Tag: pregnancy yoga

10 Minutes with Nadia Raafat, Pregnancy Yoga & Mindfulness Expert

Nadia Raafat is a pregnancy yoga instructor, mindfulness coach, qualified doula and a mother of four.

We caught up with her to talk yoga poses for pregnancy, birth stories and the power of empowerment.

1) Tell us a little about your background – How did you get into yoga & mindfulness?

Nadia Raafat - pregnancy yoga

As a former National rhythmic gymnast and dancer, I always used my body to express myself. Movement, balance, creative expression through the body – these were the things that made me feel alive.

I gave up aged 15 and was, physically-speaking, lost in the proverbial desert for some years, but upon discovering yoga aged 29, I felt my body coming home.

2) Why did you decide to specialise in pregnancy?

Nadia Raafat and her son

During my first pregnancy, I was too busy working late and navigating the drama of an unplanned pregnancy to take care of myself. I was young and naive and didn’t realise how much inner preparation is required for childbirth. I had a difficult birth experience and an emergency section.

When I debriefed the birth I could see where I had let myself down and where I had been let down by my carers. When I got pregnant again I promised myself I would honour the pregnancy and birth this time.

I found the most inspiring pregnancy yoga teacher, learned hypnobirthing, hired an independent midwife and decided to have a home-birth.

I went from being a frightened and disempowered pregnant woman to an embodied birthing goddess. It was such a healing experience and a call to action for me. I trained immediately afterwards and started teaching pregnancy yoga when my son was 9 months old. That was 14 years ago.

3) Can you tell us more about your role as a Doula?

Nadia Raafat - Pregnancy yoga & breastfeeding

During that first childbirth experience, I had felt really unsupported. I felt frightened and overwhelmed. I knew that this was not how a young first-time mother should labour.

When I heard about birth doulas, I recognised immediately their importance in supporting women through pregnancy, birth the transition to early motherhood. I trained with some of the original doulas and the great Michelle Odent – a pioneering obstetrician who went on to become the first male doula and is credited with bringing water births to maternity units both in the UK and France.

4) Have your own pregnancies impacted the way you support other women through theirs?

Every pregnancy is different and each one of mine has thrown up complications that have positioned me outside of the normal care pathway. This taught me how important it is for each mother to navigate her own unique position as she moves through the maternity system and not to relegate herself to little more than a statistic.

A key part of my birth preparation programme is empowering women to learn about the system, the NICE guidelines, and how to access the latest research and to make decisions from an empowered and informed place.

5) What makes yoga & mindfulness so beneficial for new & expectant mums?

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Yoga is widely regarded as the optimum physical practise for pregnancy; it offers all the strengthening, support and flexibility a pregnant body requires without any undue strain or pressure.

It also teaches self-awareness and is perfect as a birth preparation programme, as it shows you how to use your body during labour to relax through movement, make space for the baby, and use the breath to enter and surrender to the experience.

Mindfulness is the new hot ticket in Childbirth Education and the ultimate accompaniment to pregnancy yoga. It helps to cultivate a grounded and steady mind that is less affected by negative conditioning and unhelpful thought patterns…whatever they are; from anxiety to low self-esteem; from fear of labour to simply managing overwhelm – a very common experience for new mothers.

6) Which yoga poses are best for pregnancy?

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Cat-Cow for spinal flexibility, Pelvic Tilts or Rolls to energise and mobilise the pelvis and lower back, Dog pose, to stretch and straighten the spine, Childs pose (legs wide) to open up the lower body and let your breath expand and release your lower back, Supported Squat (heels on blocks) to open up the lower pelvis and stretch the pelvic floor, Dynamic Low Lunge (supported where necessary) to open up the hips, and hip-flexors, stretch the hamstrings… it’s also a great preparation position for childbirth and Wide Angle Standing Forward Bend (supported in the third trimester); this is an inversion which can help release and lengthen the spine, calm the mind and stretch the pelvic floor and hamstrings.

The essential aspect is that breath awareness and body awareness is brought to all of the poses that you do.

7) Do you have any top mindfulness tips to share with expectant mums?

Nadia Raafat - baby kisses

Yes. Each morning before you get out of bed, sit comfortably, close your eyes and take 10 breaths, counting each one on both the inhale and exhale. Do the same just before you go to bed at night. In time, progress to 20 breaths.

Learning to anchor the mind on the breath and on being with what is (without resistance) is the most important skill for labour and childbirth and, looking forward, motherhood and Life!

