Postnatal yoga

After the birth of my daughter I was totally consumed with being the perfect mum. It didn’t matter that my body had gone through one of the biggest changes of its life and I’d also had a C-section. I still wanted to bake like Nigella Lawson, have my home looking like Martha Stewart was my personal decorator, and have the dirty nappies washed and ironed like they’d been taken to the dry cleaners. I would be a domestic goddess so my baby would feel proud of me. Now, I think she did for a few weeks, until Thelma and Louise (the names I gave my breasts) decided to go on strike. Me, a goddess!? I don’t think so.

As it turned out, my house resembled a Chinese laundry and, as for the cloth nappies, that idea went out the window and I bought disposables. Regarding breastfeeding, I decided Thelma and Louise could retire and I would use formula instead. Then, as if a lighting bolt mixed with a touch of common sense had gone through me, I remembered to breathe. It was like everything stood still for a minute and I recalled all that my yoga practice had taught me: live in the present, stop worrying about tomorrow and enjoy the beauty of now, as this moment will never happen again.

It was my postnatal yoga practice that helped me relax into motherhood. It gave me the tools to respond to life’s challenges with grace and ease, neither of which, on the surface, appear to be part of the newborn experience. It teaches you to be gentle with yourself and your expectations. To have patience and appreciation for your body and what it has done. This is an incredible time that can be seen as an opportunity for growth: mentally, physically and spiritually.

But I had one other pressing issue on my mind: I still looked pregnant. Someone even asked what day the baby was due. “I had it three weeks ago,” was my rather pitiful-sounding answer. I wondered if I would ever feel good again about my body. So I asked myself what Madonna or Cindy Crawford would do if confronted with this situation. My mind went into fantasy land, but the reverie was cut short by the sound of my baby’s cries echoing through the house.

Most doctors and yoga teachers suggest you start postnatal yoga practice four weeks after a normal delivery and six weeks after a caesarean section. But every birth is different, so we must tune in to our own body and listen.

New mum Peta Armstrong found her first postnatal yoga class a lesson in patience. She was ready, but Sunny, her beautiful baby boy, had other ideas. So, rather than give up, Peta did small bursts of yoga at home until she and Sunny were both ready to come to class again. This time it turned out perfectly for both of them.

With Peta’s dedication to postnatal yoga and regular walks she has almost lost the 30 kilos she put on during her pregnancy. She has also found it has given her strength and flexibility to address the demands of nursing, cradling and carrying a growing baby. Mums aren’t the only ones who can benefit from yoga. A few basic moves can make your little one feel more comfortable and calm.

Peta’s bond with Sunny is strong. He smiles lovingly into his mother’s eyes and takes on similar poses with his body. “The time spent with Sunny doing postnatal yoga is something that will always be with me,” Peta explains. She feels that doing yoga is a lifelong thing; a skill she’ll have her whole life that doesn’t diminish or lose value; it’s priceless.

Pre- and postnatal yoga teacher and mother of three Ros Dennet says, “Women can change dramatically when they become mothers and we don’t just wear our changes on the outside of our bodies but on the inside, too. Honour yourself as a mother and take pride in your new body,” she says. “The wonderful thing motherhood can teach us is to see the whole picture not just one piece. It’s also important in the first few weeks after birth that the body be given time to concentrate on repairing itself and restoring the uterus inside.

“In a postnatal yoga class you will get the physical work necessary to regain strength and the mental release so desperately needed while being a new mum. Remember, you need mothering, too. Don’t get annoyed with yourself if you can only do 10 minutes of yoga instead of an hour. The thing is to do a little at a time, then you will reap the benefits.”

Ros also recommends you go to yoga classes that specifically address the post-baby body. A lot of these issues are not covered in general yoga classes.

