Welcome to your Online Prenatal Yoga Programme!
The first six classes can be enjoyed at your own pace, and are intended to be worked through in consecutive order, as you will build on knowledge from the previous class.
As well as providing a full body stretch, the classes focuses on each area of the body and it’s relating energy centre, (chakra) in turn, from bottom to top.
Despite this, it is absolutely fine to delve straight in to the class that most appeals to you. For instance, if you have particularly tight shoulders, you may like to get straight to the Shoulder and Neck class!
Please feel free to repeat each class again as many times as you wish!
The first video is a short introduction on how to sit comfortably and in a healthy way for your back and hips during the seated parts of the classes.
There are also two bonus classes: ‘Sun Class’ which is an uplifting, energising and challenging Pregnancy Yoga class with a community feel, as you join past Mama2shape Mamas-to-be in my cosy home studio, and ‘Moon Class’ a slower paced all over body stretch with a deep relaxation at the end.
Seven audio tracks of breathing, relaxation and visualisation techniques are included and these can be enjoyed as you wish. They are perfect for helping you sleep, taking a relaxation break during the day, and relieving anxiety. You can even use the tracks in labour!
It’s a really good idea to practise the breathing and visualisation techniques included in the videos and the audio tracks regularly throughout your pregnancy so they are fully ingrained in your memory so that they can be called upon intuitively during the birth process.
Remember to listen to your body and only do what feels right. You remain responsible for yourself and your growing baby, and in participating in this online exercise programme, you agree that you have checked with your doctor or midwife as to it’s applicability, and that yoga is a suitable form of exercise for you in pregnancy. As with any exercise programme, yoga carries a risk of injury, and you assume all risk to yourself, agreeing that you are participating voluntarily in this online exercise programme.
Enjoy the classes!
Sit comfortably to begin…
Six Week Prenatal Yoga Course | Class One
The first class in our series introduces you to the basics of Pregnancy Yoga and focuses on legs, hips and lower, back while including an entire full body stretch. Energetically, we focus on the energy centre located in the pelvic floor: Muladhara Chakra. It’s symbolised by the element Earth. This class will help you feel secure, safe, calm and grounded. We gently build strength in your body and connection between body, mind and breath.
Six Week Prenatal Yoga Course | Class Two
Our second class focuses on the hips, sacral area, and lower back. Muscles in these places tend to tighten uncomfortably during pregnancy, as the joints in the pelvis become more lax, ready for birth. It is essential for your comfort in pregnancy to soothe your lower back and release tension from your hips, which will later help you find freedom of movement in labour. Energetically, we look at Svadhisthana Chakra, located in the pelvic and sacral area. It is symbolised by the element of water, so this class contains lots of flowing movement with the breath, and will leave you feeling energised and refreshed.
Six Week Prenatal Yoga Course | Class Three
Our third class focuses on building core strength safely and effectively for pregnancy. Energetically, as we focus on our core, we balance the energy centre around the solar plexus, Manipura Chakra, which is associated with physical strength. Emotionally, the solar plexus energy centre is about our sense of self worth and motivation. This is an uplifting class which will promote a happy mood, and leave you feeling empowered.
Six Week Prenatal Yoga Course | Class Four
In our fourth class we move up to the heart area, focusing physically on shoulders, upper back and chest. Energetically, we celebrate the love blossoming for your baby in your heart, and the emotional connection between you and your growing baby. We enjoy balancing yoga for the energy centre around the heart, Anahata Chakra.
Six Week Prenatal Yoga Course | Class Five
Our fifth class focuses on neck, shoulders and upper back while including a full body stretch. The energy centre located here is the throat chakra (Vishuddha Chakra). It’s associated with sound, and our ability to communicate effectively. As a mama-to-be and a new mum, it is essential to be able to communicate your needs as well as effectively gain social support and discourse. Balance in the throat chakra is therefore so important, and of course, so is relieving the neck, shoulder and upper-back aches that are part and parcel of pregnancy and new motherhood!
Six Week Prenatal Yoga Course | Class Six
Our last class in the course is inspired by the ‘higher chakras’, Ajna Chakra is located in the centre of the forehead (third eye), and Sahasrara Chakra is located at the crown of the head. These energy centres are linked with your intuition, interconnectivity with all things, and oneness with the universe. This is a dreamy, uplifting class with a strongly grounding finish, to leave you feeling a supreme sense of peace along with safety and security in your body and mind.
Bonus Class 1: Sun Class | 60 mins
Join the lovely Mamas-to-be from past Home Studio classes for this active class that will leave you feeling like you have had a wonderful stretch and toned your whole body!
Bonus Class 2: Moon Class | 45 mins
A soothing and relaxing Pregnancy Yoga class with a deep relaxation at the end.
Bonus Class 3: Sciatica Relief | 29 mins
During pregnancy, as the pelvic joints become more lax in preparation for birth, and the muscles around them tighten up as a result, irritation of the sciatic nerve can occur. This causes shooting pains down the backs of the legs. This class relaxes the hips and buttocks and increases suppleness and circulation to this area, relieving the pressure on the sciatic nerve and therefore relieving pain caused by scaitica.
Audio Track | Full Yogic Breathing in Pregnancy | 8 mins
This breathing technique relieves feelings of anxiety. It allows your body and mind to feel calm as well as energised and uplifted. It can be practised anytime, anywhere, and no-one has to know you are doing it.
Full yogic breathing also delivers much more oxygen to your cells than a normal breath, and it removes more carbon-dioxide, a waste product of our body. In this way, it helps nourish every cell of your body bringing healing and health.
I teach you how to practise full yogic breathing while pregnant and familiarise yourself with the sensations of this breath, so you can use it when you need it. It could be in labour, or at any other time of your life when you need to feel calm. Full yogic breathing during pregnancy is also a wonderful baby bonding visualisation practice.
Audio Track | Relaxing Ribbon Breath | 7.5 mins
This is a powerful breathing and visualisation technique for pain management. Breathe away sensations of the surges (contractions) and enter a hypnotic place of calm and serenity! This is the basic technique that you might use on it’s own, or with other variations that we cover in the course.
The relaxing ribbon breath can also be used for pain management at any other time of life! As well as using this breath in labour, I have used it for breastfeeding and even for removing unwanted thoughts and feelings.
The relaxing ribbon breath is a wonderful technique for your tool box for labour, birth and life!
Audio Track | Peaks and Valleys Visualisation | 10.5 mins
We combine the Relaxing Ribbon Breath with a visualisation practice to allow you to breathe through the discomfort of the surges (contractions). This hypnobirthing technique is highly effective for natural, drug-free pain management and it also allows you maintain a sense of serenity and calm.
Audio Track | Ocean Waves Visualisation | 7.5 mins
We combine the Relaxing Ribbon Breath with a visualisation practice to allow you to breathe through the discomfort of the surges (contractions). This hypnobirthing technique is highly effective for natural, drug-free pain management and it also allows you maintain a sense of serenity and calm.
Audio Track | Ujaii Breath | 8.5 mins
This breath practice is excellent for invoking a sense of inner strength. It is intensely soothing and calming. It can be used anytime, anywhere and is just as useful for giving you extra strength in your yoga practise as giving you strength and vitality during labour!
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