Mindfulness is for Life not just for childbirth! 🙂

Nadia’s popular Becoming Mother – online Yoga and Mindfulness for Pregnancy & Birth Course – a five-class home practice programme is available to download straight to your laptop, tablet or phone

Her Yoga and Mindfulness for Pregnancy & Birth DVD is available through Amazon.

Nadia Raafat Teaches a 12 week Yoga & Mindfulness for Pregnancy & Birth Course with weekly classes running in both Battersea and Kingston. You can find out more online at Nadiaraafat.com

Spiritual Fitness: Kundalini Yoga for Before, During & After Pregnancy

Kundalini yoga is a fantastic way to keep fit, fight stress and boost your mood.

It can help to keep you centred during early pregnancy & can even help to ease postnatal depression. Read on to find out more about this ancient practice.

 

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Originating from ancient Tibetan practices, this kind of yoga combines asana (postures), breath, meditation, mantras (chanting) and mudras (hand positions). It works directly on the nervous system and the glands to encourage positive brain chemistry.

Regular practice develops fitness, spirituality, positivity and creativity.

 


The Seraphine Active Kit is ideal for pregnancy yoga and adapts to your shape after baby is born. – Get the kit now

And don’t miss the matching maternity & nursing sports bra

 

Kundalini Yoga During Early Pregnancy

In normal circumstances, women can practice this form of yoga up until the 120th day of pregnancy (end of the 4th month). After this, it is generally recommended to switch to a specific pregnancy-centric yoga class.

 

 

How can it help combat postnatal depression?

Kundalini yoga expert Harmanjot Kaur claims that regular practice can help to rebalance the hormonal system after pregnancy, boosting oxytocin and dopamine. It also helps to bring the body back into shape and helps new mums to create stronger bonds with baby.

Kundalini practitioners believe that for the first 40 days after a baby is born, the aura of the mother and newborn remain closely intertwined. Harmanjot explains that this kind of yoga works on that magnetic pathway to increase connection and communication.

 

If you’re interested in finding out more, check out Harmanjot’s website.

You can also purchase her new DVDs Kundalini Yoga for Happiness and Health.

Pregnancy Yoga on the Roof: Limbering up with Voga Mama & Seraphine

Take the amazing mind and body rejuvenating benefits of a pregnancy yoga class, add a cool location, an 80’s inspired soundtrack and a dash of attitude designed to get your Serotonin levels soaring, and what do you get?

A VOGA MAMA rooftop yoga class, that’s what!

 

 

This week, we went along to the stunning rooftop terrace at Coq d’Argent in London to meet House of Voga founder Juliet Murrell and sit in on her fantastic Voga Mama class. The class combined strong empowering poses with stress relieving pregnancy yoga positions, all designed to safely prepare the body for labour. The energy was high, the poses were fierce & the ladies were looking fabulous in the Seraphine Active Kit.

 

Pregnancy yoga in the Seraphine Active Kit

 

The kit is designed to be the ultimate maternity sportswear solution – a must-have for active mums and mums-to-be and perfect for pregnancy yoga. It features a supportive maternity & nursing sports bra, tank top, maternity workout pants and a matching headband, all packed up in their own stylish drawstring gym bag. The Active Kit is designed to grow with you through pregnancy and beyond, providing easy access for nursing after baby is born.

 


Maddie, one of the stylish yoga mamas had this to say:

“I felt fantastic in my kit, it was very lightweight and stretchy & I feel like I can move around a lot. I’m very pleased and comfortable!”

 

 

Pregnancy yoga is the perfect way to de-stress and prepare your body for the challenge of labour, and with the added attitude and fun factor that Juliet brings to her classes, we can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning. Check online to sign up to her next class on 26th of March.

Maternity Fashion Moments: Yoga Mama Kristin McGee’s Top 7

Celebrity yoga instructor and proud mama Kristin McGee recently increased her brood of boys to three, giving toddler Timothy two brand new baby brothers, twins Robert & William, to play with. The stunning mama enjoyed a fantastically fashionable pregnancy, and flaunted her beautiful bump in style, rocking plenty of Seraphine maternity clothes along the way. Scroll to see Kristin’s top 7 maternity fashion moments, as chosen by us…

 

1) Pregnancy Yoga

A photo posted by Kristin McGee (@kristinmcgee) on

As a professional yoga & Pilates instructor, it was important to Kristin to find comfortable, stylish maternity sportswear. The Seraphine Active Kit fit the bill perfectly.