Simple poses to get you started

Mountain pose (with upward arms) is a foundation pose that helps to restore strength, balance and stability to your body. It engages the pelvic floor and is a good pose for posture and alignment. Stand with feet pointing forward and make legs straight. Make sure your weight is balanced evenly between your feet. Take arms up beside head and reach out through your arms and fingertips, palms facing inwards. Release shoulders away from ears. Hold for 30 seconds.

Tree pose gives an upward stretch and a sense of balance and aids with steadiness of mind. It adjusts the vertebrae, promotes good posture and also works the legs. Press foot of bent leg against inner thigh. Turn thigh of bent leg out while working to stabilise hips. Eyes, chest and navel face forward. Hold for 30 seconds each side.

Extended triangle pose stretches the spine and the spinal nerves and helps to adjust the lower sacrum and back. It also stretches the muscles and nerves in the legs and arms. Stand with feet apart (about one metre). Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right and turn left foot slightly in. Raise arms straight out to the sides at shoulder level. Keep weight evenly distributed and pelvis facing forward. Touch down on front shin or use support block. Make sure hips and chest are back in line with legs. Hold for 30 seconds each side.

Extended side angle pose is a lateral (sideways) stretch that gives strength, balance and extension. It is energising and grounding. Press back heel down when coming into the pose. Lightly place front hand on floor (or elbow on thigh). Stretch sides of torso. Hold for 30 seconds each side.

Forward bends are restful, pacify and provide inner quiet. They strengthen the abdominals and back and stretch the legs and back. In forward bends, lengthen the spine on the inhalation, and release forward from the pelvis on the exhalation. Hold for 30 seconds

Reclined knees to chest release the back and strengthen the abdominals. Lie on your back, making sure the back of the hips stay on the floor. Let your knees release toward the body. Hold for about 25 seconds.

Corpse pose helps bring deep relaxation to your entire body while quietening the mind and releasing tension in the body. It would be lovely to stay in this position for at least five minutes.

Being a new mum is exhilarating, you give everything so completely and unconditionally that it’s important to remember to take care of you, so you can keep on giving. Yoga teaches us the happier you are, the less judgmental inside and out.

Whether you’re new to yoga or an experienced student, postnatal yoga will help you get back in shape as you bond with your baby. At times the days may seem long, but the years go fast. Being a mum is one of the most honourable and profound life experiences you can have. Enjoy your time with your baby and continue to grow in love together.

Why your body loves postnatal yoga

1. Helps new mums stay fit, feel confident and have more stamina and gives you the physical workout you need to regain strength and the mental release from the demands of being a new mum.
2. Lets your body recuperate and readjust after giving birth and focuses on strengthening the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, helping the organs move back into place.
3. Safely and effectively rebuilds your body after pregnancy, strengthening the lower back; tones the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles and brings the uterus back to pre-pregnancy size.
4. Respects the special demands put on the body of a new mother and along with the physical challenges of motherhood comes the joy of just touching and bonding with your new baby. It teaches you to take advantage of this special time in the lives of you and your child.
5. Provides a holistic approach to the prevention and management of postnatal depression and gives you the tools to have patience with yourself. You will see your body naturally become stronger and more toned.
6. Improves circulation and helps maintain good posture. Reduces fatigue and increases relaxation. Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, back and arms, and stretches and releases shoulders, neck, chest, hips and back.
7. Makes you aware of your posture so that by strengthening and stretching, you’ll generally recover faster from the stress of pregnancy, delivery and being a parent.
8. Relieves aches and pains. Many new mums find they experience neck and back pain from feeding the baby, whether by breast or bottle, often spending hours hunched over, leading to headaches and back pain.
9. Yogic breathing aids in calming the inner chatter of your mind and shows how you can still do something for yourself while being a mum.
10. Will make you feel confident and fit. It makes you feel lightness in every way — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Rebecca Atlas is a specialised children’s and adolescent yoga teacher and trainer, fashion stylist, life coach, freelance wellbeing and lifestyle writer and mum. She can be contacted at Rebeccaatlas@bigpond.com or at Aussieyoga.blogspot.com