Prenatal Yoga Center

✨Fear of birth. A hot topic in classes recently has been the fear of birth. I’m not going to be that person who says, “Oh, there’s nothing to be afraid of!” Because most things that are unknown can be scary. My advice to getting past that fear is to better understand birth. Pull back the curtain, normalize birth and learn about the process. Take a class, read books, listen to podcasts! All of these things can help you understand what birth really looks like and not what the movies and TV projects as birth. And let’s face it, those images are often hectic and scary! By educating yourself, you’ll learn about the physical and emotional signposts of the different phases of labor, coping skills, how your partner can best support you, your pain management options, different pushing positions, medical intervention. Once you have this base of knowledge you can start to think about what YOU want for YOUR birth! You can explore what kind of support will help take away the fear and help you be an active participant in the decision making about YOUR birth process. Suggestions: ✨Classes: PYC has an IN PERSON and ONLINE Childbirth Education class. ✨Books: Transformed by Birth by Britta Bushnell! (One of my favorites!) ✨Podcast: Yoga | Birth | Babies Drop a ❤️ if you are excited to move past the fear of birth! #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #firsttimemom #firsttimemum #firsttimeparents #chidlbirth #childbirtheducation

✨6 ways to strengthen your pelvic floor…(that don’t include Kegels)! Did you know that you can strengthen your pelvic floor without figuring out how to do a Kegel? Now don’t get me wrong; there’s a time and place for isolated pelvic floor strengthening. But strengthening the supporting muscles like the glutes, abductors, adductors, TA, and hamstrings can also be effective! Here are my 6 FAVORITE exercises and yoga asanas to help strengthen your pelvic floor: ❤️Reverse clamshells ❤️Ardha chandrasana leg lifts ❤️Bridge with a block (note: this is NOT focused on a back bend, but instead on drawing the heels toward the buttocks, lengthening the tailbone towards the knee pits, and squeezing the yoga block)! ❤️Dynamic squats ❤️Utkatasana with blocks pressing INward ❤️Utkatasana with resistance band pressing OUTward BONUS: Strengthening these areas can also help stabilize your pelvis and help with common pregnancy and postpartum aches and pain! Which one is your favorite? Pop into one of our ONLINE or IN PERSON prenatal yoga classes and you’re sure to see a handful of these poses included in class. Link in schedule. ✨Save this and share with someone who needs to know this! #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #nycyoga #chidlbirth #childbirtheducation

✨Want to know a secret weapon to help heal diastasis and pelvic floor tightness? ➡️Back and side rib mobility! ❤️Pelvic Floor When your back ribs lack mobility, your diagphram does not move as well which will leave the pelvic floor not getting fully relaxed during the inhale. Over time this lack of stretch will create tightness in the pelvic floor. ❤️Diastasis Recti Diastasis is a pressure problem and the pressure will always look for the path of least resistance. So if your side and back ribs don’t expand on the inhale, the pressure is going to the weakened connective tissue, the linea alba. Repetitively putting pressure into the linea alba will create more stretching and more opening which will inhibit healing. ➡️Here are two exercises for postnatal folks! ✨Progressive child’s pose sequence. Start in child’s pose with your legs together. Having your legs closed will give you create resistance for your belly. When you inhale, your abdomen will be met by your thighs and not able to expand forward which will force the breath into your side and back ribs. Next, take a blanket and tuck it into your hip creases and fold forward. This gives even less space for your belly to expand creating even more back and side rib mobility. Note - depending on your proportions, you may need a block under your head. Last step, make the blanket even thicker by folding it in half, placing it back in your hips and folding forward. You will be very restricted in front body breathing. ✨Rounded squat Place a blanket under your heels and come into a squat or sit on a low block. Keep your legs hugging in together and then wrap your arms around your legs trying round your back as much as possible. As you breath, focus on the breath going into your side and back ribs. I ask my postnatal yoga students which one of these they prefer and it’s pretty split, 50/50. Which is your favorite? Come try this in our ONLINE or IN STUDIO POSTnatal yoga class!

