Mindful Recovery: The Role of Yoga in Postpartum Healing
Contents:
- Yoga has a Dual Purpose
- Conscious Movement is a Powerful Instrument
- Counteracting Repetitive Flexion with Extension Exercises
- More Postpartum Yoga Exercises
- Getting Started
- FAQs
Yoga has a Dual Purpose
Postnatal yoga is a tailor-made practice aimed at helping women regain their physical and mental strength after childbirth. Postpartum yoga is carefully crafted to balance body, mind, and spirit. The yoga benefits extend beyond physical restoration, encompassing mental well-being and self-care. The practice aids in reducing stress, fostering mindfulness, and instilling a sense of tranquillity.
Conscious movement is a powerful instrument
Conscious movement becomes a powerful tool to help postpartum women regain a sense of presence within one’s own body. Many of us, after childbirth, feel a disconnection from our physical selves as our bodies go through such extreme changes. These changes and the physical impact can linger and so the disconnection continues to remain.
Practising conscious movement helps to establish this lost connection, it nudges mothers to tune in to physical sensations and movements. It is important to note that this mindful technique creates a deeper awareness of the body’s current reality, its abilities and limitations, which helps foster a gentle familiarisation with oneself. It promotes healing and self-compassion and a nurturing path back to physical self-awareness and presence, making it an invaluable practice during the postpartum journey.
Counteracting Repetitive Flexion with Extension Exercises
Sleep deprivation as well as the repetitive flexion postures of holding and feeding babies can lead to tension and discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and back. These repetitive movements that build-up tension in our body can be counteracted by opening up in gentle extension exercises in postpartum yoga, such as gentle backbends and shoulder openers. This practice will help lighten physical tension as well enhance your mental and emotional well-being, as you give yourself the vital self-care you deserve.
More Postpartum Yoga Exercises
A few other beneficial postnatal yoga exercises include:
- The Child's Pose (Balasana): a restorative pose that releases tension in the back, neck, and shoulders.
- The Cat-Cow Stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana): aids in reestablishing spinal mobility while gently stretching the neck and torso.
- The Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana): works wonders for strengthening the lower back and pelvic muscles, contributing to improved postural stability.
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): serves as a powerful pose to regain lower body strength and enhance overall body balance
Getting started with Hypopressives
For the Hypopressives classes it is important that you learn the Breathing/Apnea technique properly so that you can get the most out of the classes and the time you invest in yourself. Each week Simone runs Fundamentals sessions on Zoom where she explains the technique and guides you through all the steps.
She will also give you feedback to make sure that you're doing it correctly. For some, the technique may come more quickly than others. Some of her clients, who are tighter in the ribs and thoracic spine do tend to take a little longer. And here's the golden rule - for impactful change, Simone recommends at least three 15 to 20-minute workouts per week. Consistency is your best friend on this journey towards wellness.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How does Hypopressives differ from more traditional core training and Pilates?
Pilates is an excellent technique for bringing stability back to a destabilised postpartum body, but a lot of the traditional Pilates exercises, specifically curl ups (used often in mat-work repertoire) can be detrimental if pelvic floor dysfunction and diastasis recti are present. Unfortunately, at the 6-week postnatal checkup these issues are not properly assessed, and many women may not even realise they themselves are affected by these concerns.
There is a general acceptance of pelvic floor dysfunction with mothers often accepting that they may leak when running, sneezing or coughing. Also, the term “mum-tum” leads many women to unwillingly accept their new relationship with their bodies. LPF is a completely safe way of working a postnatal body and many of the women I work with have managed to reverse prolapse and drastically improve a diastasis.
What was your personal experience of Hypopressives after having children yourself?
I did the LPF training before having my second child and started practising postpartum after my second child. The difference in my recovery after my first labour where I only did Pilates was markedly different to when I practised LPF with my second. Within a few weeks my core was stronger than it had been before being pregnant with my second, and my pelvic floor was as strong as it was pre-kids!! If I hadn't seen the change with my own eyes or felt it in my body, I wouldn’t have believed it. It literally felt like the more I practised the more internal strength I developed. This was something I hadn’t felt since I was a professional dancer. I also loved that the technique doesn’t require hours of training. Only 10-20 minutes, three times a week will get visible results.
How many weeks postpartum can I begin?
It is recommended at least 6-8 weeks after a vaginal delivery and 12 weeks after a c-section.
How often should I practise weekly to see results?
You will start to see results by practising 2-3 weekly sessions of 10-20 minutes. It is safe to practise daily once your body has adjusted to the practice which will take around 2-4 weeks.
