I am back with some exciting news - Yoga for Healthy Pregnancy class on THURSDAYS!!!

 Let me invite all pregnant ladies to our

💓 Zoom Yoga for Healthy Pregnancy Class 💓

👉 On Thursday at 8.15pm

I'm happy to announce that I am adding this class to my Timetable!!!

Zoom joining details

Meeting ID: 777 451 3783

Password: 0987654321

Classes are donation based

paypal.me/AndreaLengova

The Lottery of Birth

I know I don't teach specifically pregnancy yoga class, but I am happy that many pregnant ladies come to my classes :)

Just now I saw one interesting course and I am going to do it :)

It is called The Lottery of Birth

Birth is a lottery. Where, when and to whom you are born and the society into which you are born will influence your life chances.

This is a description of the course - course will look at both the big picture of the ‘lottery of birth’ and the smaller, human stories. You will examine the inequalities of birth, particularly being born rich or poor and being born female or male.

You will also look at the lottery of birth as it relates to becoming a parent. You’ll consider how individual countries and global organisations are responding to demographic changes and predictions and how this plays out in the lives of individual women and men in different parts of the world.

You’ll use a variety of disciplines in the course such as demography, health studies, sociology, comparative social policy, history, political science and economics. This interdisciplinary nature brings different perspectives together to create fresh insights and provide a bridge for different ideas to feed into social and political change.

Towards the end of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to critically analyse an initiative of your choosing from your own country and review the analysis of a fellow learner.

I like the sound of it :)

.A yin practice to engage the Root chakra - our practice last week :)

The Root chakra is where the movement of prana through our bodies begins here and along with the second the third chakras it is more physical in nature.  As the foundation of our chakra system, it is associated with basic, fundamental needs: food, rest, sex, safety.

 Our chakra system is clean and healthy when prana can move freely throughout the body, but as life happens our chakras can become blocked. Blockage in the Root muladhara chakra suggests our basic needs are not being met, and personal attention and care toward them must be given. Symptoms of Root chakra malady include anxiety related to disorganization, insecurity, confusion, greed and feeling ungrounded. Oftentimes, this is the result of travel, moving, unfulfillment and (of course) stress.

.To remedy the major muladhara malfunction, we need to step back and reconnect with our physical body – the sensation of physically being – and allow ourselves to tangibly reconnect with the earth. We draw prana from the cycling energy that filters from the heavens through earth itself; being in touch with that energetic source is an easy and effective first step to relieving those symptoms. A healthy Root chakra will permit feelings of nourishment, confidence, trust and connection.

.A yin practice to engage the Root chakra should be focused on generating support and foundation. Holds will target the feet, legs and pelvis. Throughout the practice, envision a warm red light surrounding the chakra center (pelvis) and attempt to draw energy up through the ground while releasing unneeded and unwanted elements back into the earth.

Try these Root Chakra Yin Poses

Lie on your back with your knees bent – absorb energy from the earth to begin the practice.

Mountain pose – establish a solid base, grounding yourself deep through the feet.
Dangling pose – bend at the waist while standing, crossing your arms and allowing the entire upper body to dangle; feel supported by the major muscles of your lower body.
Squat – more dependence on the feet, legs and hips, but the entire body is closer to the earth; picture a red light emanating from the tailbone.
Marauding bear – release the tension of the practice so far, move organically on all fours.
Toe squat – intensity! While sitting on your knees, curl toes under and gently recline back to your tolerance; stretch and extend those tiny toe ligaments.
Shoelace pose – with legs crossed and knees stacked atop one another, fold forward into the earth; draw nourishment once more from the earth.
Dragonfly (straddle) – bend forward to tolerance and repeat, “I am safe and supported. I have everything I need. I trust in life.”
Supported bridge – lie on your back with a bolster under the hips/sacrum; allow the chakra center itself to feel supported.
Reclining twist – feel the complexity and potential of your body by stretching through a twist; you are a physical being!
Savasana

Timetable 9/6 - 15/6 2014

New week - here´s the new timetable (without the private classes)

We are still doing the TWISTS :)

Monday

11.30am Fitness Yoga Hitchin
1pm HRLC Pilates cover
6pm Pilates Leighton Buzzard LC
8pm Power Yoga Dunstable LC