We take some unconventional approaches to yoga asana, especially when it comes to the pelvic floor and pelvic ligaments. Did you know that when the pelvic floor is tight (which is the case for many flexible bodies), it can make birth more difficult? As the baby starts to descend into the pelvis, a tight or imbalanced pelvic floor can cause the baby’s head to shift, and progress to slow down or even halt. A large part of the PYC methodology is using the yoga practice to create balance in the body prenatally so students may need less interventions during birth. The first weekend of our two weekend intensive 85-hour Prenatal Teacher Training is dedicated to taking you on a journey to understand prenatal anatomy and physiology. You’ll learn how to use asana to explore coping skills for ANY type of birth, relieve common aches and pains of pregnancy, as well as find balance for a more easeful birth. Our second weekend is a deep dive into understanding the current landscape of birth in the U.S. As prenatal yoga teachers, we can be a steady hand in offering evidence-based information to allow pregnant students to decide what is best for their pregnancy and birth. We also dabble in some postnatal yoga during this weekend too! If you feel called to make a difference and you’re hungry to learn, check out the PYC 85-hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training. ✨ONLINE Sept 12-15 & Oct 17-20 ✨ONLINE Nov 7-10 & Dec 5-8 Pic by @yogaprints #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #nycyoga #chidlbirth #childbirtheducation

✨Emotional and physical signs of EARLY Labor Labor will look a bit different for everyone. But there are some telltale signs to give you a sense of where you are in the journey. ✨EARLY LABOR✨ Early labor is often the longs of the subset of the first stage of labor and may start off pretty subtly. During this phase contractions can still be pretty far apart and last only 30-45 seconds. You may notice more of the mucus plug passing if it has not passed before. Here are the emotional and physical signs ❤️ Can often talk through contractions ❤️ mild contractions (similar to menstrual cramps) ❤️ lower back ache ❤️ excitement ❤️ mild diarrhea ❤️ anticipation ✨What to do during EARLY LABOR? Since this phase can be long, my suggest is to, ignore labor until you can no longer do so. When the contractions are needing more attention and you can no longer carry on with what you were doing, you turned a corner into ACTIVE labor. But until then, find a distraction. If labor starts in the middle of the night, try to keep resting. ❤️ Plan a labor project. That could be baking cookies, doing some yoga, nesting. ❤️Stay hydrated and eat lightly ❤️Give a heads up to your team that things are percolating! Final suggestion for EARLY labor, don’t over do it. Don’t pull out all your labor tricks too soon! What did you do during early labor? Share in the comments below! 👇 Learn all about the stages of labor, pain management and coping skills in our IN PERSON and ONLINE Childbirth Education classes! Link in bio #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #childbirth #childbirtheducation #postpa

We take some unconventional approaches to yoga asana, especially when it comes to the pelvic floor and pelvic ligaments. Did you know that when the pelvic floor is tight (which is the case for many flexible bodies), it can make birth more difficult? As the baby starts to descend into the pelvis, a tight or imbalanced pelvic floor can cause the baby’s head to shift, and progress to slow down or even halt. A large part of the PYC methodology is using the yoga practice to create balance in the body prenatally so students may need less interventions during birth. The first weekend of our two weekend intensive 85-hour Prenatal Teacher Training is dedicated to taking you on a journey to understand prenatal anatomy and physiology. You’ll learn how to use asana to explore coping skills for ANY type of birth, relieve common aches and pains of pregnancy, as well as find balance for a more easeful birth. Our second weekend is a deep dive into understanding the current landscape of birth in the U.S. As prenatal yoga teachers, we can be a steady hand in offering evidence-based information to allow pregnant students to decide what is best for their pregnancy and birth. We also dabble in some postnatal yoga during this weekend too! If you feel called to make a difference and you’re hungry to learn, check out the PYC 85-hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training. ✨ONLINE Sept 12-15 & Oct 17-20 ✨ONLINE Nov 7-10 & Dec 5-8 Pic by @yogaprints #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #nycyoga #chidlbirth #childbirtheducation

