Pre & Post-natal
“As many as one in five women develop a mental health problem during pregnancy or in the first year after the birth of their baby. The pain this causes women and their families, the negative impact on their health and wellbeing, the economic costs to individuals, and the NHS are considerable”. RCOG, 2017. Vasudha Living is working with women on a 1-on-1 basis, but also alongside other health professionals. A holistic and supportive approach has been proven to be very successful for pre and post-natal women.
Pre & Post-natal Yoga
Charlotte is a mother of two who has personally reaped the benefits of pre and post-natal yoga. She has trained with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli https://umadinsmoretuli.com/, Sally Parkes https://sallyparkesyoga.com/ and Indira Lopez http://indirayoga.com/about-me/ who are all inspiring teachers in the field of yoga therapy for women’s health, and she draws from this knowledge when teaching her classes.
Pregnancy Yoga
Pregnancy yoga creates a safe and nurturing environment, encouraging expectant mothers to be more in touch with themselves and their babies through the use of breath-work, movement and deep relaxation. It empowers the individual to move more intelligently in response to the pregnancy and in preparation for giving birth.
Pregnancy yoga classes combine pelvic floor awareness, stretching & strengthening exercises to prepare the body for childbirth, as well as sound and breath-work practices to nourish the body and to be supportive tools for labour. They incorporate flows to invigorate and empower each mother-to-be and on occasion they offer deep, restful relaxation through powerful Yoga Nidra. Through these practices each mother-to-be is able to experience how the subtle power of yoga supports a deeper connection to her baby and the transition to motherhood. A beautiful safe space will be created to hold and nurture each woman and they will leave the class feeling more energised and restored. There is also some space at the end for sharing with other women in the class and to discuss antenatal topics.
Post-natal Yoga
These nourishing classes provide a space for mothers to focus on themselves and to begin the process of feeling strong, balanced and confident.
Breath-work practices will be used to help calm and connect, whilst strengthening and lengthening exercises for the whole body to help mums to feel more embodied. There will also be a strong focus on appropriate and tailored core work to help rebuild and strengthen the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.
A restorative relaxation exercise will be used at the end of each class. Baby is always welcome. Some mums prefer to put baby down for a nap but this may not always work so just going with acceptance is usually best and a recording of the class can be provided.
Some of the common concerns addressed in each class:
- Weak abdominal muscles
- Body fatigue
- Tight neck and shoulders
- Emotional ups and downs
- Diastasis recti
- Pee when you jump up and down
- Pelvic or hip discomfort
