During pregnancy and post-natally, yoga is hugely beneficial to mothers.After the birth yoga helps restore and energise exhausted new mothers and build strength and fitness. It is important to set aside some 'me' time where you allow yourself time away from any mental distractions (a rare and important treat at this time).
Yoga can help on so many different levels after having a baby. On a physical level it helps you regain your strength and muscle tone. You start to re-connect to your abdominal muscles (which you haven't used for a long time!) and by strengthening this area the lower back is better supported (which relieves back pain). Yoga also helps release tension that tends to build up in the shoulders, neck and upper back from breast feeding and carrying the baby. There is an overall sense of release both physically and psychologically as stress and tension melt away through the practice of yoga.
If you are trying to get back into shape (or into your pre pregnancy jeans!) yoga will help you to become more toned and lose weight (if you also follow a sensible, healthy diet). It is important not to get fixated on losing your 'baby weight' straight away and worth remembering
that if it took 9 months to put on, it may take 9 months or longer to take off! It is more important to look after yourself and eat healthily so that you have enough energy to look after your baby (especially if you are breast feeding).
Exercises such as the plank pose will tone the abdominal muscles and postures such as cat stretch will release the back. Cow faced pose or 'Gomukasana' will release the shoulders and open the chest.If you want to attend mother and baby yoga classes you can receive all the benefits of the yoga (other than peace and quiet if you have a noisy
baby!) and have fun with your baby. My 'mummy and baby yoga' classes are split into sections. You start off doing yoga for yourself (with the babies just playing on the floor) so you can really focus on the exercises and work dynamically to improve fitness. The babies are then involved after 30 to 40 minutes, once they become restless. We do some fun yoga exercises for the babies, stretching them and moving them while also stimulating their digestion and co ordination etc. and we use the babies as weights for some of the exercises! Lastly we dance with the babies and sing them nusery rhymes.
The classes are a great opportunity to spend quality time with the babies, especially if the mothers are busy with other children or working during the day. Aside from the mothers being more relaxed and toned the added bonus is that after the class the babies are totally exhausted and have never slept better....
BY: Tara Lee