 

2) Central Park Style

A photo posted by Kristin McGee (@kristinmcgee) on

She rocked our Cotton Cable Knit Nursing Dress with tights and over-the-knee boots for a chic autumnal look in New York’s iconic Central Park as she approached her due date.

 

3) Me Time & A Maternity Jumper

A photo posted by Kristin McGee (@kristinmcgee) on

Making the most of a quiet moment to herself, Kristin looked beautiful in our Blush Pink Cable Knit Nursing Jumper.

 

4) The Signature Knotted Maternity Dress

A photo posted by Kristin McGee (@kristinmcgee) on

Showcasing her natural pregnancy radiance, Kristin simply glowed in our signature Fuchsia Knot Front Maternity Dress. This style is a celebrity favourite, worn by The Duchess of Cambridge in those first beautiful pictures with Prince George.

 

5) Off-Duty Chic

A photo posted by Kristin McGee (@kristinmcgee) on

Kristin made sure to spend plenty of quality one on one time with big-brother-to-be Timothy throughout her pregnancy. Here she’s sharing a sweet moment with her eldest, wearing our Latte Long Line Popper Nursing Top.

 

6) Seasonal Style 

A photo posted by Kristin McGee (@kristinmcgee) on

Enjoying the last of the autumn sunshine, Kristin styled our Black & White Polka Dot Silk Maternity Dress with chic boots and a sweet side plait – the perfect maternity fashion look.

 

7) The Maternity Photo Shoot

Looking almost other-worldly in our Striped Maternity & Nursing Dress, the stylish mama rocked her maternity photo shoot.

 

For more maternity fashion from Kristin, check out her site Kristinmcgee.com and follow her on Instagram @kristinmcgee.

New Year’s Resolutions: New Year, New Beginnings, New You!

Making New Year’s resolutions is a great way to start the year with a positive attitude & some new goals to strive for. But with a beautiful new baby on the way, this year’s resolutions are sure to look a little different from last year’s. You’re already headed for a dry January, and you certainly won’t want to be losing any weight!

Here are a few of our favourite resolutions for mamas-to-be…

 

Resolution 1: Take More Pictures

Get the Look: Black Maternity Shift Dress

This one’s a no-brainer. Pregnancy is such a special time in your life, and it’ll be over before you know it (even if it may not always feel that way)! Organising a pregnancy photo shoot is the perfect way to make some memories. Treat yourself to some beautiful new maternity clothes, get dressed up, do your hair & makeup, and capture your gorgeous new curves on camera. Of course once your little bundle of joy arrives , you won’t be needing any encouragement to get the camera out!

 

Resolution 2: Get Active

Staying active through pregnancy is a great way to help prepare your body for the physical demands of labour & caring for a newborn. Whether you decide to hit the gym, join a pregnancy yoga class or get out for a gentle jog, a little exercise is guaranteed to boost your mood and your energy levels. Check out our selection of stylish maternity sportswear & yoga gear.

 

Resolution 3: Eat Well

You’re eating for two now – and with a baby on board, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re getting your 5 a day along with plenty of pregnancy-friendly vitamins, minerals & nutrients.

For more info, check out our post on healthy pregnancy eating habits

 

Resolution 4: Get Nesting

Babies come with plenty of stuff, so now is the time to harness those nesting instincts and have a good spring clean before he or she arrives. Take the opportunity to de-clutter, tidy and organise your home – you’ll have plenty on your plate once baby is born, so seize the moment & do it now while you have the time.

 

More Me-Time

Last but certainly not least, make sure that you take some time out for yourself to relax, recharge & indulge in things that make you happy.  Whether it’s a trip to the spa, a lazy weekend brunch or even just a  quiet afternoon to yourself, that brief moment will work wonders for your mood & your energy levels.

 

Whatever your resolutions, we wish you a healthy, happy New Year mamas!

Pregnancy Yoga Poses with Tara Lee | The Ultimate Stress Buster

Tara Lee has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has been teaching for 12. She began teaching pregnancy yoga while pregnant with her first child 10 years ago and has developed her own dynamic fluid style. Now a mum of 2, she is also a trained Doula and Shiatsu practitioner, and has taught thousands of pregnant women including celebrities such as Cat Deeley and Rosamund Pike, guiding them through their pregnancies and births.

Shop Pregnancy yoga gear and maternity sportswear at Seraphine.

