The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

24th March 2022

Sponsored Content

Pregnancy and giving birth, though empowering rites of passage for any mother and baby, are also a sea of hormone-fuelled physical and emotional fluctuations

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

24th March 2022

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

24th March 2022

The good news is that this hormonal cocktail - that will eventually power the contractions on the birthing day - can also be harnessed in the prenatal period to optimise relaxation and preparation, and to minimise pain and discomfort. All it takes is a little focused guidance.

Here to guide is the well-being platform Kaylo, dedicated to inspiring individuals to live consciously, empowering them to reach their full potential, at all stages of their life journey. A diverse variety of specialists practise through Kaylo, including senior-accredited yoga instructor Alex Hanly who is experienced at guiding mothers-to-be along a pre and postnatal path that is the best it can be. She is now starting up a weekly session on Kaylolife.com, Pregnancy Yoga, to encourage relaxation and confidence through pregnancy, labour and early motherhood. The classes are suitable for anyone over 14 weeks pregnant, and no previous experience of yoga is necessary.

Alex says, “As your embodiment and mindfulness practice grows, you’ll find yourself more relaxed and at ease with the daily challenges that accompany pregnancy, be it your first or fourth baby. I encourage mothers to work at their own level and with awareness of the needs of both their body and their baby.”

“For me, birth requires a mother to fall fully into the arms of trust - above all trust in nature. And that is a big ask.”

Mother-of-two Alex weaves into her classes active birthing strategies which can be relied on when in labour. “What’s so incredible is that your body instinctively knows how to give birth, and your baby knows how to be born. For me, birth requires a mother to fall fully into the arms of trust - above all trust in nature. And that is a big ask.”

Classes explore body positions, breath and touch in ways that enable labouring mothers to respond positively to the body’s natural urges. You will learn some really effective breathing and relaxation techniques, and how to strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles (good for post-partum rehabilitation) as well as more about the physiological process of labour and birth. You will come away with improved mental clarity and a new-found steadiness, feeling good in your body.

As well as the benefits to body and mind of adopting an approach of self-care during the antenatal period, there are other reasons to get involved. Pregnancy yoga classes are a great place to meet other mums-to-be: many lasting friendships and communities are formed at this time of open-heartedness. Also, interestingly, the classes will help to deepen the bond between you and your baby.

Alex has a breadth of knowledge from years of experience working in the self-development and wellness field. She is also a Movement Medicine teacher, with an enlightened and compassionate approach, always propelled by the desire to help individuals get to know themselves more intimately. Dismantling any constricting beliefs that might be preventing them from experiencing the whole of their being and life.

In this she is ideally suited to be an educator for another of Kaylo’s online activities. ‘Awaken the Feminine’ is a six-week course, a progression of circles, talks, voicework, meditation and dance to teach women how to activate their innate feminine power. Sessions last 90 minutes, and each week a different practitioner will bring a new modality to the journey - naturopathic medicine, feminine spirituality, voice alchemy, intimacy guidance. Kaylo’s mission with this programme is to bring more empowerment and love into participants’ lives; to help individuals find their voice, harness hormonal and menstrual health, awaken sexual energy and increase body awareness through somatics and embodiment work.

Alex Hanly will guide a sharing circle on Embodying Your Flow: learning to track your unique menstrual cycle to help orientate you better. Listening and responding to your cycle enables you to be more decisive and honest with yourself and those around you, to schedule your life in a way that is more creative, productive and in keeping with your needs. During this circle you will move, contemplate, learn and share, taking away tools and greater insight into understanding your cycle and yourself.

Pregnancy Yoga with Alex Hanly starts on Tuesday 5 April at 6.00pm BST. To book, click here.

Kaylo’s Awaken the Feminine Journey, starting on Sunday 24 April available to book now. The six-week journey - seven 90-minute sessions. Each session will be recorded and available for seven days if you are unable to join.

For details please visit kaylolife.com

loading