How re-centre works
Subscribe to a live or on-demand package
Sign-up to a fundamentals class to learn the technique
Start the beginner classes
Individual support via a one-to-one check-ins
Progress to more advanced levels at your own pace
All subscriptions include
A live fundamental class to learn the technique
Unlimited access to over 250+ videos
One-to-one check-ins with me to discuss progress
New weekly videos
Priority access to live workshops and retreats
Cancel easily online, anytime
14-day free trial
What our members say
The best post-partum class, it really helped with my recovery. Simone is a great teacher, so knowledgeable and kind. I recommend her classes to all my friends who had a baby. Thank you Simone!
Anna
1/11
I’ve only been doing Simone’s classes for a short time but have noticed huge improvements in my core strength and posture. Great value and high quality recordings combined with live classes make it really easy to fit into your life. Highly recommended.
Clare
2/11
I cannot say enough good things about Simone’s classes - they have been really transformative for me. Her explanation of what are often unusual and specific techniques is so good that you never feel lost, and she has a wonderful way of connecting with the class on a really human level, as well as being a real expert in her field. Her classes are challenging, mindful, and have helped amazingly with my pelvic floor issues - I started seeing results after only 4 weeks of classes! Highly recommend.
Millay
3/11
Simone's classes are amazing. She combines her skills in pilates, yoga and hypopressives to provide a very holistic practice. I've seen a great improvement in my postnatal body thanks to her classes. I would recommend her to any woman who has had a baby.
Jazmin
4/11
I love Simone’s Low Pressure Fitness classes, they have helped with my prolapse symptoms and are something I turn to daily if I’m having a hard day. Simone is a great communicator and teacher, she explains everything very clearly and I have no trouble participating in the class even over zoom.
Jerry
5/11
Simone and re-centre were a saviour for me over lockdown. A great chance to just be in my body and switch on to what I was feeling. As a pelvic health physio I can highly recommend Simone and her method as a great form of rehab for many postnatal conditions.
Maternity Physio
6/11
I got to know about Low Pressure Fitness through Simone, in a workshop that I'm so lucky I attended. It was about 2 months after giving birth and I felt really weak, thinking that I could never get back to my strength before the pregnancy. Simone's help completely changed my perspective and with her brilliant classes slowly I got back my confidence and strength. I was worried that these exercises will be tricky with online classes, but she has been great in giving clear instructions and adjusting poses for everyone based on their needs. I don't know how she does it but she even gives individual feedback and helps you correct your pose in a group online class. Thanks Simone!
Sarah
7/11
Simone's classes and on-demand videos are excellent. She's such a good teacher, always learning new things herself to expand her teaching horizons. Would most definitely recommend to anyone with a postpartum body regardless how long it's been since you gave birth.
Ana
8/11
Simone is a great teacher, I highly recommend her work. Her online platform is well curated and excellent value and she gracefully manages to teach & give individual attention in her live Zoom classes.
Clio
9/11
I attend re-centre classes with Simone weekly and have noticed a huge improvement in my core strength and tone. Simone has a thoughtful and inclusive approach to her classes, they vary which means I stay focused and the relaxation time at the end is much needed in the life of a busy mum!
Alice
10/11
Simone is a brilliant teacher, she takes the time to check in with her students and work through exercises to fit individual injuries. She’s also really knowledgeable and supportive for post natal bodies. Doing hypopressors are a total life changer and I love the way this is incorporated into Pilates and stretching.
Beela
11/11
Learn the technique and get started
Hypopressives is an effective technique toward relieving symptoms related to Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Diastasis Recti and Urinary Incontinence. Hypopressives also improves poor posture, pelvic floor weakness and back pain. I offer a flexible approach to memberships and a 14-day free trial.
SIGN UP
About the Author
Simone Muller is the founder of re-centre and has over 22 years of teaching experience across Pilates, Low Pressure Fitness and Yoga.
She launched the online platform to make Low Pressure Fitness and Hypopressives more accessible to more women around the world so that they can become the strongest and most functional versions of themselves.
As the first level 3 instructor in London, she has witnessed transformative postnatal rehabilitation results in clients, addressing issues like Diastasis Recti, prolapse and incontinence.
Simone has written articles for the re-centre blog 'Kegels not Working?', 'The connection between menstruation and prolapse symptoms' and 'Why I love teaching postnatal rehabilitation?'.
Simone has also written guest posts for The Shala 'What is Low Pressure Fitness', Yana Active 'Prioritising your Pelvic Floor Health After Giving Birth and Nurturing the Core' and for The Pelvic Academy 'Empowering Women's Health - The Power of Collaboration Between Hypopressives, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths'.
LinkedIn | Instagram