The exercises below are taken from her new DVD ‘Pregnancy Yoga with Tara Lee’.

 

1) Child’s Pose

Relieves tension in the neck and lower back, and helps to ease anxiety.

Pregnancy yoga child's pose

This classic pose is a masterful one to use during pregnancy. It eases the pressure of the baby on your pelvis and back, stretches the muscles along your spine and releases tension in the neck and shoulders – thereby helping to relieve tension headaches. As one of the few forward bends that feels comfortable and safe in pregnancy, it can be modified to suit most women. The intention here is to feel the broadening through the hips and lower back, gently stretching out and bringing relief to the muscles in your back.

From all fours with your knees as wide as you need to accommodate your baby, take the hips back to your heels and either reach the arms forward or make a pillow with the hands to rest the forehead on. Notice how this makes your back and hips feel. Notice the calming and soothing effect that being in this position has on your mind. Keep allowing the body to surrender towards the earth. Rest here for a few minutes, breathing deeply and slowly and imagine your body softening into the floor, releasing any tension.

You can come into child’s pose any time you are feeling stressed, anxious or if you have a tension headache. Use this position during labour if it feels comfortable when you need to rest. It will also be helpful for allowing your baby space to move into a good position.

 

2) Legs up the Wall

Relieves heavy legs and swollen ankles, and helps with insomnia or stress.
*Only do this exercise if you are under 28 weeks pregnant and still comfortable lying on your back*

Pregnancy yoga

Sit to the side of the wall (use a cushion or bolster under your hips if it’s easier) and swing your legs carefully up the wall while lying on your back. Stay for a few minutes or for as long as feels comfortable. To lower back down, hug the knees towards you (wide enough to make space for your baby) and slowly roll over to your side. Stay here for 5-10 breaths and then come up from your side.

If you get pins and needles in your feet, come out of the pose and rest to one side for a while before coming back up. If you feel nauseous, also come out of the pose.

 

3) Downward Dog Alternative

Relieves back ache and stretches the hamstrings.

Pregnancy Yoga Downward Dog

Towards the end of your pregnancy when Downward Dog feels too much, using the wall can be an excellent alternative. This pose is also great preparation for labour. It’s a great pose for if you’ve been sitting at a desk for too long and want to have a feeling of taking the weight of your baby off of your back. It can also be helpful for stretching out tight hamstrings.

Place your hands on a wall, shoulder width apart and walk back until you feel a comfortable stretch (making an upside down L shape with your body). Allow the body to soften as you feel the stretch through your back and down your hamstrings. Stay for 5 – 10 breaths. When you are ready, keep the knees bent as you walk back towards the wall slowly.

You can bend the knees and lengthen the tail bone back. Try swaying the hips from side to side to release tension in the pelvis.

If it feels uncomfortable place your hands a little higher up for a gentler stretch, and be sure to keep a bend in the knees.

 

Find out more at: www.taraleeyoga.com

 

 

An Introduction to Pregnancy Yoga with Tara Lee

Tara Lee has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. She is a registered senior teacher with Yoga Alliance UK and is a trained Doula who has taught thousands of pregnant women, guiding them through their pregnancies and births. She is also a mum of 2.

Tara’s pregnancy yoga DVD boxset “Bump, Baby and Beyond” is now available online. Read on for Tara’s introduction to the benefits of pregnancy yoga.

 

Pregnancy Yoga

pregnancy yoga

 

Many women instinctively feel more connected to their bodies during pregnancy and more concerned with looking after themselves now that they have a new life growing inside. This makes it the perfect time to practice yoga even if you have never done any before.

 

Many expectant mums attend yoga classes thinking that they would like to stretch a little bit, or because they have been told it will be good for them and their babies. They soon discover after a few classes that not only have aches and pains disappeared, they also feel more energised and have a stronger connection to their bodies and their babies.

 

 

The stretches help to release tightness and tension from the muscles, but the breathing techniques used work on a deeper psychological level to release fears, anxieties and bring a feeling of calmness and clarity to the mind. Insomnia, sciatica, hip pain, rib pain, back ache,  SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction), pelvic girdle pain, headaches, anxieties and general discomfort can be drastically improved or disappear altogether with regular yoga practice.

 

As the bump starts to grow and the centre of gravity shifts, regular yoga practice can help fine tune the balance both physically and emotionally. The classes also offer tools (such as breathing techniques and positions for birth) to use during the labour that help women feel empowered, in control and able to deal with whatever turn their birthing takes.

