yoga for mothers & babies

It could be said that being pregnant is almost a Yoga practice in itself. You have to practise vairagya (non-attachment, one of the key 'cornerstones' of Yoga) for nine whole months: non-attachment to fitted clothes, favourite foods, intense physical activity... And at the same time, many mothers-to-be start to practise selflessness (another of Yoga's 'pillars'), as they start to think about this new person about to parachute into their life, changing it forever.

But increasingly, the very real health benefits of Yoga classes for pregnant women - and for new mothers and babies - are being acknowledged by the wider medical community. Did you know, for instance, that pre-natal Yoga can help lower blood pressure, improve digestion, strengthen the muscles and joints (including those which are involved in the birth process), in a safe and non-impacting way? Of course, Yoga also helps with flexibility - and helps promote circulation, through the body (which can help combat puffiness). Posture is improved - which can help ease the back pains so common in pregnancy. And of course, famously, Yoga is good for reducing anxiety and stress - with many women who practise finding that they sleep better, too, discovering welcome respite from the tossing and turning that can plague many a mother-to-be...

One thing is certain, however: you can't just grab the nearest Yoga DVD, invest in the spraunciest Yoga mat you can lay your hands on and make like an enthusiastic, tail-wagging Downward Dog. As experienced Pregnancy Yoga teacher Lisa Powell, who teaches a special Pregnancy Yoga class at The Wellington Centre in Hastings, explains: 'Women do have to be careful with Yoga during pregnancy. Even if you've practised before, it's usually recommended that once you've found out you're pregnant, you put your practice "on hold" till you've reached 15 weeks. And that after that, you go to a class which is specifically for pregnant women, with a qualified Pregnancy Yoga teacher.' (During pregnancy, a woman's body produces a hormone called relaxin, which helps loosen the joints and ligaments in preparation for labour and delivery. The flipside of this is that it can, just sometimes, promote stretching too far during Yoga, which is why a small class - in which the teacher can keep an eye on you - is important.)

'Overall, a gentle form of Yoga is most definitely best, for pregnancy,' adds Lisa who trained with Birthright and at The Yoga Therapy Centre to gain her qualifications. (As a matter of course, Lisa likes to talk to her students on the phone beforehand, to make sure she's familiar with their medical and pregnancy history.) 'Twists and backbends in particular can be problematic, so I teach fluid, gentle movements, many of which can be good for lower back pain, swelling of the ankles, etc. Exercises for the pelvic floor are very important, too.' By encouraging breath and body awareness, Yoga can reduce worry - and teach women to adapt to new situations. (Yoga teachers all love to repeat the phrase, 'Flexible spine, flexible mind' - having observed, first-hand, how Yoga seems to encourage a more go-with-the-flow attitude to life generally.)

Studying with Françoise Freedman, an anthropologist-turned-pregnancy-yoga expert who had studied tribal approaches to pregnancy around the world, was a huge inspiration to Lisa. 'In our modern world, women are encouraged to run around like Superwoman, throughout pregnancy - to work and carry on as normal. But I like to encourage my students to take a step back and realise their own needs a bit more. This can be the most amazing time in a woman's life, and often a Yoga class can connect her more, not only to her own body, but to the baby.' In her classes, Lisa often uses chants or sounds which not only promote deep relaxation - but students have told her on more than one occasion that using those sounds with their babies, post-birth, instantly calms the infant down, too. 'I've also had lots of my students reveal to me that before they started Pregnancy Yoga, they never rested - but now they understand the importance of taking time out and relaxing for even just 15 minutes a day, for physical and emotional wellbeing.'

Almost every student Lisa's taught has texted her with news of the birth - often from the delivery room! For expectant mothers, the time spent in a Yoga class is a precious opportunity to form a strong and peaceful bond with their baby - but it doesn't have to end there: as Yoga teacher Jane Dancey (who also offers classes at The Wellington Centre) observes, 'I experienced for myself how valuable it was to do Yoga with my own baby - which inspired me to study, so that I could share those benefits with fellow mums.' A special 'Mother & Baby' Yoga class features postures to alleviate post-natal aches, pains and ailments (think: 'feeding hunch', sacro-iliac pain, even piles and stiff necks), as well as working on the pelvic floor and the abdominal muscles, in many cases helping women to regain their pre-pregnancy shape faster. There are gentle stretches and rhythmic movements for babies - and mothers often find that they develop a more relaxed way of holding, lifting and carrying the baby. The ultimate bonus? Jane laughs, 'Mothers arrive with screaming babies, and leave with them peacefully gurgling in their buggies...'

Relaxed motherhood, it seems, no longer begins with an 'm' - but an 'om'...

Lisa Powell teaches a six-week course in Pregnancy Yoga at The Wellington Centre, 44 Wellington Square, Hastings, TN34 1PN, on Monday evenings from 7.15-8.30 p.m. This six-week course, priced £48, is repeated regularly, and you can do successive courses right up until the birth; you'll need to fill in a form before starting, which can be mailed to you on request.. The Wellington Centre also offers drop-in Mother & Baby Yoga classes on Thursdays from 11.30-12.45 a.m., for babies from six weeks to crawling. Visit www.thewellingtoncentre.com for more info, or call 01424 442520.