga streches, especially adapted to the needs of your pregnant body, breathing and relaxation techniques, stress management, deep relaxation, healing and visualisation.
The courses are held in a warm, comfortable room which is only used for yoga and healing and therefore has a beautiful energy. Whether you have practised yoga before or are new to yoga, this class will be tailored to your needs. This is why numbers of participants per class is limited and each mum-to-be can receive individual attention.
These
classes may be safely attended for the full duration of the pregnancy as
they are specially designed to meet the individual needs of each mother,
including movements and breathing techniques that can be used for:
Labour
and Birth
Relieving
backache or heartburn
Stress
Management
Strenghtening
and Stretching the body
Increasing
your Energy Level
Bonding
with your Baby
We organise a special partners' class regularly to show your birth companion how he (or she) can be of real support to you on your special day.
In addition to being the best way to keep your mind, body and spirit healthy during pregnancy, this course will give you alternative techniques very useful in time of labour and birth. Did you realise that you do have choice? You can breathe, move and even dance your way through labour. What a wonderful way to welcome a new soul into this world!
For
information on courses, location & times
Click here
PUBLISHED IN THREE ROCK PANORAMA JULY 2008:
DANCE YOUR WAY THROUGH LABOUR AND BIRTH
Giving birth is the natural follow-up to the process that led to the baby being conceived and most women dream of their baby being born smoothly in an atmosphere of serenity. Women who manage to give birth without requiring any medical intervention are sadly these days a minority and for some women the delivery can be a traumatic experience where nothing seems to go according to plan, one intervention leads to the next, culminating into the woman feeling as a passive witness to whom things are done to get the baby out as quickly as possible. Don’t get me wrong: there are times when medical intervention is a necessity and you have to let the medical staff do what they do best: save lives and prevent long term injuries. But the enfolding of events can sometimes have long lasting effects both for the mother and her baby.
Wouldn’t it be great if our babies were delivered in the same loving atmosphere in which they were conceived? If women felt loved and supported, nurtured and respected in all aspects of their labour and deliveries? To have a compassionate presence by your side at this crucial time is so beneficial, someone who allows you to trust your body through the process of Labour and Birth without once interfering with the beautiful enfolding of this sacred and truly empowering experience.
How then can we maximise our chances of having an active, stress free birth?
The first step is to prepare as well as you can:
1. Read: There are some very good books available on pregnancy and childbirth, explaining all the stages of pregnancy, labour and delivery.
2. Attend prenatal classes in the hospital where you intend to give birth. It’s a great way to find out what the usual procedures are in this particular hospital. Make a list of questions before attending these classes and don’t be shy to ask. It is very important for you to clarify things before your due date. Find out what equipment they have and what their policy is with regard to active birth.
3. Make the most of your visit with your Consultant and agree a Birth Plan. You need to stay open to the possibility that things may go a different way on the day, but it is good to have on paper the agreement reached between yourself and your Consultant with regard to labour and delivery.
4. Prepare your body and your
mind for labour and birth. Keep yourself fit both physically and emotionally.
Yoga can help with this. You can stretch and strengthen your body, look
after your posture, learn breathing and relaxation techniques, meet other
mums to be, connect with your body and with your baby and learn movements
that can be very useful at the time of labour and birth.
Swimming is also great because
your body feels lighter in water and there are some excellent aqua gym
classes for expecting mothers. Gentle strolling on the beach can also be
a great way of combining fresh air with gentle exercising.
5. Enrol the help of your
partner, or a close friend or relative to be present with you at the time
of labour and birth and prepare together for the big day. Go over the type
of birth you want and practice the movements and breathing techniques with
your birth partner. It is important that they are fully aware of what will
make you comfortable on the day so they can fully support you at this crucial
time. Creating an atmosphere of deep respect and safety is a quintessential
ingredient to allow this beautiful experience to enfold. You need to be
able to let go of everything and trust in your birth partners’ ability
to hold the space for you. This enables you to connect deeper with this
experience and to trust in your ability to see it through.
6. Giving birth is first and foremost a question of mind over matter. You need to prepare yourself mentally, learning to trust in the natural wisdom of your body and to surrender to this experience totally, and riding the surges of the contractions with confidence and trust. Remind yourself that you are a strong, powerful woman, even if don’t always feel that way, that your mother and grandmother did this before you and many generations of women before them, that your body was designed to do this, and that each contraction brings you closer to holding your baby in your arms.
7. When labour starts, gradually, allow yourself to release all inhibitions and trust your body's natural wisdom. If you can let go completely of everything else, and connect with your own primal instinct, you will find yourself entering into a trance like state, where nothing else matters and your body instinctively knows what to do. As you move deeper and deeper into this process, your whole body comes alive, and you reach the point of no return, trusting yourself completely into this experience where past and future no longer have their place and the only reality is the here and now, your body trusting to and fro with the intensity of the contractions while you reach a state of total surrender. Your body begins to shake uncontrollably and just as you think you are going to die with the intensity of it all, you feel the burning sensation of your baby coming through the birth canal and you find yourself in a state of absolute bliss, deeper than anything you could have possibly imagined. Holding your newborn baby in your arms for the very first time, still linked to you by the umbilical cord is the icing on the cake. Allowing your baby to reach for the breast and to suck gently, rhythmically as your tummy still contracts to release the placenta while your partner and the midwife watch with softness and awe in their eyes..... Who wouldn’t want a birth like this?
