We speak to Grace Hobbs from Nurture The Mother Yoga about the benefits of yoga for pre and post natal mums
When and why did you set up Nurture The Mother yoga?
Becoming a mother is a seismic shift! This transition is called ‘matrescence’ and just like adolescence, it is a time of changing identity, rollercoaster emotions, new values and priorities, and relationship changes.
Mothers experience physical, emotional and psychological changes to varying degrees and the exact length of matrescence is individual, recurs with each child and may arguably last a lifetime.
I learned about matrescence when my first child was about two years old and something sort of clicked for me. It shone a light on what I had experienced so far in motherhood, which was a messy mix of emotions: great highs, huge love, uncomfortable feelings, contradictions and overwhelm at times.
In a nutshell I learned about matrescence and motherhood made a bit more sense!
Yoga has been very important to me since 2020 when I started to deepen my own practice, training as a Hatha yoga teacher in 2022. A few months after the birth of my second child in 2023, I had the thought that I would like to specialise in pre and postnatal yoga so that I could support mums. I knew firsthand how beneficial yoga had been for me during pregnancy, in preparation for birth, postnatally and beyond.
I did my pre and postnatal training earlier this year and that is when Nurture the Mother Yoga began. It comes from the idea that in the same way that a baby is born, so is a mother. Each unsteady in their own ways. Both need to be nurtured and loved.
I opened the doors to my first pregnancy yoga class in September at the United Reformed Church in Larkhall, Bath, and I haven’t looked back!
Ultimately, I want to encourage mothers to take care of themselves right from the beginning because being a mum is a role that comes with no breaks unless you create them.
Why is yoga so beneficial for mums to be and new mums?
Yoga has so many benefits for the general population including helping with stress relief, improve flexibility and balance, increasing your strength and improving cardiovascular function.
More specifically, pregnancy/prenatal yoga has many benefits for mums-to-be such as it can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, increase pelvic floor awareness, reduce aches and pains and reduce duration of labour.
Postnatal yoga is beneficial for new mums as it can increase energy, reduce anxiety and anger, reduce muscle tension, help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and improve abdominal strength.
Both pregnancy and postnatal yoga can help develop connection between mother and baby, and on a social level it is a connecting experience and an opportunity to build friendships.
I also started a class specifically for mums called Not ‘Just’ a Mum Yoga. I have noticed that when mums finish their pregnancy or postnatal yoga, they don’t always continue their yoga practice, and yet yoga is hugely beneficial for mums, whether you are a new mum or not-so-new mum.
How does pre and post natal yoga differ from other forms of yoga?
One of the main differences is that the yoga poses in pre and postnatal yoga are suitable and safe for the pregnant or postnatal body. Pre and postnatal yoga acknowledges the changes that are taking place in the body so the poses support those changes.
The practice is gentle (don’t expect handstands!) and encourages women to listen to their bodies and become more in tune with how they feel physically, mentally and emotionally. You use lots of props such as yoga bricks, blocks, bolsters and blankets to support the body in deepening poses without force or overexertion.
Connecting with the breath is very important and you will find different types of pranayama (breathwork) in both types of class.
Do you have to be an experienced yoga practitioner to take part?
Pregnancy yoga welcomes all pregnant bodies, and postnatal yoga welcomes all postnatal bodies, whether you are brand new to yoga or have been practicing for many years.
What feedback do you have from the women taking part?
The feedback from women has been super positive so far. One woman in my pregnancy yoga class said, “I had the most amazing experience with Grace. The way she holds space for Mummas-to-be is magical.”
Many of the mums who have attended Not ‘Just’ a Mum Yoga have said to me that they were not expecting to have such an emotional release at the end of the session. It is a wonderful thing to hear because it shows that they connected with themselves on a deep level, perhaps seeing and acknowledging themselves in ways that they have not had a chance to do for a while.
Where and when do the sessions take place?
Pregnancy Yoga evening class every Thursday 6:15-7:45pm at the United Reformed Church, Avondale Buildings, Larkhall BA1 6NO.
Not ‘Just’ a Mum Yoga class is once a month on a Thursday 8-9:15pm at the United Reformed Church, Avondale Buildings, Larkhall BA1 6NO. The next one is 9 January, then 6 February.
Parent and Baby Yoga (postnatal yoga) is Tuesdays at Yoga Bodhi 1:30-2:45pm as a six week course from 7 January – 11 February.
Pregnancy Yoga day time class is Tuesdays at Yoga Bodhi 11-12:15pm as a six week course from 7 January – 11 February.
You can contact Grace at email hidden; JavaScript is required and make bookings at https://bookwhen.com/nurturethemotheryoga
You can also follow Nurture The Mother Yoga on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nurture_the_mother_yoga/
