Beyond the lot of physiological changes that motherhood brings, it often happens that the woman experiences a new range of emotions; mood swings, intense joy and sadness, irritability, anxiety…
So it makes sense that many future and new moms are turning to yoga to find balance in their new reality. Pre and postnatal yoga is therapeutic for these women. Jennie Demontigny, experienced pre and postnatal yoga teacher, passionate about yoga therapy, has just completed a long training on the subject. She answers our questions.
What is yoga therapy?
For me, yoga therapy is a holistic approach that combines current medical knowledge with the tools of yoga, meditation, mindfulness and breathing.
It is an integrative approach that involves the person in their whole being with their beliefs and their limits in their journey of healing or well-being. Like conventional yoga, yoga therapy addresses posture, breathing, meditation, mental discourse, the balance between action and rest, with the difference that yoga therapy ispractice individually, so the therapist can target needs and corrections in a more personal way.
Do we practice it in groups or privately?
Certain notions of yoga therapy can be taught in groups such as postural correction, certain blood and lymphatic circulation exercises, release of the shoulder girdle or the pelvis, but to fully understand the needs and objectives of the person, yoga therapy is practiced in private. We want to increase the stability and mobility of each joint, we want to find a range of motion throughout the body, we want to change the habits that cause tension, injuries or pathologies, which is much more difficult to adjust in a group. Yoga therapy turns to a return to the traditional teaching of yoga which was then practiced from the master to the student.
How can yoga help the future mother to better live her pregnancy?
Many changes are taking place in the body, in the mind and in the heart of the future mother. These changes bring discomfort, questions, often insecurity, but also in a positive way, the discovery of a beautiful feminine strength, the development of a very strong bond and great emotional upheavals. In yoga as in yoga therapy, women can be helped to feel better about themselves, to manage stress and anxiety, to find more breathing space, to balance the hormones, preparing for childbirth, andlet go. But the individual support of the yoga therapy approach makes it possible to directly address the limitations and objectives of the pregnant woman.
How can yoga help the new mom in her postpartum recovery?
Every postpartum experience is different from woman to woman and child to child. Whether we are talking about strengthening the pelvic floor, toning the abdominal strap, managing stress, finding balance for mothers, women, spouses or promoting rest, yoga can meet all these needs. In yoga therapy, we want to target the individual needs of the person as a whole with their fears but also with their moments of happiness. The birth of a child creates many upheavals at the level of the first chakra, the root chakra, of the family. Building a family, reviewing the values one wishes to transmit, making choices for the good of one's children but also for one's personal good has great significance. The feet are our connection with the ground, our connection with our roots, our anchorage in all situations, do not neglect your feet because they are also the ones that allow you to move forward. And observe the feet of your little ones, they are fascinating!
