Postnatal

“Being a good mother is too many jobs for one person.” … Ariel Gore

(The Mother Trip: Hip Mama’s Guide to Staying Sane in the Chaos of Motherhood (Seal Press, 2000)

The first year after giving birth can be a demanding one. You have a new role to learn and a new life to lead. Time may not be your own anymore and you are bombarded with multiple tasks, new priorities and plenty of emotional change.

Added to this is the strain your body may be under after giving birth, from feeding and lifting your baby (and all that equipment you thought you needed!) and mind melt after those 3am night feeds!

Postnatal yoga is a valuable tool in managing the physical, mental and emotional effects of motherhood. It heals and tones the body, strengthens the pelvic floor and core muscles, soothes the nervous system and relieves anxiety. Postnatal yoga also gives you back confidence in your body and acts as a balm for shortened and tired muscles.

Postnatal workshops give you the chance to practice yoga and core exercises with other mothers, ask specific questions on postnatal fitness and develop a short home practice with handouts and tips.

The following are some of the benefits you can expect:

Physical

• Pelvic floor – Strengthens and tones the pelvic floor after childbirth
• Core – Gently and effectively tones the stomach muscles for a stronger core and lower back
• Shoulders and neck – Feeding and lifting babies is hard work on the upper body. Yoga can coax open your chest and shoulders which may have collapsed inwards.
• Posture – Postnatal yoga focuses on strengthening the back muscles and improving alignment and posture.
• Body conditioning – Yoga is a complete body conditioning system. It lengthens and tones muscles and over time will result in a leaner, more supple body

Mental

• Stress relief – Simple techniques to alleviate stress and calm rattled nerves!
• Relaxation – Deep breathing and relaxation practices you can practice at home
• Restorative postures – Releasing the body without effort or strain. Restorative postures can be as refreshing as a good nap.
• Doing what you can – When time is short, you do what you can in yoga. Use your postures and practices as a toolbox – taking what you need when you need it, rather than focusing on trying to do a whole practice.

Emotional

• Balance – Postnatal yoga gives you time for yourself to stretch and relax. It provides abalance between effort and relaxation that is essential for motherhood.
• Body awareness – Listening to your body and becoming aware of how it feels in different states and poses is empowering and grounding.
• Managing emotions – Use deep breathing and meditative practices to become aware of how you are feeling and be at peace with your various emotions.
• Time for you – In an ideal world, all mothers would get a month-long paid sun holiday. Failing that, 2 hours of postnatal yoga on a Saturday morning can be as good as a massage!
• Attentive to yourself – Now is not a time to forget about who you are and what you need. If you can be gentle, kind and loving to yourself, it is more likely that you will be so with those you love as well.