Giving birth in this way is
possibly the most empowering experience a woman will ever have. It is,
in my opinion, the key to entering into your own power as a woman. Having
successfully walked through the hot coals of labour, when you have dived
deep into the fire of this birthing miracle with faith and integrity, when
you have succeeded in creating a loving environment for your baby to take
his or her first breath, no-one can ever push you over again. Because from
deep within your soul, you have connected with your own sacred fire, your
own inner strength and the infinite wisdom of your body and perhaps for
the first time in your life, you understand what unconditional love is
all about.
It is my belief that if a
woman can approach birth as she approaches love, is able to let go of fear
and trust her body and the natural process of labour and birth, she has
a much greater potential in achieving a birth experience with which she
will be satisfied.
Part taking in prenatal yoga classes can create a golden opportunity for mums to be to let go of their daily routine, meet other mums to be, stretch breathe, relax, unwind, connect with their body and with their baby, and prepare for birth in safe, healing and nurturing environment.
Like most events in life,
labour and birth is a dance. So stand strongly on your own two feet, breathe
and rock your body through the waves of contractions and allow the love
of your partner to smooth the way to a beautiful positive experience reaching
ecstasy just as your baby’s head emerges from the depths of the unknown
into a new world full of magic and wonder.
Yoga Workshops for Expecting Mothers in your area
Feeling
left out because you do not live in Dublin?
Marie
Angeline is willing to travel to your area
to
give a workshop on yoga in pregnancy
for
yoga teachers and mums to be.
For
more information, e-mail info@yoga-healing.com
Relax, unwind and prepare for birth in the comfort of your own home
with:
|
This 68 minutes DVD includes gentle yoga stretches to especially adapted to the needs of expecting mums'bodies, breathing and relaxation techniques, deep relaxation and visualisation to connect with your baby. Even
if you are completely new to Yoga, you will find this DVD very practical
and easy to follow. For your convenience, it is divided into five
sections:
This
DVD was reviewed by Dara Totterdell, Member of the Association of Chartered
Physiotherapists in Women's Health: "This is a great adjunct to ante natal
education. The exercises shown can't but be helpful at any stage during
the pregnancy. I particularly like the relaxation sequence which is wonderfully
calming. This could be used by anybody, dad's and mum's alike! The whole
DVD mirrors Marie angeline's classes and leaves you feeling that inner
quietness which can be difficult to find in our busy world today."
|
To
order a DVD Click here |
PUBLISHED IN NETWORK HOLISTIC JULY 2008:
ORGASMIC BIRTH & THE TURTLE MONITORING TEAM
There is a new film out in
the UK due to hit our screens shortly. Its title really appeals to me though
I haven’t seen it and can only hope that its content is what I imagine
it to be It is called: ORGASMIC BIRTH, a concept which, I am sure, will
bring an ironic smile to the lips of many whose experience or idea of childbirth
is as far remote from an orgasm as a rape is from ecstasy. And yet, I am
convinced that not only is it possible to experience an orgasm while giving
birth but it may indeed be the most powerful orgasm you’ll ever have!
Riding the waves of the contractions is not unlike riding the waves that led to the baby’s conception. It builds up gradually while you slowly allow yourself to release all inhibitions and dive deep into a trance like state. As you move deeper and deeper into this process, your whole body comes alive, the sensitivity of your breasts and skin increases as the hormones build up in your system and you reach the point of no return, trusting yourself completely into this experience where past and future no longer have their place and the only reality is the here and now, your body trusting to and fro with the intensity of the contractions while you reach a state of total surrender. Your body begins to shake uncontrollably and just as you think you are going to die with the intensity of it all, you feel the burning sensation of your baby coming through the birth canal and you find yourself in a state of absolute bliss, deeper than anything you could have possibly imagined. Holding your newborn baby in y our arms for the very first time, still linked to you by the umbilical cord is the icing on the cake. Allowing your baby to reach for the breast and to suck gently, rhythmically as your tummy still contracts to release the placenta while your partner and the midwife watch with softness and awe in their eyes..... Who wouldn’t want a birth like this?
Creating an atmosphere of deep respect and safety is a quintessential ingredient to allow this beautiful experience to enfold. You need to feel loved, accepted as you are, nurtured, supported; you need to be able to let go of everything and trust in your birth partners’ ability to hold the space for you. This enables you to connect deeper with this truly magical ritual and to enter in communion with the mystery of which orgasm is only a small reflection.
In an ideal world, no woman would ever be deprived of the opportunity of experiencing a natural birth, surrounded by loved ones in an atmosphere of deep respect and a reverence for the absolute miracle of this life giving experience.
