I get so excited when I hear someone’s expecting.

I rattle on with twenty questions then quietly lapse into memories of my own pregnancy.  The emotional rollercoaster of elation, fears, nerves, tears… then the jubilation of getting through it and feeling overwhelmed when I finally meet my beautiful boy.

Unfortunately, I was one of those who rushed through pregnancy: squeezed in antenatal appointments between meetings, did a baby shower only when friends insisted, installed the car seat barely in time, and put off maternity leave to cram in work while I could.

My one solace was prenatal yoga.  For an hour a week, the world went quiet.  I was reminded that, oh yeah, I’m cooking up a baby inside.  Between the simple stretches and gentle sequences, I could feel my tense week melt away.  Hello relaxation, so you do exist.

Yoga provides so many physical and mental benefits for pregnancy and birth preparation.  Canberra-based childbirth educator and prenatal yoga teacher, Julia Willoughby, says yoga helps relieve back pain, strengthens the body and increases flexibility.  Classes allow women to practice simple meditation, use visualisation, let go of fears and learn breathing techniques as tools for labour.

Research backs this up, including an American study, which followed over 300 pregnant women. The study compared the effects of yoga to walking.  It turned out those in the yoga group were less likely to have high blood pressure or go into labour prematurely and their babies experienced improved birth weight.

A Korean study showed similar results, as well as decreased labour pains and discomfort after delivery, thanks to prenatal yoga.  Yet another study looked at the effects of yoga on managing distress: it found that regular practice reduced levels of stress, anxiety and physical pain during pregnancy.

Local prenatal teacher, Pamela Walker, agrees that yoga encourages healthy pregnancies.  Stretching and toning exercises help to develop strength and promote good posture as the baby grows.  Breath awareness and deep relaxation also help increase energy.

Personally, I find that prenatal classes also give the space to vent and exchange information.  Women are fairly candid in what typically turns out to be a pseudo, pre-mothers group.  Then, every so often, there’s one less of us and our teacher will read out an email; an honest but elated birthing story.  We gush over newborn photos, thinking it’ll be us soon.

Canberra’s a great place for prenatal yoga, with plenty of qualified teachers – supportive women keen on encouraging wellbeing during pregnancy: Soul Yoga Canberra, Yoga for Birth and Beyond, ACT Yoga and Meditation Centre, Canberra Prenatal Yoga, In Sync Institute and Om Shanti College are just a few examples.  There’s also a local prenatal yoga blog: Yoga Canberra.

YWCA of Canberra is also subsidising a local Celebrate Pregnancy Yoga Retreat on 26 March, for women who can’t afford to go away or have no yoga experience.  It’ll be in Acton, by the lake, amidst the Canberra bushlands with no one else to think of but yourself – aaaah I can’t help but feel relaxed already.

If you’re pregnant, I urge you to give prenatal yoga a go – the upcoming Yoga retreat is the perfect introduction to the practice. I guarantee you’ll experience benefits for both body and mind.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://hercanberra.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/simplicity.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]PJ Ann Aguilar writes from Simplicity Retreats, an ACT-based yoga project started as a way to introduce yoga to the community. Though mildly clucky she celebrates pregnancy vicariously surrounded by lovely women either recently pregnant or soon to give birth. She lives in Belconnen with husband Greg, 18mth old Jacob and Tilly the staffy.[/author_info] [/author]