The other day, I counted no fewer than ten babies recently born or about to be born in my circles of friends, students, family, and colleagues. I was a little amazed and continually affirm how lucky I am to be an aunt or faunt (fake aunt) to so many children in this world!
As a yogi who loves life and love, I celebrate baby announcements from my network with two things: first, a hearty and joyful congratulations and, second, the inevitable question of whether mom-to-be is going to practice prenatal yoga.
I usually get a 'yes,' which then leads me to a third but unfortunate thing I always impart to my mom-to-be pals. Sadly, there is just not a lot of prenatal yoga to choose from in this area.
All is not lost. Here are some tips on what to do so you and your baby don't miss out on the opportunity to practice prior to birth.
1) Practice on your own or in small groups. Get a prenatal moms-to-be club together and rotate hosting. Your public library and amazon.com are your BEST friends. Pre-natal DVDs and books I have looked at and respect are listed below. Note that you should check with your doctor before undertaking prenatal yoga. Note also these DVDs and books are designed so that you CAN practice at home. The exercises are simple and intuitive, and your woman's body will know what it can or should not do.
*Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa and Cindy Crawford. Yes, THE Cindy Crawford. A gorgeous book with great photos and illustrations so you can practice on your own. This style of pre-natal yoga is highly spirited and nurturing towards your changing body.
*Prenatal Kundalini Yoga and Meditation for Mothers to Be with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa (DVD): A sheer delight. You and your baby will feel the love coming from this series of exercises and reflections!
*Prenatal Yoga by Shiva Rea. This DVD is Hatha Yoga and good for your entire pregnancy because Shiva shows three models, one in each trimester, throughout the program. Nice.
*Yoga for Your Pregnancy by Yoga Journal and Lamaze. Part one is strengthening and stretching. Part two is breathing exercises and relaxation. All geared toward you and your growing baby.
2) Check for prenatal yoga in unlikely places: community centers, continuing education and recreation programs, the Y, universities, hospitals, and spiritual centers (e.g., River's Edge on the west side).
3) Check out www.yogacleveland.com: Several independent yoga teachers, and far fewer studios, claim prenatal yoga as a specialty. Call the teacher and see what she has to say. Is she certified or licensed to teach prenatal? If you like prenatal books and DVDs and practicing at home, a prenatal yoga teacher might be willing to do a private session with you and help you create another regime for you during your pregnancy.
Last, enjoy!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Hold....Hold...Hold
One of my favorite students recently asked me in an email for how long she should hold her yoga poses.
That, dear readers, is a million dollar question.
Quickly, here, I will try to provide some answers.
In some yoga systems, Bikram and Kundalini to name two, the poses are held and the exercises are performed using a stopwatch or timer. Seconds and minutes mark your practice rather than the more common form, which is counting your breaths.
In most yoga styles, you hold your poses for a set number of breath cycles. A breath cycle in yoga equals one round of long deep breathing, which is a slow inhale followed by a slow exhale through the nose. The number of breath cycles varies from yoga style to style, and is irrelevant in other styles.
In Ashtanga Yoga, for example, the poses are held for five breath cycles, though some of the 'finishing' poses at the end of the practice are held for up to twenty breaths. In Amrit Yoga, the style in which I trained, seven to ten breaths is the standard.
Many Hatha Yoga styles do not dictate for how many breath cycles one should hold a pose. Rather, it is left up to the teacher or the practitioner. This is quintessential yoga: one can mold the practice to suit one's needs, or the teacher can make the decision based on the students' abilities and needs.
Two-legged standing poses and poses you love to do (e.g., Savasana!) you can hold for longer, and when the body is partly ariel in a pose (e.g., one-legged poses), take it easy and know you and increase your hold time through time and repetition. The Sun Salutations (and there are lots of styles of them) suggest you work up to a 'one pose one breath' pattern. This builds up the heat in the body-mind and prepares it for longer holds later on in the practice.
Yoga tip: For those of you who don't want to count breaths (e.g., if it distracts you too much, or you 'get lost' in your counting) try the Bikram and Kundalini method and use a stopwatch or a timer. I often walk around with a stopwatch in my Hatha classes to ensure I am attending to hold time while also attending to adjustments, affirmations, and the like.
Enjoy your hold time, however you decide to mark it! Namaste.
That, dear readers, is a million dollar question.
Quickly, here, I will try to provide some answers.
In some yoga systems, Bikram and Kundalini to name two, the poses are held and the exercises are performed using a stopwatch or timer. Seconds and minutes mark your practice rather than the more common form, which is counting your breaths.
In most yoga styles, you hold your poses for a set number of breath cycles. A breath cycle in yoga equals one round of long deep breathing, which is a slow inhale followed by a slow exhale through the nose. The number of breath cycles varies from yoga style to style, and is irrelevant in other styles.
In Ashtanga Yoga, for example, the poses are held for five breath cycles, though some of the 'finishing' poses at the end of the practice are held for up to twenty breaths. In Amrit Yoga, the style in which I trained, seven to ten breaths is the standard.
Many Hatha Yoga styles do not dictate for how many breath cycles one should hold a pose. Rather, it is left up to the teacher or the practitioner. This is quintessential yoga: one can mold the practice to suit one's needs, or the teacher can make the decision based on the students' abilities and needs.
Two-legged standing poses and poses you love to do (e.g., Savasana!) you can hold for longer, and when the body is partly ariel in a pose (e.g., one-legged poses), take it easy and know you and increase your hold time through time and repetition. The Sun Salutations (and there are lots of styles of them) suggest you work up to a 'one pose one breath' pattern. This builds up the heat in the body-mind and prepares it for longer holds later on in the practice.
Yoga tip: For those of you who don't want to count breaths (e.g., if it distracts you too much, or you 'get lost' in your counting) try the Bikram and Kundalini method and use a stopwatch or a timer. I often walk around with a stopwatch in my Hatha classes to ensure I am attending to hold time while also attending to adjustments, affirmations, and the like.
Enjoy your hold time, however you decide to mark it! Namaste.
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