anyone going to yoga classes?

[Bayswaterbelle]

I'm 13+6 and in addition to pilates and walking, would like to start doing some yoga again. I used to do a lot but have tapered off in past five years. Nothing too strenuous, I'm just enjoying having more energy in second trimester and would like to use it! Have people found their usual yoga classes helpful or would you recommend finding a pregnancy yoga class? We live in West London which means everything is blooming expensive, but if consensus is pregnancy yoga better I don't mind paying a bit more. I just don't want to go to a normal yoga class and have to spend half of it lying on my mat.

I did pregnancy yoga for both pregnancies, it catered for specific needs you have when you're pregnant, especially as you get bigger. I found it really useful to stretch and relax- and there was no way I could have continued with regular yoga. I paid £10 per session for an hour and 15 minutes in N London.

I'm a massive convert! Had never done it before and wish I had pre-pregnancy tbh!
I'm in south London and also pay £10 for 1.25hr, or £40 for 5 classes. My teacher is amazing and at the moment it's only her and I, so it's like individual tuition!!!

I might add that I made really good friends with some of the other women in the group and meet up with them regularly nearly two years later. I found it to be a great support group and the teacher very helpful to talk to.

Good points, both! I'll get looking. Thank you.

I do pregnancy yoga, it's £11 for 1.5 hours. I love my group, and every week the teacher asks if anyone has any physical pregnancy related issues so she can include some stuff to help with it.

cosmic - or anyone else! - can you recommend the place in N London? Is it anywhere near N5? Im going to be looking out for a good class near there/N16/N1 in the next fortnight!

I bloody hate yoga normally as its too sedate for me but I loved it in pregnancy! I have a looong commute and so it was the only thing I managed to get to (it was round the corner from me) and it was brilliant! Really helped to chill me out & surely that is good for baby

I also adored my pregnancy yoga and the lying in the mat bit was extremely helpful during the first half of my labour. Also it was pretty good for the not sleeping second half of my
pregnancy too.

hi - I've been going on a thu night to one in Richmond and on a sun morning to one in Battersea, at yoga haven. both are excellent. any use to you??

Chandler it's N8, at the Haelan Centre with Anna or there's a good class at Yoga Junction, but they're maybe a bit far over for you?

I'm going to a lovely one in hammersmith, the first week we even planked so not exactly lying around ( although there is some of that too ) It's my third baby and first time doing yoga, feels like it's making a difference.

I have my first session tonight!!m am somexcited to get back into yoga, the classes i went to before were just too hard one pregnant

chandler there's a great class in the Life Centre in Angel (just off Essex Road). Teacher is called Sandi. I did her classes all through my pregnancy and they were great.

Deanne liew teaches at Triyoga in Chelsea and Soho but I gather also parts of NW London. Her classes are a bit more challenging but still totally appropriate for pregnancy and absolutely great. She's a doula too

Hiya I also attend pregnancy yoga and think you will get real use out of that compared to standard yoga classes. Ours covers postures you can use during labour as well as pelvic floor strengthening etc. So more useful than a usual yoga class.

I'm almost 36 weeks and have been doing yoga since before pregnancy- I go to a class and then in the middle of the night when I can't sleep I do some so relax me.

I LOVE IT!

Thanks cosmic!! That is probably a little bit out of the way for me unfortunately.

Loraline - the Angel place sounds ideal! I travel through there every day on my way to/from work. I'll check it out, thanks!

Can I ask how Pilates differs from Yoga and what the benefits are of doing one or the other? I'm thinking of signing up for a class in the next couple of months and not sure which one to go for.

Oh good Changler I've done yoga at the Life Centre for years so switched to the pregnancy class and loved it. It is a little hippie-dippie but it was a great class after the working day - lots of gentle stretching out. I also learned some great techniques for being in labour that I used on the day.

Sandi Sharkey is her name. She does a Wednesday evening class. I used to go to it and then come home and watch One Born Every Minute as it used to be on C4 that night.

Do people recommend pregnancy yoga class over regular yoga?

I was doing hot yoga & dropped back to an easier class when I got pregnant. I'm not enjoying it so much as I like to flow & I feel like for every position i can do there's 3 more I'm being told to modify or cut out when I can see no reason why? I wondered if a pregnancy yoga class might be better?

Thanks for the info loraline - and sounds like you were super prepared!!

IfYou - I'm not sure if you meant you're still doing it, but hot yoga isn't recommended when you're pregnant as far as I know as it raises your core temperature to a level that can be dangerous for the baby's brain development. I used to do Bikram but stopped when I started TTC.

Thanks but I stopped hot yoga when I found out I was pregnant as I know the risks. I'm not enjoying the other (not hot & much less challenging) class though - just wondered if people found a pregnancy specific class more beneficial?

loads of information here, thanks everyone. As I start to feel less tired I feel more and more restless, so I think channeling some of this energy into yoga can only help. I'll keep looking at specifically pregnancy yoga, it sounds more helpful especially in later months.

Loraline have just been looking and realised the Life Centre has one in Notting Hill AND a special package for mums to be, am going to check it out in my lunch break. Thanks!