❤️Here’s a quick, simple, and effective way to relax your hips, open your hamstrings, and connect your breath and movement! All of these things can be beneficial for labor prep and enjoyable postpartum. I’ll try to reign in this tangent! What I love about this yoga flow is that it can help prepare the hips, knees, and calves for squatting. Many people find squatting during labor and the pushing stage advantageous since it opens the pelvic inlet and frees the tailbone and sacrum. Though for most people, our bodies don’t regularly take that shape, so it’s not easily accessible. ✨To start, grab some yoga blocks, a small stool, or a couple of boxes. This will help give you a bit more space and make it easier to lengthen the hamstrings while maintaining a long spine. ✨When you shift forward, avoid dumping into the hips by magnetizing your front heel to your back knee; this will give you more stability and lift in the pelvis. ✨When you shift back, extend through your heel as you flex your foot, while keeping your spine long and collarbones lifted. ✨After you feel comfortable with the two positions, enjoy moving freely on your breath as you glide back and forth. Switch legs when you’re done and end in a child’s pose (which is a very similar shape to a squat)! ➡️Check out our ONLINE and IN PERSON prenatal and postnatal yoga classes! Link in bio for our class schedule #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #childbirth #childbirtheducation #pelvicpain #cesarean #cesareanbirth

✨Do you feel like your whole yoga practice needs to change now that you’re pregnant? It will in some ways, but you can find wonderful substitutions for many poses! Here are a few easily interchangeable poses that can help you maintain your yoga practice while respecting your changing body and growing baby! ➡️Instead of full plank, do half plank! I always throw a block between the thighs and focus on lengthening the lower back since there is a tendency to overly arch the back here. ➡️Instead of traditional camel pose, try supported camel with a bolster and block. You’re still finding the delicious chest opening quality of the pose, but focusing more on the upper back. ➡️Instead of a traditional cobra pose, try “standing cobra” (well it’s more of a shalabhasana, but we don’t need to be too exact)! This gives you the same back strengthening and chest opening benefits without requiring you to lay on your belly. ➡️Instead of Upward Facing Dog, try “seated updog”. You’ll still get the chest opening without overstretching your belly and arching so much in your lumbar spine. ➡️Lastly, instead of a traditional revolved triangle, try placing your feet mat’s distance apart for a supported rotated triangle. This gives you the room and height you need to accommodate your belly! ✨Come enjoy these poses and MORE in our IN STUDIO & ONLINE prenatal and postnatal yoga classes! Class schedule in link in bio! #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #childbirth #childbirtheducation #pelvicpain #cesarean #cesareanbirth

“🌲As a yoga teacher, it’s funny to look out and see students holding tree pose while looking a bit constipated! Sometimes they’re trying so hard to keep their balance that they end up holding their breath and tightening up, Wwhich is not what yoga is about! If that resonates with you, try this short sequence: ✨Start with tree pose. Notice how you feel. Is your breath stuck in your upper chest? Are your shoulders tight? Are you clenching your belly? ✨Next do “seaweed” asana. Yes, it’s a fun, made up pose from my former scuba diving days! This flowing goddess pose with eagle arms invokes freedom of movement and deep connection to a full and relaxed breath. ✨Repeat tree pose on the other side after seaweed asana. Notice if you feel less rigid in the pose and if your breath has dropped from your chest. Relaxing into tree pose in this way may help you find balance and stability with less effort and more joy! Check out our ONLINE and IN PERSON prenatal and postnatal yoga classes! Link in bio for our class schedule #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #childbirth #childbirtheducation #pelvicpain #cesarean #cesareanbirth

✨Craving a bit of hip opening and balancing! Try Standing Figure 4! ➡️Here’s how to do it! ✨Find your balance either at or away from the wall. ✨Take your left ankle across to your right knee and sit your hips back ✨It’s easy to drop the lifted hip. Try to keep both hips level as you reach your sit bones back ✨Take 3-5 breaths here ✨Repeat on the other side! This “standing figure 4” can help release tension and in your glutes and piriformis which can help with sciatic and SI joint pain. If you are having SPD or SI pain, you can do this same pose seated! ❤️We incorporate this or similar poses into every prenatal ONLINE and IN PERSON yoga class to help you prepare for your upcoming birth! ❤️SAVE this post and TAG a friend you think would love to learn this!” #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #nycyoga #chidlbirth #childbirtheducation #doula #midwife #firsttimemom #firsttimemum

