We previously shared with you the awesome power of practicing Yoga while pregnant but it doesn’t have to end there.
Love Torralba, an instructor at Bliss Yoga Manila, one of the leading Yoga studios in the Philippines also shared how postnatal Yoga can help moms enter parenthood feeling prepared, relaxed, and pampered.
For moms who want to get back into yoga, it “depends on what the doctor says. If normal, usually earlier,” explains Love. “For moms who gave birth via C-section, we have to wait about 3 to 6 months. But we can start na as long as the doctor says it’s okay.”
“The only factor that distinguishes post-natal yoga from yoga before giving birth is that the baby is there physically,” said Love, adding that postnatal yoga’s purpose is geared more toward “mothering the mother”.
Yoga instructor Love Torralba demonstrates a Postnatal Yoga pose (photo courtesy of Bliss Yoga) Manila
Post-natal yoga helps ease postpartum depression
“When you’re pregnant, you’re ‘the star’ but once you give birth the baby is the main star,” says Love. “So, in postnatal yoga we want to lessen the tendency of postpartum blues and depression.”
One way Post-natal yoga helps ease loneliness is through breathing. “Breathing really helps,” says Love. “Then, the mom can hold the baby to reconnect.”
It helps tighten muscles loosened by pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman’s abdominal muscles (or what is known as the rectus abdominis) part to make room for the growing uterus.
So, yoga helps firm and tighten these muscles.
Both pre-natal and post-natal yoga “provides a space for you to focus on the mom to get to know herself more and to bond with the baby.”
Check out more Postnatal Yoga benefits on the next page
It helps encourage the bond between moms and newborns
“We let the babies lie down on their mom’s chest or we allow moms to carry their babies,” shares Love. “ We encourage them to learn how to be naturally energized and rejuvenated because once the baby is there, even if you haven’t fully recovered and even if you have a good support system, you have to be there for your child.”
It helps moms be part of a community
More than working on their individual needs, the postnatal class also provides moms with an avenue to express their concerns; it can be a good place where they can help one another and build a supportive community.
Being a mom of two girls, aged 15 and 9, Love is able to engage participants in her class, most of whom are first-time moms, in helpful discussions about important mommy decisions, like looking for a Doula or a breastfeeding consultant.
A typical setup in Love’s class is an intimate circle which promotes a great bond between her and her class (photo courtesy of Bliss Yoga)
The essence of Yoga, she shares, is not to take away the stress but to put you in a position where your attitude toward it is renewed—how you face it and work around it.
“We call it Yoga practice, not perfection,” she assures. “There are good days and bad days. It’s not about perfect poses but the proper mental focus.”
She goes on to assure moms who could be feeling a bit self-conscious not to worry because her class is a welcoming space, free from judgment.
“That’s why during class I emphasize the need to be attuned to everything outside and within,” she says. “How can we hold space for our loved ones if we can’t hold space for ourselves?”
The essence of Yoga, she shares, is not to take away the stress but to put you in a position where your attitude toward it is renewed—how you face it and work around it.
Bliss Yoga Manila is located at Unit 203 Plaza One Hundred, V.A. Rufino Street cor. Dela Rosa Street Legaspi Village, Makati City. For inquiries, call 551-1485 or 09178419642 (email: inquiry@blissyogamanila.com)
READ: 5 Awesome benefits of prenatal Yoga for a blissful pregnancy journey
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