Woman yoga is a practice that caters to women throughout key life stages such as pre-conception, pregnancy, birth, motherhood and menopause. These classes help to balance the feminine and masculine forces within, giving women a deeper awareness of their inner strengths and power.
Yoga has many benefits for women ranging from enhanced flexibility to improved muscle tone and balanced hormones.
Pre-conception
Trying to get pregnant is exciting, but also stressful. Many women can find relief through the practice of yoga, which is known to reduce stress levels and help balance hormones that impact fertility.
Yoga can also be helpful for those who already are pregnant. A woman should consult with her gynaecologist before attending any yoga classes, but once cleared to practice, she can begin taking prenatal classes.
These classes will incorporate more calming poses and use bolsters, blankets and pillows to ensure comfort. The class will also focus on deep breathing and meditation. One specific breathing technique called alternate nostril breathing (Anulom Vilom or Nadi Shodhana) is extremely beneficial to the baby as it carries a larger amount of healthy oxygen than regular breath.
Pregnancy
Women who practise yoga can have a healthy pregnancy, but it’s important to check with your doctor before you start. Prenatal yoga can help reduce the risk of complications, including low back pain, shortness of breath and nausea. It can also build strength and flexibility, which can help during labor.
This mixed-methods study recruited 30 participants from the Royal Women’s Hospital (RWH) in Melbourne, Australia, to attend twice weekly one-hour yoga sessions throughout their pregnancy. Data collection methods included a medical file audit, attendance records, pre and post-session surveys and brief interviews. A synthesis of findings identified three key synthesised themes:
Birth
Women who practice yoga at this time can experience a more relaxed delivery and postnatal recovery. Moreover, it can help strengthen the muscles that are used in childbirth. Yoga also helps improve sleep and energy levels.
One study found that yoga was acceptable to young pregnant women and reduced self-reported distress. Furthermore, participants reported feeling connected to other women in their yoga group and their baby in utero.
In the past, yogic texts emphasized a woman’s role as wife and mother, while promoting values of chastity, loyalty and devotion to her husband and family. In the modern age, many famous female yoginis have pushed back against these cultural norms and made yoga more accessible for women. Geeta Iyengar, who introduced yoga to the West, is an example of this.
Motherhood
Motherhood is kisses and cuddles, late night snuggles, and wishing the day would never end. It’s a roller coaster of emotions and life and it can be a 24hr job that puts your own needs last.
Throughout the years, yoga has proven to be beneficial for women in their many roles. A regular practice can help balance hormones, nourish the nervous system and reduce stress levels, enabling them to feel more grounded and stable in the face of life’s ups and downs.
A woman’s ability to find balance in her life is a key aspect of empowerment and yoga can be an effective tool for unleashing your inner superpowers. This can then extend beyond your mat and into your daily life, embodying a key tenet of yoga philosophy – ishvara pranidhana.
Menopause
The practice of yoga can be beneficial for women during perimenopause, which is the time leading up to menopause. It can help to manage symptoms such as hot flashes, which are sudden increases in body temperature. It can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis by strengthening muscles and improving bone density.
It can also help to improve mood and sleep. It can also increase the flow of energy in the pelvic area, which can help to prevent conditions such as fibroids and endometriosis. It can also promote the feeling of empowerment by encouraging the development of inner qualities, such as wisdom and intuition. These are often described as sacred feminine qualities, and it can be helpful for women to develop a regular practice of yoga in order to feel connected to them.