✨What is that pain in my butt?! It may be sciatica! This is a very common pregnancy pain. Fortunately, there are ways to help relieve the discomfort. ➡️ Figure 4. This can be done sitting on a chair or lying on your back. Remember to keep your top foot flexed! ➡️ Cross-body ITB stretch. I include this in 95% of my prenatal yoga classes since so many people can benefit from releasing the outer hips. ➡️ Nerve flossing! Nerve flossing helps mobilize and stretch irritated nerves (in this case the sciatic nerve). Make sure you as you extend your leg you point or demi-point, and then when you bend your knee you flex your foot. If you are feeling a bit achy in the hips, we’ve got you covered! We incorporate these poses and exercises into our daily ONLINE and IN PERSON prenatal yoga classes! ✨Save this post and tag a friend who you think would LOVE to learn about this!! #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #nycyoga #chidlbirth #childbirtheducation #doula #midwife #firsttimemom #firsttimemum

✨Prep your pelvis for birth with HIP MOBILITY! Many people think of the pelvis as a fixed bony structure when in fact, the pelvis has joints and movement. Especially during pregnancy with the influx of hormones, the pelvis has a fair amount of mobility. Remember - mobility is different than flexibility! When it comes to birth, we want the sacrum to be fluid and able to have nutation and counternutation to make space for baby as it descends and rotates through the pelvis. Here are some hip mobility exercises that can help prepare your pelvis for birth: Cat/cow and Rocking cat/cow: Stretches the QL (quadratus lumborum) muscles ❤️ Side stretch: Stretches the QL muscle Piriformis stretch: The piriformis attaches to the sacrum, so if it is tight, it can inhibit movement. Rocking squat: Great way to release the tailbone back and move the pelvis 360 breathing: also called, diaphragmatic breathing releases tension in the pelvic floor, opens the back and side ribs, releases the psoas and helps reduce stress. All these things can help your pelvis open for birth. ❤️ Side lunge: Great for opening the mid pelvis and releasing tight adductors Calf stretch and Hamstring stretch: Yes- opening tight calf muscles can help release the sacrum! I often think of the sacrum as a trap door that can open and get out of the way for baby! Because our ONLINE & IN PERSON Prenatal Yoga classes are focused on preparing your body for birth, so you will see so many of these poses and positions each class! Link in bio for schedule Share with a friend and follow for more TIPS! #pelvicfloormuscles #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #pregnancy #postnatal #postnatalyoga #postnatalyogateacher #postnatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #postnatalfitness #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnancyfitness #prenatal #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #on

✨Here’s a sneaky way to get some strength training into your yoga practice. Try Walking Romanian Deadlifts! In the prenatal and postnatal body, lots of folks lack strength in their glutes, hamstrings and adductors. This results in other muscles compensating, usually the one to pick up the slack is the pelvic floor and psoas. Not to go too down a rabbit hole, but a tight and overly engaged pelvic floor and psoas can disrupt baby’s decent and rotation which is needed for a functional birth. Walking Romanian Deadlifts! Stepping onto your right leg, hinge at your hips and with a flat back graze your fingers tips along your front leg towards the floor. Keeping your hips square and your spine long, lift your back leg in line with your hips ✨If you have SI or SPD, instead of doing the leg lift in the Walking Romanian Deadlifts, keep the back foot grounded as a kick stand. This will help stabilize your pelvis and not add to your pelvic pain. Come up to stand, and step the left leg forward and repeat. It can be fun to slip strengthening poses into a more traditional yoga practice to mx things up and condition a part of the body that is often neglected. I incorporated Walking Romanian Deadlifts in my postnatal yoga class as I was building into Warrior III Check out all the fun ways we strengthen, stretch and balance the pregnant and postpartum body in our ONLINE and IN PERSON Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga classes! Link in bio for schedule! #prenatal #prenatalyoga #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnantyogi #pregnant #pregnantyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #childbirth #childbirtheducation #doula #birthing #birthingpositions #onlineyoga #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorexercises

