Why practice Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga?

May 12, 2010 by Jennifer More (Wolfe)

Linking Movement and Breath

Vinyasa yoga is the linking of body movement and breath, and more than that, it is the continuous movement of energy through the body. The movement of the body and the breath are one, connected, continuously flowing and synchronized. When a practitioner learns to link their breath and movement they create an energy which powerfully connects them to their own being. Bringing this experience of connectedness to pregnant women in a physical, tangible way is the intention of Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga.

We tend to hold our breath when we experience pain or fear

This breath and movement connection becomes pivotal in childbirth where the tendency in intense fear is to freeze, hold the breath, tense up all of the muscles, even those that aren’t working, and stop any forward movement. Vinyasa yoga teaches that even when muscles are challenged, there can be movement and breath, and when a woman can connect her breath and body in labor it is an empowering and beautiful thing. Women can release fear and pain with this movement and breath connection. They can help their bodies and babies move forward toward birth by allowing and encouraging that connection of movement and breath. Learning vinyasa yoga in pregnancy can give women the ability to feel the continuous energy movement in labor and embrace that movement, linking it to her breath and allowing it to grow. The impact of this connection can create ecstatic and empowering birth experiences.

Breath = Life

During pregnancy women experience dramatic physical, emotional, and mental transformations in which they have an amazing opportunity to, for a short time, connect with another human being in an incredibly intimate way. This life inside them is continually growing and changing. The movement of the woman’s breath is enabling, encouraging and creating that growth, feeding the life inside her. The breath is the most important aspect in the creation of another human being.

Move the energy throughout your body

Vinyasa yoga teaches women to allow the breath to be the motivation in their movement…. to synchronize their movements and their breath and in doing so allow this life giving energy to move throughout their bodies and through their baby. The movement is continuous, reminding her that even as her muscles are being challenged, she can feel her own strength growing and she can keep her breath and energy moving through her body, releasing the parts of her body that are not working and allowing them to relax.

When practicing this style of yoga we are reminded that even when there is stillness in the body there is also movement, this movement connects our bodies and our spirits and our minds.