Practice, Practice and all is coming

On this wonderful Bank Holiday weekend, a gentle reminder to keep up your yoga practice. One of my favourite quotes on the infamous question “What is Yoga?”   There are usually many experiential replies. Yoga is certainly a journey, that begins with a step and understanding develops with life and practice. Whilst yoga can be found in a posture, it’s not defined by ‘a yoga posture’ (my view). I feel blessed to share my love of yoga as a Yogi and a Yoga Instructor and strive to empower and encourage experienced students towards regular self-practice, with gentle asana and pranayama…

Pregnancy Yoga Yogalime

Maternal Mental Health Matters

Today is World Maternal Mental Health Day. More than 1 in 10 women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or soon after giving birth.  Perinatal mental health refers to a woman’s mental health in pregnancy and in the 1st year after birth. It includes mental illnesses that existed before pregnancy, as well as illnesses that develop for the first time, or are greatly exacerbated in the perinatal period. Even though this is experienced by many women, they often find it difficult to speak about and share, 7 in 10 women will hide or underplay the severity of their perinatal mental…

Words and the Wonder Cervix

Words are sound intrinsically connected with breath, an exhalation, a release and carry their own energetic vibrations. Using sound to open the throat supports the marvellous cervix to open.  Yes, there’s a connection between the throat and the awesome cervix and not just in name. The word ‘cervix’ is derived from Latin meaning ‘neck’ and forms the lower part of the womb.  Its cylindrical shape about an inch in length protrudes into the opening of the birth canal. During the menstrual cycle, the cervix changes, as it does in pregnancy and in labour and birth. In early labour the cervix…

The Importance of Dignity in Birth

Whether or not you have a good or bad birth experience isn’t all down to whether you have your ‘ideal’ birth – it’s also about how you are made to feel throughout labour and birth.  Your relationship and experience with your maternity care-givers matters. The White Ribbon Alliance, a global organisation which demands the right to a safe birth for every woman highlights the importance of this relationship – Women’s experiences with caregivers can empower and comfort or inflict lasting damage and emotional trauma. Either way, women’s memories of their childbearing experiences stay with them for a lifetime and are often shared with other…

Pregnancy Yoga Differs from Regular Yoga

I was recently contacted by a pregnant woman interested in joining our Pregnancy Yoga Classes.  She was confused, as the gym she’s a member of said they didn’t offer Pregnancy Yoga but said she could instead join their regular Yoga Class.  “Is Pregnancy Yoga the same as a Yoga class?” she asked.  “No” I replied.  “I thought so,” she said “as otherwise why would it have a different name?” Good question ! As a yoga teacher, I teach both Prenatal Yoga Classes and general Yoga Classes.  Here are some ways Pregnancy Yoga differs from a general Yoga Class: During pregnancy…