Mom & Baby Yoga

Postnatal exerciseSince enjoying  Prenatal Yoga I was  interested in trying Mom and Baby Yoga.   Postnatal yoga is a great way for me to squeeze in stretching.  Lets face it,  getting out for a run is hard enough, coming home for a post run stretch is laughable.  For the last three months  I  have been taking  Mom and Baby Yoga at With Our Own Little Hearts Yoga  in Steveston, read on for my experience.

With Our Own Little Hearts Yoga is a collaboration between  Perfect Hearts Yoga and With Our Own Two Hands Preschool. Located in the heart of Steveston Village in Richmond B.C..  With Our Own Little Hearts offers yoga classes and programs for families and kids of all ages

Nicole Braaten, a fellow  Mompreneur, and  Yogi provided the class with a supportive, encouraging vibe.  During each class babies of various ages  crawl laugh and get to know each other.  Class can start with cat and cow poses, making the appropriate animal sounds as we shift between.  We moved through other poses singing nursery rhymes and incorporating our babies.  Mommy & baby YogaWhen its time for Savasana, Nicole encourages us to lay close to our little one breastfeeding if we wanted, anything to help make us feel connect to our babies. The format changes weekly incorporating a variety of abdominal  work, partner stretching, and lifts and swings with our little ones.

During a class that I was lucky to have Nicole to myself she had me do leg up the wall stretch.  She placed sandbags on my chest and feet to help me feel more grounded, this also helped me to feel the stretch more thoroughly through my hamstrings and chest. During this she watched my little one, further enhancing  my experience with essential oils.  It was AMAZING!



Before getting started

One thing all experts agree on: before beginning a yoga program, it is important to get clearance from your health practitioner following birth. Women who have had cesarean births or separated abdominal muscles  may find they need more time before resuming exercise. Finally, high levels of the joint-loosening hormone relaxin are still present in the body, so poses should be adopted with care.  I started at eight  months postnatal so my body had had plenty of time for physically recovery.

IMG_5550The Final Word……

The camaraderie of postnatal classes helps offset  the isolating and often disorienting stage of early parenthood.  Postnatal classes are much more social than regular ones, that being said don’t expect a super intense workout.

These classes provided the opportunity  to bond with my little guy both physically and spiritually, while fostering a feeling of community with fellow mothers. Through this class, I have been invited to other local mommy activities including a stroller groups that meet weekly for walks and lunch.  These social outlets have provided the opportunity to meet inspiring and talented  local mothers going through similar life changes, as well as some wonderful mom and baby socializing opportunities.

If you are a new  Mother in the Steveston community I encourage you to check out Our Own Little Hearts Yoga .  Mom and Baby yoga takes place on Fridays at 11:15am.  For those of you with tots ,  Mom and Tots Yoga (1-3 years old) takes place on  Sundays at 4pm. For more information or to register you can check out the schedule here.

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2 thoughts on “Mom & Baby Yoga

  1. Kseniya says:

    Great post! It is so important to exercise with other moms and be able to bring your baby with you. I lost the most weight when I exercised with a supportive mom community and was able to bring my toddler. Amazing!

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