Prenatal Yoga

Classes at Buddhi Yoga in La Jolla

Prenatal yoga is comprised of postures, pranayama and meditation techniques to accommodate a pregnant woman throughout the different stages of her pregnancy. Women go through a wide range of mental, emotional and physical changes during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga workshops can help her to handle these ebbs and flows with grace and confidence.

Women that have never done yoga before, are high-risk or have a more sedentary lifestyle should only attend prenatal yoga classes and not regular classes. They should also have permission from their doctor to attend prenatal yoga. Women who are low risk, active or have previous yoga experience may feel comfortable attending regular yoga classes such as our Slow Flow, Beginner Flow and Align and Flow classes. It is safe to attend Buddhi Flow, Vinyasa Mixed and Ashtanga classes if the student has already been practicing these more vigorous styles of yoga before their pregnancy.

Prenatal Yoga Teaches the Power of the Breath

Perhaps the most powerful tool of a prenatal yoga practice is developing a connection to the breath. Staying calm throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery makes everything flow with more ease and the natural processes, such as cervical dilation and hormone release, occur with greater success. Pregnancy can be stressful and uncomfortable. Simple breathing exercises can help to ease women through these times. Labor and contractions are physically demanding. Breathing steadily and slowly helps to reduce pain and induce calm through perhaps the most intense situation a woman will experience in her lifetime. Throughout pregnancy, connecting with the breath helps to build concentration, focus the mind and connect more fully to the baby.

Helpful tips for pregnant women in regular and prenatal yoga classes:

• If available, grab a bolster, blanket, two blocks and a strap
• Modify twists by opening in the opposite direction
• Place hands on blocks for lunges and other postures when it’s difficult to reach the floor

Skip vinyasas or modify them:

• chatturanga with knees down
• Easy push-ups instead of updog or cobra
• Easy “updog” with knees on the ground and blanket supporting the hips
• Practice malasana or virasana during parts of the class that aren’t appropriate for pregnant women such as arm
• balances, inversions or abdominal work
• Savasana should be done on left side with props

Buddhi Yoga is proud to have Magdalena Patterson teach the prenatal workshops. During her pregnancies, Magdalena found an even deeper love for yoga, connecting with the growing life within. She dedicated time to become certified as a prenatal yoga teacher. She loves teaching prenatal yoga believes it is one of the most important times in a woman’s life to focus on the mental, emotional and physical benefits of yoga.