Pacific Cultural Center’s Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Santa Cruz, California is quite a unique yoga institute for mothers. This is because they allow infants to attend yoga classes with their mothers. They believe that babies are extremely flexible and love stretching. However, these ‘Mama & Baby’ yoga classes are actually focus on the mothers. There will be volunteers stationed to assist the infants after they had their fair share of yoga practice, so that their mothers will be able to proceed with their asanas or poses.
Jenner Howland, who has an eight months old daughter and started attending classes only recently commented, “I just love it; it’s something I can do with her. And the first half of class we get our own yoga. I leave feeling more energetic and it’s time for myself and time to focus on my baby and what’s really important. I feel more grounded, more present to my child, when I leave.”
Olivia Hearley, whose son is six months old, mentioned “We actually get to do yoga and get a good workout. I like feeling strong; it’s empowering. And just being present and conscious of your breath; we can all be reminded of that more. It’s just a really sweet thing to do with your baby.”
One of the volunteers, Mary-Margaret Bierbaum who is a criminal defense attorney by trade, has been with the class for about four years. She stated, “This is such a nice change from my stressful life. Sometimes I come straight from court. But I just look in their eyes and I see something of God, or the universal source.”
As for one of the teachers of the class, Treea Clements is more than grateful to have the opportunity to help new mothers. “For a lot of women, postpartum is not an easy transition. I’m so glad to hold a space for them, to have the support this massive life change. And the spiritual aspect is important. It’s like ‘Oh, yeah, no matter what, I can remember that I embody this peaceful presence and my breath can bring me back to that.'”
Unfortunately, such classes aren’t offered in Singapore at the present moment. However, there are still many other available classes including postnatal yoga classes. The whole point of yoga is to get yourself back in shape and continue to lead a healthy lifestyle. This can be achieved through other forms of yoga as well. However, before heading to class to start your practice, always consult your doctor first to see if you are suitable for it.
OMG Yoga offers various types of yoga classes. Furthermore, we have privates classes available just to cater towards your personal needs. Private classes may be slightly more expensive, but it allows the instructor to based lessons on your pace. Ultimately, you won’t have to worry about having to keep up or slow down in group classes. For more information, please feel free to visit our website to check out the classes.