Thoughts on prenatal yoga: what it is, and what it isn't.

There’s a very common misconception that prenatal yoga is nothing more than watering down and modifying a traditional /general population yoga class and (don’t worry) I am here to dispel the rumors. At large, what separates these class formats is the amount of training an instructor has received. If your instructor is not a certified and / or registered prenatal yoga instructor, the likelihood they have the experience and knowledge to safely guide a pregnant body through movement is quite low. To put this simply, the difference between prenatal and traditional yoga can be boiled down to intent—prenatal yoga, by design, is formatted for a pregnant body. Every movement, breath work technique, and asana (posture) is created with the sole intention of safely supporting a body that is actively changing and growing a baby. In a typical prenatal class, you’ll be guided through breath work to support relaxation, a series of movements to help strengthen your body, assist with pregnancy related discomfort, and introduced to pelvic floor awareness (yes, kegels are great, but I’m here to talk about relaxing a muscle most of us have only been taught to tighten, and learning what that sensation feels like in your body!) Prenatal yoga focuses on opening; preparing for birth, softening and creating space, while postpartum yoga focuses on closing, recovering from birth, and restrengthening post baby.


In addition to the physical and mental aspects of a yoga practice, an added bonus of perinatal yoga is community. The beauty of a specific, niche, intentionally formatted class is that everyone has been, or will soon be experiencing the same things as they prepare for labor. These classes give you a space to laugh, to cry, complain, and even share stories about how your baby is *obviously* learning to tap dance in utero at 4am!


The considerations when choosing a movement practice while pregnant come down to intention, safety and subject matter knowledge. Perinatal yoga has been known to reduce pregnancy discomfort, improve sleep, help alleviate stress, and improve postpartum recovery. When you’re ready to quit “watering down” your practice and choose a space that’s tailored for you, I’ll be here!