In Birthlight pregnancy yoga I have found the connection between what I know and practice as a doula and what yoga can offer during pregnancy and then labour and birth. It gives the power and control back to you over your own body, on the level of your own comfort; with how you move and also with how much yogic you wish to be.
Exercises I teach during the classes aim to restore and maintain balance, paying attention to pelvic awareness, to the importance of breathing, to the bond between mother and baby and how all these through movement create an easy to follow and enjoyable practice.
Mindset, body awareness
Besides offering physical exercise, Birthlight yoga is also about encouraging pregnant women to trust their own body and baby and to find their own comfort and preferences throughout pregnancy and then labour and birth.
I really like to hear how the birth went for those ladies who attended my classes. I am the happiest when they write me back telling about how they moved and breathed not exactly as we practiced, feeling confident enough to combine and change techniques and exercises to go with what their body and baby was telling them to do.
These ladies very kindly allowed me to share their words here as well:
“Breathing exercises have been very helpful during labor (some nurses even asked me if I have attended a course 😉 ) …and also during the long part of the labor at home I knew what kind of different exercises could help me.”
“I remember I thought a bit about the exercise where we were with our back against the wall and in a seated position, where you told us your legs get a bit uncomfortable but try to accept that and keep breathing calmly. I was often thinking OK it hurts but just accept that and try to breath as calm as possible. With breathing I naturally did something that was not exactly something we practiced but I would blow up my cheeks a bit and make a bit of a sighing noise. Anyway that worked pretty well so I stuck with that. I remember at the end I was doing part of the visualization with the funnel, but it was too much effort to imagine the funnel, so only the part where the breath was pushing the baby down while exhaling.”
Pregnancy yoga precautions
- I would recommend to wait until 12 weeks with starting pregnancy yoga
- Ask your health provider about starting any kind of exercise during pregnancy
- Always listen to your body and do poses and exercises accordingly
Private pregnancy yoga in Amsterdam
I also offer 1 hour pregnancy yoga sessions in your home, personalizing each session to your needs.
Prices
1 session: €70
3 sessions: €180
5 sessions: €250
Prices are inclusive of VAT and travel and parking costs in Amsterdam. Outside of Amsterdam there is a extra charge of €0.29/km as travel expanse.
