Prenatal Yoga Intensive

The Prenatal Yoga Intensive at Ajna Yoga provides expecting mothers with comprehensive tools for maintaining physical comfort, emotional wellbeing, and mental resilience throughout pregnancy and into the birth experience. This three-hour workshop distills essential prenatal yoga knowledge into a focused, practical session that participants can immediately apply to their daily lives.

The workshop is led by a certified prenatal yoga specialist who brings additional training as a birth doula, providing a uniquely informed perspective that bridges the worlds of yoga practice and the birth experience. This dual expertise ensures that every technique taught serves a practical purpose in the journey from pregnancy through labor and into early motherhood.

The session begins with a discussion of the physiological changes that occur during each trimester and how these changes affect yoga practice. This foundational understanding helps participants make intelligent decisions about their movement practice throughout pregnancy, even beyond the specific techniques covered in the workshop.

Asana instruction focuses on modifications that make yoga practice safe and beneficial at every stage of pregnancy. Participants learn to adapt standing poses, forward folds, hip openers, and restorative positions to accommodate their changing bodies. Special attention is given to poses that address the most common pregnancy discomforts — lower back pain, hip tightness, swollen feet, and shoulder tension from breast changes.

Pelvic floor education is a cornerstone of the workshop. Participants learn to identify and engage the pelvic floor muscles, understand the role these muscles play during birth and recovery, and practice both strengthening and releasing exercises. This awareness is invaluable for birth preparation and postpartum healing.

Breathing techniques adapted from pranayama are taught with specific application to labor preparation. Participants learn breath patterns that promote calm during contractions, techniques for managing pain through focused breathing, and ways to use breath as a tool for maintaining presence during the intensity of the birth experience.

Partner-assisted techniques are covered for those who have a birth partner, providing practical tools for physical and emotional support during labor. These include supported standing poses, hip opening assists, and counter-pressure techniques for back labor.

The workshop concludes with a guided meditation focused on connection with the growing baby and visualization of a positive birth experience. Participants leave with a complete at-home prenatal practice routine and a resource list of local prenatal yoga classes, doula services, and postnatal recovery programs.