Tuesday

7.30pm Pilates DLL

Wednesday

6pm Tai Chi Hitchin

Thursday

10.40am Yoga cover Dunstable LC
7pm Hatha Yoga DLL
8.30pm Fitness Yoga HRLC

Friday

9.30am Hatha Yoga DLL
10.50am Pilates cover HRLC
5.30pm Power Yoga Storm Gym

Saturday

9.30am Hatha Yoga Hitchin
10.30am Ta Chi Hitchin
12.30pm Power Yoga Dunstable LC
13.30pm Anti Natal Yoga Dunstable LC

Sunday

10am Pilates Bannatyne´s Luton
12pm Pilates cover DL Stevenage

Romca and Patrick practicing Yoga

Choose a class that fits you the best

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Private tuition

For private tuition contact me on my mobile number: 07766 873 666 or email: alengova@gmail.com.

Fee for one hour of Private tuition is ​​ £30.​

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​Group classes

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​Harpers Fitness at Dunstable Leisure Centre

(Court Drive,Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4JD)

Fee - £5,35 (paid at the Reception)

Monday          8pm - 9pm                    Power Yoga

Thursday       10:50am - 11:50am       Hatha Yoga

Thursday       12pm - 1pm                  Yoga for Healthy Precnancy

David Lloyds Gym and Fitness Centre Luton 

Plot 910 Capability Green Luton, LU1 3LU

Thursday       7pm - 7:55pm                Hatha Yoga*

Friday            9:30am - 10:25am         Hatha Yoga*

*I teach these classes till Christmas 2013

Outdoor Yoga (ussually held in Stockwood on Memorial Park in Luton)

You can find more info about the days and times of Outdoor Yoga Classes here:

Where do I cover Classes

David Lloyds Gym and Fitness Centre Luton 

Plot 910 Capability Green Luton, LU1 3LU

 Covered classes

Luton Bannatyne Health & Fitness

1 Regent St  Luton, Bedford LU1 5FA

Covered classes

Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre
Mentmore Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2AF

Covered classes

Houghton Regis Leisure Centre
Parkside Drive, Houghton Regis, LU5 5PY

Types of Classes

Power Yoga

Power yoga is a general term used in the West to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga. Though many consider it to be "gym yoga," this style of practice was originally closely modeled on the Ashtanga method. The term came into common usage in the mid 1990s, in an attempt to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to western students, though, unlike Ashtanga, power yoga does not follow a set series of poses, so classes can vary widely. With its emphasis on strength and flexibility, power yoga brought yoga into the gyms of America, as people began to see yoga as a way to work out.

Is Power Yoga for You?

Though power yoga classes can vary widely from teacher to teacher, they will most likely appeal to people who are already quite fit, enjoy exercising, and want a minimal amount of chanting and meditation with their yoga. Prepare to work hard!

Hatha Yoga​​

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Hatha Yoga describes any of the physical practices of yoga. (Remember that yoga has eight limbs, only one of which, asana, involves doing yoga poses.) When you do Iyengar, this is hatha yoga; when you do Ashtanga, as different as this may seem, it is hatha yoga too. Hatha means forceful in Sanskrit, according to Ellen Stansell, PhD, RYT, a scholar of yogic literature and Sanskrit. The physical yoga postures must have seemed forceful compared to the other more subtle practices that were in use at the time that hatha emerged.

These days, hatha is most often used to describe gentle, basic classes with no flow between poses. A hatha class will likely be a slow-paced stretching class with some simple breathing exercises and perhaps seated meditation.  This is a good place to learn beginners' poses, relaxation techniques, and become comfortable with yoga. 

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Is Hatha Yoga for You?

Many people try a hatha class and love the relaxed feeling, others decide that yoga is too slow and meditative for them. If you fall in the later category, try Power Yoga next time for a completely different experience.

Yoga for Healthy Pregnancy​

Yoga can help women get through their pregnancy with minimal discomfort. It also helps the birth and post-delivery stages.

Independent midwife Manijeh Nedas says: 'In my experience, I believe that yoga plays a very important role in pregnancy. Generally, pregnant mums who do yoga exercises appear healthier, both in mind and body. Their bodies are more flexible, which enables them to adapt to various positions when in labour and the ligaments are more elastic, which in turn can help to reduce labour pain.'

Andrea Fox, an antenatal yoga teacher in Sommerset, says that yoga classes help to boost circulation and also help with fluid retention. The stretching exercises relieve aches and pains.

Posture is also improved by yoga and this can help ease back problems, which are common in pregnant women. She adds: 'Yoga helps to prepare for the birth - it encourages breath and body awareness, reduces worry and teaches women to adapt to new situations.'

