Today’s women are dynamic and multi-tasking. They can easily become overwhelmed by their day-to-day responsibilities and forget to prioritize their health.
Women’s yoga classes provide a welcoming environment for women to explore their feminine power. Yoga can also help women connect with the echoed cycles of nature and their body.
Pre-conception
As a practice, yoga is constantly under attack from self-appointed culture police in public op-eds and private Facebook groups. These ‘yoga warriors’ wring their hands over the alleged colonisation of yoga by Westerners, or the permissibility of high-end leggings, the “namaslay” phenomenon, and so forth.
A women’s journey to pregnancy can be an emotionally taxing time. Yoga helps to support a woman during this time by helping to balance hormone levels, nourish the nervous system and cultivate emotional resilience.
Women who are trying to conceive should only practise gentle forms of yoga and check with their doctor before attempting any strenuous poses. In addition to these benefits, a regular yoga practice is known to improve blood flow to the pelvic organs (uterus and ovaries), which can help with conception.
Pregnancy
Women who regularly practise yoga can continue to do so during pregnancy, but they should avoid new postures and make sure the squats are deep enough not to place strain on the pelvic floor. Women with high-risk pregnancies may not be able to do yoga at all.
A randomised controlled trial compared a yoga condition with standard antenatal exercises during the 20th to 36th week of gestation and found that participants in the yoga group had significantly better outcomes on various measures, including stress, quality of life and aspects of interpersonal relating. They also had lower agitation and depression scores.
It is unclear which specific aspects of the yoga condition led to these outcomes, however. This suggests the need for future studies to examine how the frequency, intensity, time/duration and type of exercise influences outcome measures.
Postnatal
During pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles undergo a lot of stress and strain. Postnatal yoga is designed to help them return to their normal tone and flexibility.
It can also help improve spinal strength. The spine has to be very strong in order to support the growing baby. Yoga helps strengthen it and improves flexibility – which will also make breastfeeding easier.
Postnatal yoga can also help reduce a new mother’s stress levels by helping to regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. One study found that mothers who took regular sessions of postnatal yoga experienced lower levels of perceived stress, negative affect and dysfunctional coping as compared to those who did not attend. However, it is important to consult with a doctor before beginning any exercise regimen after childbirth.
Motherhood
Motherhood is the ultimate roller coaster of emotions – love and fear, comfort and discomfort. It’s a 24hr job that demands incredible mental strength and patience.
Yoga during pregnancy has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, improve fetal heart rate, blood pressure and sleep quality, as well as increase uterine involution and breast milk production. Postpartum, studies on yoga have found that it increases breastfeeding self-efficacy and improves maternal psychological growth and quality of life.
Getting back to your own yoga practice is essential for maintaining physical and emotional health. It helps you reconnect to your divine essence that defines who you are beyond your role as a mother. It’s the source of your love, strength and patience which flows through to your children, partner and friends.
Menopause
Menopause is a time of hormonal flux. Yoga is a powerful tool to help women navigate this transitional phase with grace, dignity and self-acceptance.
Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings and fatigue can be alleviated by a regular practice that promotes stress relief and balancing of hormone levels. Yoga has also been shown to improve spinal mobility and strengthen oblique muscles that are key to balance and posture.
A recent systematic review found that yoga improved psychological symptoms in menopausal women but that there was significant heterogeneity between studies. More rigorous research is needed to confirm these findings.