Yoga dates back thousands of years in eastern cultures. It is the hip thing to do now, to take part in and there are dozens upon dozens of yoga classes and studios all over the place to take a class whenever you want.
With the increasing popularity of yoga, many pregnant women are tapping into the many benefits that yoga has to offer.
Yoga will support you through your pregnancy and labor in the following ways:
In pregnancy, yoga will support you by increasing flexibility and circulation which will minimize swelling and achy joints and muscles that are impacted by the increased hormones and changes to the body.
Through the breathing and mind body awareness that yoga includes, you’ll find a greater sense of emotional ease and well being during this time when hormones and the onset of a this new role is settling into your system.
In labor, the work you’ve done in yoga will pay off by helping you center yourself as you call in all you’ve learned through your breathwork and centering. This will support you in finding a calm place in each contraction and taking each one as it comes rather than getting overwhelmed by the whole process of labor and birth.
Yoga will also be a huge benefit to laboring in that your body will have been flexible and limber in the weeks leading up to labor, so your body will respond easier to each contraction and the intensely physical process of laboring and birth. It can help your labor progress quicker and easier for both you and the baby.
There are a multitude of yoga studios throughout the bay area, but two of the best I recommend areYoga Tree in San Francisco, with 4 locations around the city
http://www.yogatreesf.com/classes/prenatal.htm
and Yoga Mandala in Berkeley
http://www.yogamandalastudio.com/classes/perinatalprogram/
Not only do these studios have prenatal yoga, but they also have full perinatal program including prenatal yoga, post-natal yoga, mom and baby yoga, workshops and a bookstore dedicated to birthing and motherhood.
There is also a short sample video to experience the sample of benefits and enjoyment yoga will bring you during your pregnancy
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