I have been teaching prenatal yoga for over 15 years and training prenatal yoga teachers for 13 years. One might ask, “What keeps you so motivated after all this time?” While guiding pregnant women in a yoga practice is truly inspiring for me, it is so much more.
One of the most gratify things that I do is to support women on their journey into motherhood by helping them reconnect with the innate wisdom of their bodies. Accepting and embracing the changes that come with the pregnancy is part of the process. We need tools such as the practice of yoga to help rekindle our power to give birth, and to fulfill our biological potential as mothers. They are able to tap into the abundance life force within them. And there is the opportunity to tap into their feelings about motherhood and birth. Many moms to be have bought into the stories of others and tend to give their power away. Through the practice of prenatal yoga they are empowered through the asanas and breathwork that remind them that giving birth isn’t just about your body changing. It is about believing in yourself the way your want your child to do.
The world is changing so rapidly, we are in the process of empowering ourselves to BE the change for the children. How can we raise conscious children if we are still playing our old roles that were taught to us? Through the practice of yoga, the study of the self, moms begin to realize they have choices at least in their attitudes towards pregnancy, birthing and motherhood.
The Dali Lama said, “It is the western woman who will help raise the consciousness on the planet.” I like to remind the women that what they are doing for themselves they are doing for their children and also the entire world.
In the beginning….there was a birth.
Women’s bodies are designed to give birth. A pregnant woman is a true reflection of creation. She is wired for it, it is instinctive; the knowledge about how to give birth already exists within every woman. Our society does not teach women to trust themselves. Too many women go through their pregnancy without tapping into their hearts. They stay stuck in their minds, which are often fear based. The “what ifs” keep their attention and stress levels high. When we come together as a community of mothers-to-be there is the opportunity to share and support one another in a unique setting.
Science tells us that the baby’s brain develops according to the energy or emotions that the mother feels during her pregnancy. A woman with high day-to-day stress baby’s brain will form the fight or flight. On the contrary a woman who spends time nurturing herself will be more likely to have a baby whose brain is more creative. Guiding women to release, surrender and let go during the yoga practice gives them a sense of peace which in turn feeds their little one a delightful energy.
EVERY time I see a pregnant woman, I see the Earth mother, Divine Feminine, goddess what ever you want to call it. I call it sacred. Meeting and working with mamas-to-be wherever they are on their journey while supporting them physically, mentally and spiritually is a never ending gift I give to mySELF.
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For a list of prenatal yoga classes please check our daily class schedule.