Prenatal classes are a time to tune out the rest of the world and tune in to the amazing creation of both a baby and a mother. Pregnancy is an unparalleled time of growth, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Yoga addresses our wholistic being on all these levels, encouraging us to grow stronger and become more flexible in all realms.    Giving birth is simultaneously a physically and mentally demanding time which will call on every resource a woman has, and require her to surrender into the very power of life - a force that is both a part of her and yet greater than her.   A regular prenatal yoga practice helps a woman get to know herself deep down, confront her worries, and develop the courage to enter into parenthood.

We begin each class with a check in of each student, physically and mentally.    Whether there are 2 women or 20, this part of the class can often take some time, and will generally set the tone or "theme" of the asana practice that follows.   For this reason, I limit classes to 20 participants.   Women at all stages of pregnancy are welcome to attend classes, and it is particularly good for women newly pregnant to begin attending, as they start to hear the range of feelings their classmates explore leading up to birth.   This part of class develops a strong community bond amongst the participants, and often leads to lasting friendships after the babies are born.

The asana (movement and posture) portion of class is generally 1 hour long, and includes standing poses for strength and focus, seated postures for rejuvenation and introspection, hip and shoulder opening to stretch out common ailments, light twists and backbends for energetic stimulation, inversions for circulatory health, and breathwork, meditation, and relaxation.

We end together, thanking ourselves, our babies, and each other, for being on this journey towards greater self-awareness and peaceful births.

Thanks so much for your wonderful yoga class.  I started when I was 14 weeks and I don't think I hardly missed a class!  You are wonderful at making us all feel very special and remembering the details of our pregnancies, and the class helped me carry my baby much more comfortably.

Jessica Barnard