A package of three private prenatal or postnatal yoga sessions. One hour each. Scheduled in winning bidder's home or office at mutually convenient times.

Donated by Clare Ryan

 www.clareryanyoga.com

From Clare's website:

Prenatal yoga relieves some of the physical discomforts of pregnancy and helps build strength and stamina. Pregnancy, birth and parenthood are hard work, and labour is (usually) a marathon rather than a sprint. Yoga develops flexibility in the muscles around the pelvis in preparation for birth and gives us an opportunity to explore our relationship with intense physical sensation.

Breath awareness and pranayama help to reduce anxiety, to facilitate release during birth and to create groundedness. Understanding the relationship between the nervous system and the breath and how you can turn this to your advantage can be hugely helpful during labour.

On another level, yoga encourages us to listen to our body, to be sensitive and awake to how we are feeling and to trust in our body’s capacity to do pretty amazing things. This awareness and confidence can be deeply supportive during birth. Yogic mindfulness practices are incredibly valuable during this time and exploring concepts such as impermanence, attachment, aversion and letting go can help to create ease.

Yoga supports us in the early days of new motherhood by helping us to go with the flow and stay awake to the possibility of connection and joy in every moment - even the exhausted, overwhelmed ones. Yoga addresses the specific needs of the postnatal period by focusing on poses that restrengthen the abdominals and pelvic floor, and which ease overworked backs and shoulders.