mOMming - Prenatal and Postnatal Recovery Yoga - Part 1

Hi Mommas,

I had a lovely but deep conversation with Mariann Vella owner of @kismamajogabudapest @bud2bloomyoga. She is a mom of a baby girl, and a prenatal, postnatal, and baby-mommy yoga instructor. 

Kata: Prenatal yoga has played a significant role in my life. Even though I was practicing yoga before I got pregnant, it wasn’t as regular. When I started practicing yoga during my pregnancy it became a regular, daily routine. It became an essential part of my life and I was able to experience all the benefits of it. Actually, the inspiration to create MOMRISE has also come from this experience.

Speaking of prenatal yoga, this activity is quite different from other prenatal exercises in many aspects. The most significant difference is probably the mental aspect. Can you please tell me more about this?

Mariann: Absolutely true. Besides the physical benefits of prenatal yoga, practicing asanas, breathing exercises, and relaxation exercises affect both the mommy and the baby in a much deeper way. The most visible change we experience during pregnancy is obviously the growing belly, but often, under the surface, we could be carrying much heavier things than the weight of the baby. Those who’ve experienced pregnancy before know what I am talking about.

It’s not unusual for expecting mothers to experience anxiety. “Am I going to be a good mother? Am I ready for this? Are we going to be good enough parents with my husband? How will I give birth?” and so on. These worries and fears could have a serious emotional impact on your emotional well-being, not to mention, all the raging hormones can disrupt your inner-balance. Pregnancy and postpartum can turn into a mental crisis for many women, and yoga can support you and heal you during these ups and downs.

Kata: If you learn how to practice the asanas and breathing strategies properly and practice them regularly, they become part of your everyday life. What do you recommend to those expecting moms who have never practiced yoga before? What can they expect, how much time is necessary to learn the basics? What can they expect from a prenatal yoga class?

Mariann: Speaking from experience, it’s often not easy to find time for your yoga practice, and dedicate time to asanas, breathing techniques, pelvic floor muscles training, etc. I love offering tips to mommies and expecting-moms on how to incorporate them into your everyday mom-life. For example, you can do your pranayama breathing during walks and you can do your pelvic floor muscles training while washing the dishes. Even 3-5 minutes of stretching can do wonders.

Online yoga classes are a great idea as well. You don’t have to travel to a studio - yoga is already there with you at your home.☺ My online yoga classes are working out great. I always reserve some time before class to check-in with everybody, how they are feeling, what they want to work on, and also having an open discussion at the end of the class. This format works really well, and even online classes can feel like a real community.

To learn how to practice yoga safely, I absolutely recommend attending yoga classes regularly and seeking guidance from your yoga instructors. Your body is going through a lot of changes during and after your pregnancy. This means that your yoga practice should also adapt to the changes in your body.

Prenatal & postnatal yoga instructors can help you what to do each step of the way and offer you personalized variations to help you practice safely throughout and after your pregnancy.

To be continued...

Hope you enjoyed your me-time reading!