A growing number of health care providers are turning to the ancient practice of yoga as a way to help their patients feel better. Yoga therapy is now recognized as a clinically viable treatment, with established programs at major global health care centres. Here at Dr Morris | Sydney Mother & Baby, we aim to deliver the best possible standard of care, by providing you with the services of a multi-disciplinary team of committed and passionate professionals. Yoga is one of our many antenatal classes which we offer as part of our holistic care package.
About the teacher.
Our yoga teacher, Portia, has been practicing yoga for over 10 years, completing her teacher training in Thailand before going on to train more specifically in prenatal yoga. What first drew her to yoga was the physical benefits that she encountered – fitness level increase and overall sense of wellbeing, though what years later kept her interest, was the mental benefits and peace of mind that it offered.
Overall Portia’s classes offer a gentle and restorative practice that explore the connection between body and mind, facilitated through breath, to leave you with a sense of well-being and clarity. The thread that weaves through all the classes is a nurturing one that promotes self-love compassion for yourself and your baby. After all, pregnancy offers us a time in our lives as women when we can be truly selfish and take time to look after ourselves.
Some words from Portia.
“I love teaching yoga and above all, I LOVE teaching yoga to pregnant woman. As a whole, this transformational time in a woman’s life means that she becomes very in tune with her body. Each day it is almost as if we have to relearn our physical body as it changes with that of the growing baby. Therefore, things that we have taken for granted or become so accustomed to, we can now relook at with fresh eyes. For this reason, pregnant women are very receptive to embracing the benefits of yoga in its purest essence. Not only this, but it is a time in our lives when we most need the tools of yoga to navigate through the incredible changes brought about by motherhood.
The journey of motherhood brings with it the perfect time to embrace a healthier lifestyle, evoke the divine feminine within us all and ultimately become empowered through this time. It is an absolute honour for me to be able to spend time with these incredible women and help them tune into their own needs whilst simultaneously those of their growing baby by creating this conscious connection between mind and body, heart and womb.”
Who can do it and when can they attend?
Anyone can attend these classes after 14 weeks of pregnancy. We do reserve these classes exclusively for the use of Dr. Morris’s patients so that we can ensure the classes are not over-crowded and that we have ample space. No matter what your fitness level, or whether you have attended yoga before we have a class to suit you.
About the classes.
Here at Sydney Mother & Baby we offer 3 different styles of yoga classes to suit your needs throughout the different stages of pregnancy. The idea behind offering a full selection is that patients can pick and choose which class will suit their particular needs at any given time.
- Prenatal hatha class. This class covers the classic prenatal postures, focusing on strength and stability, pelvic toning, hip openers and breath work for birthing preparation. This class is suitable for all Pregnant women from 14 weeks onwards – people who have never practiced yoga before, all fitness levels and gestations.
- Prenatal restorative class. This class is a slow, restorative practice with an emphasis on longer holds and supportive postures to stimulate the meridian energy lines and release tension in the connective tissues of the body as the nervous system and mind begin to quiet. This class is suitable for all Pregnant women from 14 weeks onwards – people who have never practiced yoga before, all fitness levels and gestations.
- Prenatal vinyasa flow class. This is our new morning vinyasa class. Vinyasa is a flowing and dynamic class where we move with our breath through the classic sun salutations with guided modifications for a safe, yet strong prenatal practice. This class is designed to be an energizing and awakening practice to set you up for the day ahead. This is the most challenging class in terms of exercise level so is a great option for those that are missing their regular exercise classes and still want to kick up a sweat in a controlled and safe environment.
Booking ahead.
We encourage that you book ahead to the classes that you would like to attend so that we can secure you a mat and so that you can arrive relaxed and ready. If you would like to book into a class, or you would like more information on the classes we offer, please do not hesitate to contact the rooms via email at info@www.drmorris.com.au or via phone on 02 9251 8550.