"The instructors at Oak + Lotus studio saved my body and spirit during my 1st pregnancy."
- Kara Hedlund
Prenatal Yoga | Baby + Me
Belly-down postures, like cobra, are okay until they are uncomfortable (usually mid-second trimester). Tip for sun salutations: Once belly-down poses become uncomfortable for you, while everyone else is doing cobra or up dog you can come to table pose and then take a puppy pose and/or child’s pose before coming back to down dog.
Avoid deep backbends by keeping backbends in your upper back. Think about keeping your hips stacked above your knees instead of pressing them forwards, and lifting your chest to create an upper backbend. For instance, in camel, instead of reaching for your heels, plant your palms on your low back. Instead of Wheel Pose, try a Bridge Pose (supported or not!)
When in doubt, use all the props! We love props, and they can absolutely improve your prenatal yoga experience. Poses where it’s fantastic to prop up your pregnant body for both alignment and comfort - Half Pigeon, Half Hanumanasana (half-split), Bridge, Legs up the wall, any balancing poses. Our prenatal classes are full of great recommendations for prop usage, and you can take those recommendations with you to other classes.
Yay for open twists, boo to closed/deep twists!
Any posture where you are closing off the torso or facing your tummy directly towards another body part (like a low lunge twist) to twist is a definite no-go during pregnancy; stick to open twists where you’re opening your torso away in the twist versus closing it off into another part of the body. For example, take an open-armed twist in chair, versus a revolved crescent lunge.
In seated twists, keep bellybutton pointing forward and just twist through the upper back (shoulders and neck).
Use blocks and a bolster to stay reclined at an angle (semi-reclined), rather than flat on your back, especially later in pregnancy. If you lie flat on your back, the weight of your growing body can compress key veins. A semi-reclined posture relieves this tension. Of course, if reclining fully still feels good for you: go for it.
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Tip: Use props to set up a semi-reclined posture for Savasana, supported Legs up the wall, or side-lying poses.
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Vinyasa yoga is a warming practice; it can create heat in both your body and the surrounding room. Avoid overheating by modifying poses whenever it feels right, drinking water, or taking a brief break in the lobby. Overheating / dehydration can cause serious problems for mom and baby, as well as start labor before it’s time!
Listen to your body. As you progress further along in your pregnancy, your body will change and some poses / movements will start to become uncomfortable, and others may feel more accessible. While that may be frustrating, listen to what your body is telling you and ease up from any discomforts in your regular yoga practice!
Belly-up core exercises are a known cause of diastatic recti, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing any core work at all! Try working on the deeper muscles in the transverse abdominus and obliques rather than your frontal core with belly-down core poses like bear, plank, and forearm plan. If a teacher offers a belly-up core pose like boat, or a similar belly-up exercise to work on core, take a plank or forearm plank instead. Or skip it altogether!
Tips for Taking a Non-Prenatal Flow Class While Pregnant
Practice Tips for Mamas
Are you pregnant and looking to safely modify your yoga practice for pregnancy?
Or perhaps you had your baby a few months ago and want to make sure you stay safe as you return to your yoga practice.
Read on for our Yoga Mama tips!
In our prenatal class, we link one breath to one movement in a vinyasa-style flow, holding poses 1-3 breaths at a time.
We know that pregnancy is different for everyone, and often varies day-to-day, so we provide tons of options to up level or relax your practice as you're feeling in the moment.
We sequence with intentionality to support your body and its growing needs, while still offering a physical challenge.
We work to continue building and maintaining strength while also finding grace and acceptance for our bodies as they change and shift.
Join us on Thursdays at 7 pm
and Sundays at 3:30 pm!
Prenatal Flow
We understand that when you're a new parent, bonding with baby is a top priority. This fun flow is designed to get you moving safely while spending time with baby.
All parents and caregivers are welcome to join baby for this class, not just mamas!
We will move with our breath, with the acknowledgment that you may need to pause your practice in order to attend to your little one.
Spontaneous naps and crying are allowed and encouraged (for you AND for baby ;-) Diaper changes too! This is a no judgments or apology zone.
Join us on Wednesdays at 10:30 am!
Baby + Me
Our Classes
Are you pregnant and looking to move your body safely while connecting with other expecting moms?
Or perhaps you’ve already had your baby, and are looking for a way to move your body safely while bonding with baby?
Either way, we’ve got you covered!
Giving birth is an incredible and significant accomplishment for your body to achieve. It's natural for your body to change after going through such a huge effort - sometimes significantly, and sometimes permanently. Honor those changes by listening to your body and adjusting your practice accordingly, rather than expecting or forcing it to behave how it used to before doing such a big and wonderful thing.
Cultivating an active gratitude practice for your body's strength and ability to bring life into the world can be a wonderful way to help keep the ego at bay during this time of big change.
Move deliberately, try to be really in-tune with your body and how it feels as you practice, especially if you had a consistent practice before or during pregnancy. Tuning in can be challenging as it forces you to acknowledge that your body and practice have changed, but also the healthiest way for you to learn how your body has changed and adjust your practice so that it can continue to serve you as effectively as possible.
Start at the most foundational yoga class level, even if you had a rigorous practice before baby. There have been a lot of changes in your body, and starting off on a good foundation is the best way to ensure your body heals and grows stronger in safe and healthy ways.
While we do cue belly-down postures in our postnatal classes, we always have options. If these are uncomfortable for you, let us know before class, and/or feel free to skip these poses and hang out in child's pose or your favorite seated poses.
You may find discomfort:
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1) If you had a Cesarean birth, the area around your scar could be tender.
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2) If you are breastfeeding/pumping, it may be bothersome for your chest to be pressed up against the floor.
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If you have some pelvic floor dysfunction or you still feel like you’re recovering in the pelvic area, you may find that Goddess and Malasana poses are uncomfortable and put a lot of pressure on your pelvic floor.
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Tip: Use a block for support in Malasana, or take a star pose instead of sinking down into Goddess.
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Tip: Pay extra attention to engaging your pelvic floor. We cue through this at the beginning of every postnatal class, but you can do "elevators" at home as well.
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The transitions from Plank to Chaturanga, and from Upward Facing Dog to Downward Facing Dog are incredibly core-challenging even when you haven’t had a baby! These transitions can become unsafe if you’re coming to practice with abdominal separation, or can even exacerbate the separation. You can move through Table pose in either of those transitions to minimize putting pressure on your abdominal wall.
The hormone relaxin that caused your joints to be relaxed and looser during pregnancy is still kicking around. So you can still expect any injuries prior to pregnancy, or any pregnancy aches and pains to continue for a while. You may have even exacerbated some during pregnancy!
Tips For Returning to The Mat
Tips for Returning to Yoga
After Having a Baby
Please ensure that your doctor or midwife has approved you to return to physical activity. This usually happens at your 6-week postpartum appointment, but can sometimes take longer.
If possible, please have your provider check you for diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy). This is actually VERY common, and it’s good to know what degree of separation you may be working with as you return to yoga.
If you did not ask your provider to check you, please try to self-evaluate using the YouTube video here. If you find that you think your separation is 3- or 4-finger widths, then it’s advisable for you to see your provider or a physical therapist before coming back into yoga.
If you have pelvic floor dysfunction or pelvic organ prolapse, please 1) follow guidelines from your provider or physical therapist about returning to activity, and 2) inform your yoga teacher. Please note: we are NOT medical professionals and you should NOT use yoga as your only regimen to “fix” any of these issues.