And yoga continues to have benefits after pregnancy, too. Postnatal yoga, which can be started about six weeks after the birth, strengthens abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor. It also helps you to get back to your pre-pregnancy shape faster.

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​Outdoor Yoga Classes

Escape the stressful hustle and bustle of the city by stretching, breathing and relaxing joining our outdoor yoga class in Luton´s beautiful Stockwood Park. This classes highlight both the physical, mental and wellbeing benefits that yoga can bring to an individual and in turn how it can create a stronger sense of community. Yoga can also be fun, inspiring, incredibly beneficial and accessible to everyone, regardless of age or level of fitness.The session lasts for an hour. These Outdoor Yoga classes are open to all, join us at Stockwood Park, off Farley Hill, Luton, LU1 5NR at the first car park on right as you come in to the entrance of the Park. Cost is £5 per person.

Yoga was (and is) traditionally practiced outdoors in India. But it is usually sequestered inside yoga studios in the other countries, most likely because its popularity began in urban centers, where finding outdoor practice spaces can be a challenge.

But in the last couple of years, many studios and individual teachers have begun bringing their asanas back outdoors again. And plenty of practitioners have taken their individual practices to their backyards, local beaches, parks and even mountaintops post-hike. 

I do most of the yoga I do these days outdoors (well, at least in late spring, summer and autumn), as I value the time I spend enjoying the open air and sky, and I think that it's actually easier to focus on my practice when I'm immersed in nature. I'm lucky enough to live near a huge park.

Some TIPS for Outdoor Yoga Classes:

Bring extra water

If you are used to getting through class without water, reconsider if you are practicing outside. It may very well be warmer or more humid outside compared to even an un-air-conditioned studio space. And take a larger bottle of agua than you might need; it's always best to have extra, especially if there is a hike or walk to the space you will be practicing. 

Bring a hand towel

It's always a good idea to have a towel to clear off sweat, but outdoors, you may get damper (see above) and you also might want to wipe sand, earth or dew from your body.

Remember the wind

When we practice indoors, wind is not an element that we have to contend with. Outdoors, it can bring a wonderful sense of cool and refreshment (not to mention the beautiful aural enjoyment of the wind through trees' leaves). But it can also blow hair or any loose clothing around. As long as you are prepared for this inevitability, you'll have a good time. 

You might get interrupted

I find that my best yoga practices have taken place outdoors, but that doesn't mean that interruptions don't exist. Weather can change, friendly dogs can approach you with wagging tails. Most of the time, it will be a great experience, but keep in mind that you are outside, and that when you do yoga outdoors, you are part of nature's dynamic system, which never stops moving.

Bugs!

I've never had a problem with insects (other than biting mosquitos) while doing anything outdoors, including yoga. I find that people who are the most anxious about bugs tend to attract them, so realizing that they are just part of the balance of the system — and have little to no interest in you — may help you focus on what you are doing, rather than what's flying around you. Some lavender oil rubbed on pulse points will keep most insects at bay, and keep scented hair products and moisturizers to a minimum so that local bugs won't be encouraged to come check you out and stick around. 

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Outdoor Yoga Classes

Yoga for Healthy Pregnancy With a Ball

Performing exercises on a stability or balance ball can improve your strength, balance and coordination. Your core, the muscles of the stomach and lower back, work extra hard with ball exercises to keep your body stabilized. This can be especially beneficial during pregnancy. As your belly grows, you may experience postural changes that cause stress to your lower back and other areas.

For the first time we tried the exercises with a ball today, here are some tips what you can do :)

Benefits of Pregnancy Yoga

More and more we see, hear and read news stories or studies about yoga’s benefits for ailments from diabetes to depression, and rightly so. Anyone who has practiced knows how much of a total body workout yoga can be, as well as a way to quiet down the mind and gain control of your body and breath.

Up there on the list of people who should give yoga a try are expecting mothers. Prenatal yoga can be a great way to not only work the body in an essential way for moms-to-be, but also provides a good preparation for the breath and mind for delivery and beyond.

Looking specifically at a pregnant woman’s body, yoga can specifically work the areas with the most need in a class geared toward pregnant women. Below are some of the most important pains, areas of interest and common pregnancy issues yoga can safely and gently alleviate and improve.

