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Portland Prenatal Yoga: Transform Your Pregnancy Journey With Yoga

Motherhood

On this blog, you will learn about Portland prenatal yoga studios and some of the benefits of prenatal yoga. As a mom of two and a Portland maternity photographer, I know how important it is to care for your body and mind during pregnancy.

And one of the best ways to do that is through prenatal yoga. Not only does it help you stay active and flexible, but it also helps reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, and prepare you for childbirth.

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Benefits of Prenatal Yoga In Portland

Reduces stress and anxiety: It can help calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety.
Improves sleep: Pregnancy can sometimes cause sleep disturbances. The relaxation techniques and gentle movements in prenatal yoga can promote better sleep and help your body feel more rested.
Increases strength and flexibility: It can help maintain strength and flexibility during pregnancy, which can be beneficial during childbirth and postpartum recovery.
Eases pregnancy discomforts: Prenatal yoga can help alleviate everyday aches such as back pain, sciatica, and swelling by strengthening the muscles and improving circulation.
Prepares for childbirth: Prenatal yoga can help prepare for birth by teaching breathing techniques and positions that can be helpful during labor.
Improves fetal positioning: Certain prenatal yoga poses can encourage the baby to move into an optimal position for childbirth.
Promotes bonding with the baby: Prenatal yoga can help soon-to-be parents connect with their babies and bond with them before birth.

Overall, prenatal yoga is a safe and effective way to stay active during pregnancy, reduce stress, and prepare for childbirth. However, it’s essential to talk to your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program during pregnancy and to find a qualified prenatal yoga instructor who can safely guide you through the practice.

So, without further ado, here are a handful of excellent locations for prenatal yoga studios in Portland:

Portland Prenatal Yoga Studios

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Ready Set Grow Yoga

Ready Set GROW yoga studio offers a range of classes, including prenatal yoga, prenatal barre, and prenatal Pilates. They also have classes for new parents and babies. As well as workshops on childbirth education and infant massage.

One thing that sets Ready Set GROW Yoga apart is its focus on building community among its students. They often host social events like mom’s night out and baby showers.

Ready Set GROW provides a range of classes and workshops tailored specifically for pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting. This includes yoga, dance, Pilates-based core classes, and educational seminars.

They are committed to providing a welcoming environment for all families. Regardless of their background. Moreover, they strive to offer a space free of judgment where individuals can receive support and celebrate their successes.

Yoga Refuge

Yoga Refuge is a welcoming and inclusive yoga studio. They offer a variety of classes for all levels, including prenatal yoga. Their prenatal yoga classes are designed to help you stay active and healthy throughout your pregnancy.

Yoga Refuge prenatal yoga aims to provide physical and mental solace and ease during their pregnancy. The class includes gentle yoga poses and breathing exercises to enhance strength, flexibility, and relaxation.

The session offers a nurturing setting that allows participants to bond with their unborn baby and get ready for childbirth. Whether you are a novice or an experienced yogi, the class caters to all levels and phases of pregnancy.

Expecting parents kissing in the field. Portland Prenatal Yoga black and white image of parents holding pregnant belly on beach. expecting parents hugging in evening sunlight in a field near portland oregon

Modo Yoga

Modo Yoga offers a variety of classes for all levels, including prenatal yoga. Their prenatal yoga classes are designed to help you stay active and healthy throughout your pregnancy.

One thing that makes Modo Yoga unique is its commitment to sustainability. They use eco-friendly materials and have implemented several green initiatives in their studio.

Jen Reed, director/co-owner at Modo Yoga, prenatal yoga instructor, and birth doula, was kind enough to answer a few questions.

1. How does your prenatal yoga program specifically address the needs and concerns of expectant mothers, and what sets it apart from regular yoga classes?

The prenatal program at Modo Yoga Portland is unique in that the instructor, Jen Reed, a yoga instructor with 12 years of experience, is also a birth doula who is trained in the Body Ready Method and Spinning Babies.

We all have compensation patterns and a way of carrying ourselves based on our habitual movements: Sitting at a computer all day for work, injuries we’ve sustained, sports we’ve played, etc. We also often think that babies are passive passengers being “birthed” when they are making incredible movements through the pelvis and the soft tissues around the pelvis to be born.

This program aims to help pregnant people optimize their alignment and movement patterns so that the muscles and tissues can operate in a more functional way, thereby “stacking the cards” for an easier birth and postpartum period.

This 8-week course interweaves childbirth education, breathwork, mindfulness, and more, and even includes a partner/support-person labor positioning class for a truly holistic birth prep experience.

2. Can you share some success stories from women who have taken your prenatal yoga classes and how it has positively impacted their pregnancy journey and childbirth experience?

“I am so happy I took part in the eight-week prenatal yoga course with Jen. It was so much more than a yoga course, Jen created a space for us all to share our experiences and an opportunity to make friends with other expectant mums, and dads. Many of us have kept in touch and are continuing the motherhood journey together. The pregnancy yoga practices Jen taught encouraged me to keep up a modified regular yoga practice throughout pregnancy and also provided me and my partner with some great tips for massage and breathing before and during labor. Jen is an experienced, calm, and encouraging teacher, and I highly recommend these classes.”

“Jen had helpful suggestions for different positions and breathing techniques to manage the discomfort of labor, and she was very in tune with what I needed, moment by moment, responding effortlessly.”

“Jen’s voice carried through my delivery and helped me remember specific shapes and breathing techniques that I could use. She also gave my partner such helpful tips. It was like HE was my doula!”

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