Have Baby, Will Yoga...
by Heatherlee Farrell

Yoga and motherhood is a union of body, spirit and mind. It provides you an opportunity to deepen your sense of being. Even if you have not discovered yoga during your pregnancy, the postnatal period is a wonderful time to start practicing yoga as you adjust to the many physical and emotional changes going on in your life. After giving birth, yoga can be used as a way to nurture and energize you at this time when you are giving so much of yourself to your new baby.

After the body has opened through birthing, postnatal yoga works on encouraging the body to close and come together while building core strength and maintaining flexibility. In Postnatal or Mom and Baby classes, we will learn how yoga can help us ease achy and sore muscles by working deeply to open, align and lengthen critical areas like the spine, chest and shoulders. This becomes increasingly important as nursing starts, the baby grows, after hours of holding a baby and as we lift and carry our babies. Postnatal yoga also focus on various pelvic floor exercises to help our bodies return to a healthy, strong and supple state.

The Poses or Asanas taught in class help relieve tension in various body areas, gradually strengthen core abdominal muscles which have been stressed from pregnancy without overstraining our lower back and minimize the fatigue so common in caring for a new baby.

We explore how breath awareness and meditation can enhance this magical first year of our baby’s life. Babies are very attuned to their mother’s breathing patterns and practicing deep breathing, meditation and relaxation can be calming and healing for both of you. Helping your baby learn how to be calm through the use of the breath is a great gift. Your baby will benefit from this gift throughout their lives.

Yoga is a wonderful way to rediscover your body while bonding with your baby. Many of the postnatal yoga poses can be done while holding your baby, even using the baby as a weight, or to help ground the mother. Sometimes your baby simply lies on your abdomen or by your side on a blanket. Most post natal classes also teach new mothers how to facilitate positive infant development through movement and massage. Postnatal yoga classes have an added benefit of allowing babies to see one another on a regular basis thus increasing their socialization in a calm setting.

Postnatal or Mom and Baby Yoga classes are for babies up to one year of age. It is a good idea to wait until after you have had your first postnatal check-up before joining a postnatal yoga class. If you have had a caesarean delivery it is best to wait 8 – 10 weeks. Throughout class, mothers may stop to feed or tend to their babies when needed. The structure of a postnatal yoga class often varies to meet the needs of the mothers and babies, but class usually ends with a relaxation time for mother and baby together.

Besides the benefits of yoga, the class creates a sense of community and a support for new mothers through sharing ideas, experiences and resources.

Yoga is a gift for you and will help you become more connected to your inner self. Yoga teaches you acceptance, How to let go of expectations and how to be calm and present with your baby. Finally, yoga will nourish you, the mother, who nourishes so many others.

To start or improve your home yoga practice, join us for her on-going Postnatal/Mom&Baby Yoga Workshop Series on the last monday of each month, excluding May (Memorial Day).

Register now for Heatherlee's March 30th or future workshops!

Monthly Classes and Workshops

Second Thursdays, 6-8pm
Parenting Series: Become the Parent You Want to Be

Second Saturdays, 10-11am
Meet the Doulas of the Southwest

Second Sundays, 12:30-2:30pm (starting February 8)
Ayurveda for Women and Families Workshop Series

Third Wednesdays, 10-11am
2nd Nine Months New Parent/Nursing Tea
Dads and non-nursing parents very welcome!

Third Wednesdays, 11:30am-12:45pm
Music, Movement and Massage

Last Mondays, 11:30-12:30
Postnatal Yoga Workshop Series
All ability levels welcome!

Last Wednesdays, 10-10:45am
Signing Playgroup

Registration and Cancelation Policies

As a small business, pre-registrations really help us be most efficient and keep our costs and, therefore, prices lower.

If you plan to attend a class, please register when you decide. If there are no pre-registrations, we give the instructor the option to cancel. Most instructors will teach if someone signs up.

You are always welcome to attend if you have not pre-registered! On occasion, a class is canceled due to lack of registratns, so we invite you to call ahead and be sure we are still holding the class.

Some classes do require a minimum attendance to be held. We try to make this very clear and have you encourage others to join us in order to hold the class!

Don't miss these March classes:

HERBS FOR KIDS - Be ready to ward off those allergies - Mary Lou tells you how and more. March 4, 10am-1pm

POWERFUL NUTRITION FOR PREGNANCY - Learn the 10 Power Foods for Pregnancy and yummy recipes with Amie. March 11, 10-noon

Don't let three more months go by!

Our next calendar is shaping up! Check out these new offerings:

Nourishing Our Children - April 1 (back by popular demand. Don't let it sneak up on you. Register now!)

Movie Night at Inspired - April 17

Positive Discipline Class - April 18

Practical Hypnosis - April, May and June series (AMAZING offer just for Inspired families. Do not miss out on this opportunity!)

Great Expectations Early Pregnancy and Preconception Class - April 29, May 27 and June 13

Families Today Fair - June 20 (Adoption, Custody, Fostering, Single and Step-parenting, and Parenting through Divorce) FREE!

MMCS provides a mind, body and art integrated curriculum that fosters the emotional, intellectual and social capacities of children.

Please visit our website for more information: www.mountainmahogany.org or call 341-424 for more information.

- MMCS is an APS-authorized tuition-free public K-5 charter school.

Did you miss the Sleep Seminar? Is our Babyfood class not on YOUR feeding schedule?

We can still help. Check out our library. We have books on all your topics of interest, including sleep, babyfood, breastfeeding, parenting, potty training, health and nutrition and MUCH MORE!

Browse any time or join for $10 plus tax and take a few books or videos home.