Focus on prenatal yoga

FR - To find out more about this particular yoga, we spoke to Sarah McMullin from @OMM Studio in Uzès.

LET'S TALK

Hello Sarah,

I'm delighted to welcome you back to the blog,

Trained in Open Sky Yoga, Prajna yoga and MBSR meditation (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), among others, you advocate pre- and post-natal yoga.

How long have you been practising this discipline? What are the main differences with other yoga practices?

Hello and thank you for your invitation to present yoga for expectant mothers.

To answer your question, I've been practising yoga for nearly 20 years but have only been teaching it since 2012. When I started, I had 3 young children, a demanding job and a lot of pressure. I didn't feel good in my body. Practising yoga regularly has enabled me to enjoy my job again, but also my family life, by being calmer and feeling better about myself.

I've taken a number of courses with different teachers and I regularly go on workshops with them, because yoga is a way of life. The practice evolves over time according to your life, your needs and your abilities.

How does pre- and post-natal yoga benefit mother and child? Does the father ever take part in the exercises?

Practising yoga during pregnancy has many advantages. Firstly, the movements help the body to carry the growing weight of the foetus each day, but also to feel strong and fit for childbirth.

Physical exercise is adapted to pregnancy, making women both more flexible and stronger. The body becomes an ally, which also boosts self-confidence.

It's also a time to take a breather and be more psychologically available to the baby you're carrying, to feel like a mother.

Babies move around a lot at the end of yoga sessions, and I think they feel good when their mum is relaxed.

Parents can sometimes come as a couple. However, this is quite rare, probably because the classes take place during the day. I've also seen women come with their mother, their sister or a friend. It's good for everyone!

How goes a session work?

Group sessions last an hour. There's always a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises, as well as breathing and relaxation. The exercises vary each time.

I suppose you also call on your other specialities, as an MBSR meditation teacher, to teach people how to manage anxiety and stress, for example. How do these other practices fit in with yoga?

Of course they do. Yoga teaches us to stay focused and calm, even in situations that are physically or emotionally intense. Just like MBSR meditation, which helps you to manage stress in a hectic environment. It's very useful when you're about to become a mother.

To give you an example: we're driving and the baby starts to cry. You need to be able to concentrate on driving until you find a safe place to stop.

What are the differences, if any, between prenatal and postnatal yoga? The body obviously no longer has the same demands and the nervous tension is different... Does the baby join in the sessions?

Babies are welcome in postnatal yoga. Young mothers often focus all their attention on their baby. It does them so much good to take are of themselves. The sessions are also an opportunity to meet other young mums and to chat. There's a great atmosphere, which is good for both body and soul. These sessions take place à la carte when I have several requests.

Women who have done prenatal yoga recover more quickly after giving birth, because they're less tired from the pregnancy.

There's also less post-partum depression in women who have had appropriate physical activity during their pregnancy. It's often advisable to do 3 hours of sport a week.

What else would you like to add?

Our studio is well located, in a quiet area of Uzès, ideal for practising yoga. All the equipment is provided in the room. As there are no levels, beginners are welcomed with open arms.

Thank you for your interest!

Many thanks to Sarah McMullin, for her collaboration on this article and the photos shared.

For more information: OMM Studio is an alliance of 5 professionals at the service of your health: Anna Karin, Cécile, Gwen, Sandra and Sarah, each with their own speciality.

The right address: OMM Studio, 1 rue des lauriers, Uzès. Contact, tel: 06 13 09 55 90 or sagefemmesarah@gmail.com.