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.

IMG_65356 months pregnant in ‘dancing warrior’ pose in Mexico

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…

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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.

IMG_6515‘Dancer’ pose

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.

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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.

IMG_1477Me and my dear friends getting ready to practice together at a yoga festival

What have you found that makes you ‘glow’ during pregnancy?