Many come to a class because it fits perfectly in your schedule, a friend dragged you, you found childcare (or got into it at Blooma!), you ran out of the house as soon as your kids fell asleep, or maybe it’s in your google calendar every week so-it-just-happens.  Whatever the reason, good work mama. It may be cliche, but it’s true: “the hardest part is over, you got to your mat!”

I thought my love for yoga was as big as it could be before I  was pregnant. When I continued to practice through my pregnancy, I had a full-on love affair with coming to different classes.  I quickly signed up for another teacher training and went to as many classes as I could, I wanted to take full advantage of my excitement!  

During your pregnancy, know that you are welcome to all of our classes at Blooma. Beyond Prenatal Yoga, our Flow, Slow Flow, and Barre teachers are great (and super knowledgeable) at adapting class to create a safe, welcoming, and empowering environment for our pregnant goddesses.    

Here are some thoughts from Blooma Mama’s that love to dip their toes into Flow and Slow Flow classes to complement their Prenatal Yoga practice:

“One thing about Blooma that I really appreciate is the class options through pregnancy. If I’m feeling like I need to connect with my pregnancy, baby, and mama community, a prenatal class fills me up. If I feel like I need to move my body, challenge myself, and feel a sense of “normal” – the flow classes are the perfect fit. And then barre classes for those days that you just need to ramp it up. I took advantage of all three through my pregnancies. Each option fills different needs, but they all helped me prepare for birth.

I was relatively new to yoga when I first got pregnant. Blooma prenatal classes were my gateway in, and I soon found (and loved) the option for flow yoga. My yoga practice had a huge impact on my pregnancies and helped me feel equipped for labor. Yoga has made me physically stronger, helped me find my breath, taught me to work through physical challenges, and helped me stay in tune with my body (not to mention feels damn good).” Caitlin Hargarten (mama to Otis and Etta Louise)

“I have done flow yoga through all 3 of my pregnancies and it has helped me immensely, both mentally and physically. I love that it gives me focus and clears my mind, taking it off exhaustion, nausea, and stress.  It gives me enough strength building and cardio to keep me in shape for labor, because labor can be long and a major physical challenge.Having strength and flexibility in your hips and pelvic floor are so important for labor and recovery. My favorite thing about yoga during pregnancy is the connection I feel with my baby while I slow downand focus on my body and breath. Sometimes it is the only time in the day I feel like I do this! Savasana is also a heavenly break after a good workout.”  Merideth Koehn (mama to Quincy, Rory and baby in belly guess date September 2017)

“Blooma flow classes have been a big part of my yoga practice over the last three years: through my first pregnancy, during the postpartum period, and now through my second pregnancy. I love flow classes because they are endlessly adaptable based on how my body is feeling that day. Class can be as challenging or as restorative as I need it to be. My favorite thing about yoga during pregnancy is that it feels so good! My body feels achy and tired a lot these days, but when I’m in yoga class I feel amazing.”Lauren Matthews (mama to Harper and baby in belly guess date November 2017)

“I’m a soon to be mom of four, to find time to take a shower is often a luxury, so to be able to look at the Blooma schedule and choose from both flow and prenatal classes allows me to get in some much needed “me time” to honor my body and the baby I’m carrying. I’ve also found flow classes very complimentary to my pregnancy journey and changing body. Every teacher frequently offers alternative poses that accommodate the bump and are ready to give adjustments to alleviate those pesky aches and pains that often come with pregnancy.

I didn’t start taking classes on a regular basis until my second pregnancy and I truly believe my practice gave me so much strength leading up to and during my birth. I knew what it felt like to challenge myself both physically and mentally. I simply knew more about my body. I knew how to listen, when to “push” and when to let go; to encourage myself and to forgive. Blooma is a community of support, love and acceptance. All classes reflect that spirit.”   Kerry Anderson (mama to three boys and fourth babe on the way)

We encourage you to explore more of Blooma during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. All of our teachers are trained to adapt classes and teach poses that are safe for all mamas. Move with us and get on your mat for more flow yoga! See our full schedule here.

Written by Greta Fay, Yoga and Barre Teacher, Blooma Teacher Liaison, mama to Anderson