Breathe. Relax. Release.
Does the thought of childbirth have you a little… tense? Maybe you've heard about the benefits of yoga for relaxation and helping you find your center, but during pregnancy? Yes!
Prenatal yoga has been shown to be effective in preparing your body for childbirth and it's great for mothers of all yoga experience levels.
Think about it, labor is hard work! In fact Prenatal Instructor Angela Gallagher told Yoga Journal, “Labor is one of the most physical things you’ll ever do. You would not run a marathon without preparation, why would you go into labor without preparing for it?”.
Did you know that practicing yoga for one hour a day, three times a week during pregnancy can help prevent complications? According to the Mayo Clinic, a 2012 study published in “Preventative Medicine” found that practicing yoga can decrease the risk of low birthweight, gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and high blood pressure. It was also found to improve sleep quality, decrease lower back pain, headaches, and shortness of breath.
Speaking of breathing! Deep focused breathing, called ujaii or textured breathing, is a big part of any yoga practice. This emphasis on breathing can help prepare pregnant women later for the slow patterned breathing technique used during labor.
The concentration on slow, steady breathing can also help relieve stress. And what more stressful time is there in life than the anticipation of childbirth? According to a 2009 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, there has been scientific proof that yoga helps the body deal with stress by slowing heart and breathing rates, and lowering blood pressure.
Interested in learning more? Join B. Birth Services at our launch party where we will have instructors from Movementality, Yoga and Wellness Studio to talk to you about the many benefits of prenatal yoga. If you're feeling lucky you also have the opportunity to win one of two prenatal yoga packages that consists of five studio sessions at Movementality.
