Personalized prenatal and postpartum yoga classes are offered
in Santa Fe & Los Alamos.
Prenatal yoga is an excellent way to stay in shape during pregnancy. Jo Ann will guide you through countless poses to improve strength and flexibility for this very special period in your life. Most importantly you will learn breathing techniques that will help your muscles stay relaxed and help you reduce tension throughout your body.
Practicing prenatal yoga will improve your circulation and help you breathe more effectively throughout labor and childbirth. All the exercises you will learn aim to diminish fear or pain during labor and delivery.
Yoga is known to relax the mind and body, but it also stimulates crucial nerves that help release a steady flow of oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone”, thus impacting positively on the speed of labor.
Participating in Jo Ann’s prenatal yoga classes will help you stay strong during pregnancy and teach you how to relax your muscles when you need them most.
Prenatal yoga classes are for women in all stages of their pregnancy. They are smaller and will offer personalized attention to your needs.
Throughout the years scoliosis forced me to try a number of diverse techniques (Feldenkrais, Pilates, Chiropractic, Craniosacral). Now, an upcoming pregnancy drew me to Jo Ann, who offered the best solutions. She was very attentive to my special needs, always listening, and designing postures to address my condition. Working together, we succeeded to maintain my body alignment, and even strengthen the weak muscles.
Aurelia
After a year of yoga, I gained a different understanding of my body, one that, despite all the work I had done priorly, I still wasn’t aware of. All the additional prenatal sessions were very helpful to alleviate the excess weight I was carrying due to my pregnancy and helped me retain my mobility.
Stefan with mom. 
Stefan swaddled in yoga blankets.
During the postpartum period or the “fourth trimester“, referring to the first three months after giving birth, yoga continues to be an important way to focus on the wellbeing of your body.
Following birth a different life begins, the nights are long and the days are just as exhausting. The world as you know it revolves around caring for a tiny human.
Jo Ann’s postpartum yoga routines will focus on loosening tight muscles, releasing tension, calibrating and rebuilding pelvic floor and abdominal muscles that have been tried and tested over nine months of supporting a heavy baby.
These classes have an open and casual atmosphere, with a mommy-&-me focus, often beginning with mediation and breathing expanding to restorative poses. Moms may take breaks to feed or change their babies during the various sequences — it’s really no big deal! You will not have to worry about your baby’s behavior upsetting the zen atmosphere.
My daughter started practicing yoga in the womb. Later she placed her bolster alongside her stuffed animals and today continues to practice yoga as an adult.
DIANA GONZALES-PACHECO
Thanks, for helping me along this journey, as I often carry my worries on my shoulders!
I have been practicing Iyengar Yoga for over 15 years now, and during my pregnancy yoga helped me maintain my flexibility. Now, my daughter is a teenager and loves to dance ballet and practices yoga with me. I am convinced she learned to appreciate it all already in my womb.
IRENE BERENSTEIN