 

Yoga to Aid Labour & Recovery

A regular yoga practice during pregnancy does not provide any guarantee of a ‘perfect’ birth. If anything it helps women realise that there is no such thing as the ‘ideal birth’ but that they can stay calm and open minded and embrace the experience. It helps women to develop the right mindset to cope well when things don’t go according to plan (as so often happens).

Using the movements, breathing and sound techniques learnt during the classes encourages the body to relax and open, supporting the labour, speeding up contractions and assisting and facilitating the whole labour process. Women who have practiced yoga through pregnancy are better able to listen to their bodies, to move instinctively and trust that their bodies know what to do.

 

 

Additionally the recovery after the birth will be better for women who are fit and healthy from yoga practice throughout pregnancy. They are less likely to suffer from prolapsed organs, pelvic floor weakness or incontinence and can apply the techniques they have learnt for their labour to cope with those exhausting first months to gain energy and stay calm.

Postnatal yoga

 

Tara currently teaches ‘Pregnancy Yoga’, ‘Mother and Baby Yoga’ and ‘Vinyasa Flow Yoga’ at The Life Centre, Notting Hill Gate in London. Visit her website www.taraleeyoga.com to find out more. If you aren’t one of our lucky winners, her Bump, Baby and Beyond box set is now available from Amazon. This boxset contains pregnancy and postnatal Yoga DVDs to guide you through your pregnancy and help with your postnatal recovery after you have had your baby.

 

Maternity style & pregnancy yoga – by Pollyanna Woodward

Pollyanna is a television presenter, most recently on The Gadget Show. She and golfer fiancé Paul Casey are currently expecting their first child.

 

I don’t think I could ever fully prepare myself for impending motherhood. Even now as it looms closer, I still feel pretty overwhelmed by it all, but at the same time I’m also really excited! I will be very honest and admit that I’m not one of those mums-to-be, that has fully embraced pregnancy and is completely at one with it. The changes my body has gone through and is still going through, (that I have no control over!) have taken me completely by surprise. The ever increasing dress sizes, the dry skin, the tiredness and the dreaded ‘baby brain’ (!) are all aspects that I have found really hard to accept, especially being a bit of an adrenalin junkie! But knowing what my body is creating, has left me in complete awe of the gift us ladies have. It never ceases to amaze me what is actually happening, especially when I’m feeling it kick and move, it makes accepting my ever changing body an easier pill to swallow!

 

 

Throughout my pregnancy so far, style has been one of my biggest challenges, and I know this seems to be a common complaint with women across the land! To be honest I think I’ve only just found my comfort zone and realised what works for me….. long flowing maternity maxi dresses with under bust gathering – still feminine, comfortable and beautiful, but brilliant at disguising all my “unsightly” bits, whilst enhancing my best bit ….my bump. Finding these dresses had been a huge struggle until I recently discovered Seraphine ….. It was one of those eureka moments. I could kick myself for finding them so late, but as they say, better late than never! I think during pregnancy that’s one of the most important factors in feeling good; finding what suits YOU! Our shapes during this time are so individual, you just need to wear what makes you feel great and comfortable.

 

 

I have also started yoga, as I am unable to workout like I normally would, so I decided to try and help my body remain supple and strong – not only for baby but also to help recovery after birth and to be as fit and healthy a Mum as I can.  Yoga seemed like a great way to do this and I must admit I have found it extremely beneficial. I try to do it 3, sometimes 4 times a week if I’m not too tired – it is relaxing, soothing and does help with strength, but isn’t grueling like other workouts. And let’s face it; as a mum-to-be just being up and about is tiring! I decided to do it via a fantastic DVD from Tara Lee, as I have been travelling a lot during my pregnancy and this allows me to do it wherever I am in the world. I got the trilogy so I can do post natal yoga and yoga with our new arrival too! I really do think this is something I will continue, as I found the benefits so helpful, and as mums-to-be will know, anything that makes you feel great and relaxed is a bonus.

 

Really thrilled to be blogging for Seraphine – in my next blog, I’ll be sharing some of my top baby tech purchases, some of which are essential in terms of baby’s health and well being and others which are just lots of fun!

 

 

Other Articles You May Like:

Postnatal exercise: Keep fit, bond with baby and boost your mood
Keeping fit and fabulous during pregnancy by Lisa Sidgwick
Glow like a goddess – radiant skin, glossy hair and a gleaming smile

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