yoga in pregnancy

Becoming pregnant changes body, mind and soul. Our yoga for pregnancy classes work to integrate these changes and so begin the journey toward becoming a parent. The ethos in the class is about learning from these changes; new movements to make the body feel comfortable as it expands and grows; new quietness to connect to the breath for times of tiredness and for the labour to come; new ways of being that will help with the joys and challenges of birth and parenting.
Andrew’s class draws from his training with the Active Birth Centre and other birthing organisations to provide a class which explores movement, gravity and breath in a gentle but energising practice. The class provides a space in which to share all these things and nurture yourself through postures, breathwork, relaxation, tea, cake and good company.

The Yoga for pregnancy classes are run by Andrew on a Monday morning. These classes are adapted from classical Yoga and provide women with a combination of Yoga postures, meditations, breathing and relaxation. The classes are informal and open to all pregnant women from 14 to 40 weeks of pregnancy. We have found that many employers are happy to allow women to attend Yoga classes as a part of their ante-natal care.

All pregnant women are welcome to attend the classes. We ask for a commitment of five classes at a time at a cost of £30. These classes can be taken over a 7 week period, should you need to miss classes for holidays or other commitments.

Prior to attending please call us to check space availability and suitability. Although most women can benefit from Yoga during pregnancy, in the event of complications or serious health issues Yoga may not be appropriate. If in doubt please consult with your midwife.

mums and babies classes.

Our Yoga week culminates with our Mother and Baby Yoga sessions. These are unlike any other Yoga class you will ever attend! The emphasis is on post-natal exercise for new Mums; the babies just come along and hang out. We work with basic post natal posture, strength and stability for the body and basic sanity for the mind. Our ethos is largely social and there is always ample opportunity to share experiences, eat cake and play with each other’s babies.  To say we make this class up is a bit disingenuous as we have a very clear ethos. It’s just that we have become adept at improvisation.

Classes run every Friday morning and cost £30 for 5 sessions. Please contact us to book a place in the group.

birth workshops

Giving birth is one of the unique and exceptional moments in life. Our evening birth workshops aim to help couples prepare for this. Andrew and Jerusha bring their experience of their own children’s births and their belief that, for a couple, birth is a time of great joy, tenderness and hard work. Through discussion, hands on massage techniques, movement, breath and  exploring various birth positions we provide a framework for a couple to begin to work together and have fun during the birth process. This doesn’t mean that everything will be easy. Labour is challenging; but with a belief in what we can achieve and working with the body and gravity we can cope with whatever happens and cultivate a conscious approach to the amazing journey of parenthood.

These workshops usually take place on a weekend evening and cost £20 per couple.

The next birth workshop is being held on 7th September 2008. For details and to book a place then please call us on 01326 375191

"I felt it gave us a much more positive approach to labour and made me believe that my body was capable of giving birth naturally"

"Thank you so much for what you taught us. Although we had done a lot of reading beforehand, it helped us actually put everything into practise..........We had a wonderful birthing experience and we feel we owe a lot of that to both of you"

"We'd expected the session just to focus on yoga/breathing techniques and knew that would be helpful, but we found that what was so unexpectedly helful were Jerusha's reflections on her own experience and the whole perspective she placed on the experience of labour.................it was really refreshing to hear someone say it could be an enjoyable experience"

individual sessions

In addition to the classes outlined above Andrew and Jerusha will also work with women and couples who are unable for any reason to attend a class or a workshop. These tailored sessions can help you develop a Yoga practise in pregnancy or take the principles of the birth workshops and apply them to your personal circumstances. We can help you devise your own Yoga programme throughout pregnancy so that you can practise independently.