✨Balanced is better!✨ Let’s talk about the pelvis and rib cage relationship. Like any relationship, when they are out of balance, bad things can happen! Ideally we want the rib cage and the pelvis stacked. Think about have two bowls, one upside down representing the rib cage and the other upright representing the pelvis. This can makes up the “canister” of the core. Problems with rib flare and an anterior pelvic tilt. ✨The diaphragm doesn’t efficiently drop and spread which gently helps the pelvic floor stretch and expand. This can lead to tightness in pelvic floor. ✨Shallow breathing ✨Tight and overly strained back muscles ✨Psoas trying to jump in and stabilize! ✨Forward pressure on the abs (diastasis!) ✨Weak abs ✨Keeps the nervous system in the “fight or flight” response. ✨Overly lengthened hamstrings that often lack strength. Problems with a compressed rib cage and posterior pelvic tilt ✨Forward head position, leading to tight and strained neck and upper back ✨Shallow breathing ✨Tight pelvic floor ✨Poor ab strength ✨Tight back muscles To find balance: Bring your hands on the top of the pelvis- thumbs on the front near the hip points - and then lift as if someone is pulling your hair upward. This helps lift tall by not pushing the front body forward. ➡️Working on balanced alignment is part of every ONLINE and IN PERSON Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Class! Pop into a class and see for yourself! Link in bio for schedule! #pregnant #pregnantyoga #prenatal #prenatalyoga #pregnantyogi #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pelvicfloor #pelvicflooryoga #doula #childbirth #prenatalvinyasayoga

😫Midback pain? If so, try this thoracic spinal twist called Parvrita Ardha Uttanasana (revolved half forward fold) It’s so common for both pregnant and postpartum folks to have mid upper back pain due to the changes in their spines and then the weight of holding, wearing and feeding a baby. ✨Here’s how to do it! ❤️ Grab some blocks so you can keep your torso relatively parallel to the floor ❤️ Widen your feet about 2-3 ft apart ❤️ Place your hands on the blocks. ❤️ Instead of just throwing your arm and shoulder in the air, lead with your right ribs and then rotate to the other side and roll your left ribs up towards the ceiling ❤️ Repeat as many times as you like! Getting some release and rotation in your mid upper back can also help you breath better and even help your pelvic floor! Which is why you will see this and other helpful poses in our ONLINE and IN PERSON Prenatal and Postnatal yoga classes! Link in bio for schedule Drop a ❤️ if your back could use this pose! #pregnant #pregnantyoga #prenatal #prenatalyoga #pregnantyogi #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pelvicfloor #pelvicflooryoga #doula #childbirth #prenatalvinyasayoga

✨I love a good stretch but it needs to be paired with strength training to find good balance, especially in the pregnant and postpartum body. So grab a blanket and try these three exercises! ❤️ Forearm Chest Strengthening This pose strengthens your pectoral muscles. Place a wide open blanket under your forearms and while keeping them parallel, slide them to the center and out again. When coming onto all 4’s, make an effort to keep your back supported so you don’t collapse into your lower back. ❤️ Adductor Slide The adductors (aka your inner thighs) act like for the pelvis and pelvic floor. They’re tight and weak in many people which can affect the stability and alignment of the pelvis and the function of the pelvic floor. Try this exercise by standing on one leg and placing your other foot on a folded blanket. Bend your standing leg while gliding the other leg laterally out and in. If your balance is precarious, you can do this while holding onto a wall for support. ❤️ Bridge Pose Slide This exercise targets your hamstrings and glutes, which tend to be a bit weak in most bodies (are you seeing a trend here)?? These muscles also play a huge role in pelvic alignment and pelvic floor balance! For this pose, instead of focusing on the backbend of a classic yoga bridge pose, think of this like an inverted plank with your tailbone aiming towards your knee pits. Place one foot on a blanket in front of you as you glide your heel out and in. ✨For those with SPD, these single leg poses may not be a great option. You can strengthen your adductors by squeezing a block between your thighs. Part of the PYC teaching methodology is to create balance in the body which can help facilitate an easier birth and recovery. With that in mind, we take a slightly less conventional approach to yoga asana by blending classic yoga poses with functional strengthening movements. Come to one of our ONLINE or IN PERSON prenatal and postnatal yoga classes to see for yo

