The first time I did power vinyasa yoga, I walked out completely drenched (it was in a heated room), red in the face, and thoroughly high on life. I didn’t have the right clothes, didn’t have the right mat, didn’t know any of the poses or jargon, didn’t know any of the people, but all I could think about was when I could go next. I was experiencing “yoga glow” at its finest.
Fast forward five years and I still have the same feeling even though I now have the right things, I *mostly* know the poses, and I have made a community of friends that will last a lifetime. I took to yoga immediately because of the way it made me feel and the physical workout. Over time, the spiritual and mental impact had me coming back. And over even more time, my friends and support network got me through the door even when I didn’t want to go. Those motivations were very strong for me, but one I never contemplated was the impact yoga would have during my pregnancies.
When I got pregnant with Ohana in 2011, I was practicing 4-5 times per week and assisting twice per week at the yoga studio. Assistants at our studio support the teacher and interact directly with the students practicing in the room. Assistants help students go deeper into a pose, offer suggestions on alignment, or offer restorative assists (like back rubs) when a student takes a break. Assisting is one of my favorite things to do; it’s rewarding and the feedback I get is always so special. But I found, about week 7 into my pregnancy, that was having trouble practicing and assisting. I was nauseous, dizzy, and feeling unable to be that close to sweaty people. After adjusting my schedule a bit during my first trimester, I was back to my normal routine.
In a recent post, I wrote about unexpected “negatives” I experienced during pregnancy. I was feeling body insecurity at the yoga studio as well. Yoga is synonymous with tight clothes and beautifully contorted bodies. These were things I was trying desperately to avoid! When I started really showing (i.e. you could tell I was pregnant) I felt better because at least there was an explanation to my recent weight gain. But then the most unexpected thing started happening…
People all around me started expressing things to me that I was completely unprepared for (and definitely wasn’t thinking about myself). They told me I was beautiful. They told me I was strong. They told me they didn’t know how I was keeping up such a powerful practice. They told me I was graceful. They told me I was glowing. They told me they admired me. They told me I was going to have an easy birth. They told me I was an inspiration. They told me they were in awe of me. They looked at me with wonder and appreciation and all of them had smiles on their faces. Some shared stories of their own experience doing yoga while pregnant but the majority did not. They just gave me a compliment and that was it. No weird questions, no horror stories about pregnancy or birth, no judgments about being so physically active while pregnant. Just honest and genuine praise.
When it first started happening, I thought it may be a fluke. But then it started happening…all the time! I was hooked on these interactions. This feeling of being adored became yet another reason for me to make it to class. I hope I don’t sound like an ego-maniac; I’m just being honest. I was really hard on myself during pregnancy and I found others hard on me too (although I know those people didn’t mean it, they were just clueless as to what to say to a pregnant woman). But not at yoga. I was experiencing a whole new type of yoga glow.
I have had the same experience this pregnancy, although making it into the studio this time around is so much more challenging. Working full-time with a toddler and intense first trimester sickness has definitely had an impact on my availability to practice. But it’s almost as if that really positive experience the first time has spilled over into this pregnancy. Looking back, I really needed those affirmations in my first pregnancy. It was so new; I didn’t know what to expect; I had trepidation about my labor; I was hard on myself for weight gain. It was like I needed honest reassurance that I was doing ok and everything was going to be ok the first time around. And while strangers in a yoga class realistically couldn’t provide this to me, it certainly felt like they could. And the more they said it, the more I believed it. I know this had a profound impact on the way I perceived myself during pregnancy as well as my labor with Ohana. When I find myself down in the dumps or having a bad day, I get my butt to yoga (even if everything screams to go home and bury myself in the couch). And I am always, always thankful after I do.
What have you found that makes you ‘glow’ during pregnancy?
pear / 1580 posts
I also get the best compliments at my gym! Moreso at my CrossFit gym because there are people there who see me all the time. At my non-CrossFit gym, I just get a lot of stares!
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
Pretty much any workout gets me a glow these days, especially high activity ones, like Body Combat. I recently went back to the gym after 2+ years inactive and was completely sure I was going to die in a Combat class, but I made it through and felt amazing afterwards.
