Prenatal Yoga

I cannot say enough about the amazing prenatal yoga class that I had with Sheila last week. She came recommended by Emily Harding, but when I asked some of my other pregnant friends to go with me, one had already been and loved her as well.

Sheila does her classes out of her house in Point Breeze. She has the second floor of a duplex and her "studio" is at the front of the house with windows lining the room. Its a nice, big open space with hardwood floors and area rugs - very inviting.

We started on the large balls and while we weren't doing anything hardcore exercise-wise, it just felt SO good for my body. I wasn't sore the next day at all (which I don't think is the point anyhow), but just felt very cleansed and renewed. Sheila talks pretty much the whole time about everything that is going on in your body - what pregnancy does to parts of your body that seem so far removed from the baby - ankles? (She was big on ankle rotation given the extra weight a pregnant woman is caring.) And she made me feel more connected to the baby that is growing inside of me. Up until now, it seems so foreign, maybe even surreal, that there is another human being inside of me. She made us envision this baby and what it is experiencing NOW, not what it is going to be like when it is born or a two-year-old or its first day of kindergarten.

There was only one other girls besides me and she was 16 weeks, so we were able to move to the floor and do some things on our back as well. While I haven't really had bad yoga instructors before, I think the instructor really makes the practice. Sheila was able to tell me to relax certain parts of my body and my body was able to listen to her. Quite amazing that I can't just do that on my own - enlightening.

We also practiced toning, which at first I assumed was some kind of weight resistance, but no, this was toning your vocal chords. Sheila claims that 90% of women say that it is the most helpful tool in a natural childbirth. Still a bit odd and tribal to me, but if 90% of women say it helps, then who am I to argue that it seems silly?

Really looking forward to going back!