✨Use a birth ball to help your labor progress! So, your baby is still “high” in your pelvis and you really want to help baby drop down a bit. Go grab your birth ball and get ready for a ride! Instead of vigorously bouncing up and down on your ball, try HIP CIRCLES! This fluid motion can help your baby drop into your pelvis and labor to progress. Gently gliding around the ball can help loosen up the muscles in the pelvis and lower back and ligaments, allowing everything to open up. Don’t forget to circle in both directions since we may not know which direction your baby needs to shift! Rocking back and forth on the ball is also helpful. This rhythmic movement can be very calming for the parent. Like circling, rocking can help release tension in your pelvis and help bring your baby down onto your cervix. The contact of the baby’s head on the cervix can produce prostaglandins and stimulate contractions which can help labor progress! Learn about this and so much more in our IN PERSON and ON DEMAND Childbirth Education Classes. ➡️Did you try this in your labor? Tell me about it! 👇 #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyoga #pregnancy #pregnancyyoga #pregnant #pregnantyoga #pregnantyogi #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogaclasses #firsttimemom #pelvichealth #birthadvocate #doula #pelvicflooryoga

I’m so happy that the pelvic floor is finally getting its moment to shine. This incredibly important set of muscles impacts our breath, continence, helps keep our organs in place, and affects our day to day comfort. It certainly deserves our attention! However not all of the information people are sharing about it is factual and some of these myths can lead to real physical issues over time. Today I’m speaking with @vaginarehabdoctor Dr. Janelle Howell, DPT, WCS about these common myths. From assumptions like a cesarean birth will prevent prolapse and keep things tight, or that Kegel exercises will solve everything, or waist trainers will shrink your waist, Dr. Howell busts through these myths with facts and shares evidence based solutions. This refreshing conversation clears the air about topics many are often hesitant to talk to a care provider about but can have a huge impact on your quality of life. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you stream podcasts! #birthpodcast #pregnancypodcast #pelvicfloor #pelvichealth #waisttrainer #postpartum #kegelexercises #postpartumhealing #pregnancymyths #birthmyths #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyoga #vaginarehabdoctor #prenatalyogacenter #yogabirthbabies #yogabirthbabiespodcast

💗 On Demand Virtual Infant Massage Workshop 💗 Studies have shown that infant massage strengthens the immune system, stimulates digestion, improves quality of sleep by soothing the nervous system, reduces muscle tension, relieves gas and colic, and so much more. Most importantly, the loving touch provided through infant massage strengthens the physical and emotional bond between you and your baby. Massage Therapist Jessie Bernstein will guide you through a head to toe series of loving touch that you can use as a daily routine, to help with an upset tummy, or simply explore and discover with your little one. Register on our website, DM us any questions about the class. Video reposted from @babies.29 #baby #infantmassage #massageforbaby #newmom #newdad #newparents #newbaby #family #babylove #prenatalyogacenter

I left my initial yoga training with a pretty remedial understanding of the pregnant body. Whenever I had a pregnant student in class I was desperately afraid I was going to hurt them. I ended up treating them like they were a delicate being that I was going to damage and break. Once I decided to head down the path of prenatal yoga and completed prenatal yoga teacher training, I had a deeper appreciation for how strong and powerful the pregnant person is. After all, their body is creating a whole new person- that’s like having a super power! As I started to solidify PYC's methodology, I leaned into the concept that our students are pregnant, not broken. In fact, I look for opportunities for students to safely feel strong sensations. This allows students to explore a variety of coping skills they could use during labor or really any mental or physical discomfort. With this practice in mind, I came up with what I call “The Mock Contraction.” Essentially, it's a 60 second wall squat. The significance of it being timed (and yes, I really time it!) is that an average contraction is 60 seconds. While contractions don’t present the same sensation as a wall squat, this is a challenging position to hold. It offers the pregnant person an opportunity to work with discomfort and find a way through it. If you are excited by the idea of working with pregnant people and want to make an impact in the lives of your pregnant and postpartum students, this training is for you. ONLINE Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training. No need to travel to NYC to participate in this highly regarded program! ✨Fall: Sept 23-26 & Oct 21-24- 1 spot left! ✨Late Fall: Nov 4-7 and Dec 2-5 ✨IN PERSON Winter Jan 13-16 & Feb 10-13th @willowstyoga For more details, check out the link in bio. #prenatalyoga #prenatalyogateacher #prenatalyogateachertraining #onlineyoga #onlineyogateachertraining #pregnancyyoga #pregnantyoga #yogateachertraining #yogateacher