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
Really sweet post!
guest
My yoga instructor is 6 mo. pregnant with her second! During her first pregnancy she stopped instructing at 7 mo. because she felt it wasn’t doing too much anymore. Once she stopped though, she said she realized it had been doing tons for how she felt! I’m so glad that this time around she’s staying right up until the baby is born. Pregnant women who do yoga really are so beautiful and inspiring!
kiwi / 584 posts
Do you have any recommendations for DVDs for super super beginner prenatal yoga? (as in I’ve never done yoga before) I’d like to be doing some but I can’t really get to a studio at this point.
grapefruit / 4923 posts
during my pregnancy i did at-home prenatal yoga dvds. not as motivating as being in a class with others, but i definitely felt like some kind of earth goddess with my big belly hanging out and holding warrior poses!
@Mrs. Pickles: shiva rea has a prenatal yoga dvd that i found to be fairly gentle. more on the slower, meditative side so if you are looking for a workout it may not fit the bill but i thought it was good for beginners. i heard a lot of people also like yoga mama from crunch. i also did jane austin, which goes at a nice manageable pace. i think she does get to some slightly more intermediate poses, but i think the pace of the class is appropriate for beginners. although the downside of both shiva and jane austin is that, if i recall correctly, they don’t break it up into chapters, although you can definitely skip certain parts for shorter sessions when you are more familiar with the dvds.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
Yes! I loved going to yoga or the gym while pregnant bc I got so many sweet comments. You looked amazing! Love all the pics of you in various poses on the beach!
nectarine / 2173 posts
Ivdu t think I could handle regular yoga right now but my weekly prenatal yoga class has been great! I like being there with the group if other pregnant ladies – less insecurity, good support!
nectarine / 2784 posts
You look so beautiful in those photos!
guest
Any opinions (or facts) on whether hot yoga is safe during pregnancy? I really miss the practice and am hoping to get back into it – but am unsure if the warnings on hot temperatures in baths holds for hot temperatures in the yoga studio.
Thank you for this inspiring post! I’ve had a lot of family members urging me to quit running now that I’m pregnant – waiting for those compliments you mentioned!
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
Wow, good for you mama! You look amazing!
blogger / cherry / 247 posts
@mrs pickles: there is a lot for at-home practice but for a first-timer i would look into seane corn (she has videos to buy or Gaiam TV has her videos plus a lot more). janet stone also has a sequence called Radiant Mom which is supposed to be great (you can buy a DVD or get on Gaiam TV as well). the other place i would check out is yogaglo.com. for $18/mo you have unlimited access to all videos and they have a ton of teachers and styles. i would start with hatha yoga (aka gentle yoga) or yin/restorative. on yogaglo.com, a friend of mine recommends elena brower or amy ippoliti.
@casey: the opinions of others on your workouts are certainly a whole other topic aren’t they?? how far along are you? i don’t have *facts* on whether hot yoga is safe during pregnancy, but what i have is my own formulated opinions (and those opinions from various healthcare practitioners). basically the gist is 2-fold: first is if your body is conditioned to a certain workout/certain conditions, you’re probably better off than starting something entirely new when pregnant. if you’ve been doing hot yoga prior to pregnancy, then your body is versed with how to efficiently cool itself down and deal with the workout. but the second part is more important, which is, even if you’ve been conditioned to a certain workout, if it starts to not feel good or you experience negative side effects (dizziness, shortness of breath, faint, pain, nauseous, whatever) then that’s a sign to stop or slow down. i have heard the same about any workout regime that can be ‘controversial’: running, crossfit, cycling. it makes sense to me so this is what i’ve stuck with. hope this helps…
pomegranate / 3314 posts
I totally feel this way about my barre class. With my first LO I didn’t exercise at all and just felt kind of miserable. I’m not sure whether it was related, but I definitely felt aches and pains pretty early and just generally had a rough go of things.
This pregnancy I took time off during first trimester and then came back when I was feeling better around the start of second. I’m now 26 weeks and feeling pretty good – and SO much better than the first time around. My classmates are so supportive, as are the instructors, and I really value that.