Giving birth in this way is possibly the most empowering experience a woman will ever have. It is, in my opinion, the key to entering into your own power as a woman, having successfully gone through this important rite of passage. When you have successfully walked through the hot coals of labour, when you have dived deep into the fire of this birthing miracle with faith and integrity, when you have succeeded in creating a loving environment for your baby to take his or her first breath, no-one can ever push you over again. Because from deep within your soul, you have connected with your own sacred fire, your own inner strength and the infinite wisdom of the sacred temple of your body and perhaps for the first time in your life, you understand what unconditional love is all about.
I heard through a Doula website that there is a dedicated team of animal lovers somewhere on the beaches of Australia who are truly committed to protect the environment in which turtles lay their eggs, ensuring that they experience as little interference or disturbance as possible and that the sacredness of this birthing process is respected by all. One of their duties is to walk the beach each morning to count the number of nests, including the nests which had been abandoned probably due to the turtles being disturbed or threatened. In the evening, the monitoring group’s role is to protect turtles while they are digging nests and laying eggs and to educate onlookers to the need for stillness and reverence at this crucial time.
Much like us at the time of labour and birth, turtles are shy and they use the moonlight to navigate their way to the sand dunes and return to the water. Bright lights can disturb this process as can movement and noise. Another important role of the Turtle monitoring group is to allow the new hatchlings to FIND THEIR OWN WAY TO THE SEA. Turtles lay their eggs on the same beach on which they were hatched and by making their own way to the sea, they become imprinted with THAT BEACH so that in about 40 years time they can return to continue the cycle. This means that despite the best intentions of wanting to help them, they must make that treacherous journey on their own.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if
mothers and babies had similar vigil at the time of labour and birth? Someone
who can create a safe environment at this crucial time where mother and
child can find their own way through this important process without feeling
observed or threatened?
Wouldn’t it be great if our babies were delivered in the same loving atmosphere in which they were conceived? If women felt loved and supported, nurtured and respected in all aspects of their labour and deliveries WITHOUT a lot of help, however well intentioned. To have a compassionate presence by your side at this crucial time is so beneficial, someone who allows you to trust your body through the process of Labour and Birth without once interfering with the beautiful enfolding of this sacred and truly empowering experience.
It has been mine and that of many women who, like me, who chose to give birth naturally in the comfort of their own home, with a caring team consisting of a skilled midwife and loving partner or close friend by their side, supported and nurtured and completely at one with your body, with the process, and with those around you.
Once labour starts, it really is a matter of riding the contractions in the same way as the surfer rides the waves. You need to trust yourself completely and keep going. My yoga practice was a true bonus because I was completely in touch with my body and taking deep breaths came naturally to me. Our body has infinite wisdom so it simply is a matter of letting go of everything else and entering into a trance like state where your body instinctively knows what to do and how to do it.
Gradually the contractions gain in intensity, just like the powerful lovemaking leading to conception and you gradually let go more and more of yourself until you and the contractions have become one just like the surfer merges with the sea. And just when you feel so exhausted, you think you can’t go any further, you reach the orgasmic experience of the actual birthing.
It is my belief that if a woman can approach birth as she approaches love, is able to let go of fear and trust her body and the natural process of labour and birth, she has a much greater potential in achieving a birth experience with which she will be satisfied.
Part taking in prenatal yoga classes can create a golden opportunity for mums to be to let go of their daily routine, meet other mums to be, stretch breathe, relax, unwind, connect with their body and with their baby, and prepare for birth in safe, healing and nurturing environment.
One doesn’t run the marathon
without preparing for it. Likewise, mums to be can learn how to stretch
and strengthen their body and experienced teachers can show them simple
but effective techniques that can be used during labour and birth. Preparing
for birth with your partner can be a wonderful way to deepen the experience
for both of you, showing him how he can best assist you on the day, allowing
you to be entirely free to focus on the process itself.
Preparing for birth entails
trust and the ability to relax enough to allow the natural enfolding of
events with as little intervention or disturbance as possible.
You can’t teach someone to
surf unless you have learned it yourself and you know what works and what
doesn’t and you can impart your wisdom to the new initiates. Likewise,
a mother who has experienced the miracle of natural childbirth can share
her wisdom with mums to be. She has learned how to ride the waves of the
contractions, how to enter into trance, how to breathe through it all,
how to use the power of the mind in a positive way. She can remind you
that each contraction brings you closer to holding your baby in your arms,
that working as a team with your baby, your partner and the midwife, will
empower you to follow the flow, rocking with the waves, breathing through
the intensity of it all and surrendering yourself fully to the present
moment.
Like a painter sampling different
colours before applying them onto his canvas, mums to be can gather the
tools needed for a smooth and stress-free birth.
Like most events in life,
labour and birth is a dance. So stand strongly on your own two feet, breathe
and rock your body through the waves of contractions and allow the love
of your partner to smooth the way to a beautiful positive experience reaching
ecstasy just as your baby’s head emerges from the depths of the unknown
into a new world full of magic and wonder.
Note from the writer: I was
inspired to write this article following a conversation I had recently
with Deb Davis, Irish Doula, as part of Nature’s Path, the Holistic Radio
Program I produce and present each Friday @ 11 am on Dublin City FM103.2.
The anecdote of the Turtle Monitoring Team was inspired from a web posting
by an Australian midwife called Maxine.