1. The Breath: 

 Breathing is not something we often think about throughout the day. It is a mechanical function of the body. We never really have to remind our selves to breathe, but we should, especially to prepare our body for the process of labor. Breathing is a very important part of delivering a baby, it helps to relax the body and take your mind from the pain and strain.

That is exactly what the breath work, pranayama, part of yoga will do, even if you are not pregnant. Yogis use what is called conscious breathing to help “still the mind.” Yoga breath work also increases the depth of the breath. By learning “three-part breath,” or “Ujjayi breathing,” we learn how to breathe to our bellies, which really means we learn to use the abdominals to breathe and use our diaphragm and really work the ribs to breathe. This allows us to get more oxygen into our bodies. Also, the exhalation of the breath is a natural relaxation for the body. If you notice, when you take a deep breath, on the exhale you can feel the muscles move down and release, that is because they are doing just that.

2. The Pelvic Floor: 

The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles that form a bowl attached to the pelvis. This muscle supports the vital reproductive and digestion organs, as well as the baby during pregnancy and plays a vital role in sexual intercourse for both men and women.

During pregnancy it is especially important to exercise your pelvic floor muscle as it has to support a greatly increased load at this time. Although pregnancy is not the only factor for a weakened pelvic floor, aging and inactivity can play a role; it can weaken from pregnancy and childbirth. Although not the cause, a weak pelvic floor can be the start of some health problems. That is why it is very important to work with these muscles, especially after childbirth. Like any other muscle in the body, the pelvic floor can be re-strengthened. The symptoms of a weakened pelvic floor include:

• urinary or stool incontinence
• constipation or incomplete bowel or bladder emptying
• diminished sexual satisfaction
• painful intercourse
• inability to reach orgasm
• sagging or prolapse of the uterus, bladder, or rectum
• low back or lower abdominal pain

A strong pelvic floor muscle can enable a woman to carry a baby more comfortably during pregnancy and will help both the mother and baby during labor and delivery. Stimulating blood flow in the pelvic area after childbirth quickens recovery from any stitches or episiotomy (an incision made between the vagina and rectum to ease delivery of a baby). Women who have had Caesareans also need to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles as it is the gravitational pressure of pregnancy that weakens the muscles, not the physical event of birth. In yoga, we often lift the pelvic floor to not only strengthen the muscle, but a strong pelvic floor brings lightness to a pose and this area can help lift a practitioner into inversions (which, are not practiced in prenantal classes) or balances. However, be cautious of contracting your pelvic floor in the first trimester, a strong contraction should be avoided in the early stage of pregnancy. Usually you start practicing this lift in the second trimester. To experience the contraction of the pelvic floor, it is the sensation of holding urine in mid-stream as you urinate.

3. The Posture: 

As the babies and bellies grow and change, so does the center of gravity. One of the things that allow humans to walk upright is the balance between the lower back muscles and our four abdominal muscles. However, when our abdominals are weak, this can cause our lower back muscles to over compensate and over work, causing pain and strain in the lumbar area. When the belly moves more forward with growth, this stretches the abdominals beyond their original shape, weakening them and this causing lower back pain during pregnancy when none may have ever been experienced before, especially in the third trimester. Although pregnancy is not the time to do major core work, it is recommended to gently work all four abdominals to keep them a little strong. Chakravakasana (Not Cat/Cow) is a great practice for our abdominals as well as other yoga poses your teacher can show you that will work deep into the belly. After your baby is born, it is common for women to find some separation has occurred between the right and left side of the abdominals, exercises that bring the belly toward the spine can help bring the abs back to pre-pregnancy shape.

Yoga can also help alleviate the pressure the lower back is under during the shift in gravity. By stretching the upper leg muscles and the lower back, tension will start to release. Partnered with the smart abdominal work, your body will feel less pain as it goes through the journey of pregnancy.

4. The Feet: 

Surprising to most, the foot actually has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. And although our feet get us around the entire day, we rarely take the time to take care of them, or check how we are using them, especially as that center of gravity moves over the nine months.

With the shift of the center of gravity in your body as your pregnancy progresses, this changes our stance and pressure in our feet and joints. The two most common problems become over pronation and edema. These problems can lead to pain at the heel, arch, or the ball-of-foot. Many women may also experience leg cramping and varicose veins due to weight gain.

• Overpronation can be treated by brining attention back to the feet and walking with awareness. Try and walk barefoot as much as you can. Although you can use insoles, this only masks the problem while you are wearing shoes.
• Edema, swelling, can be treated by:
• Elevate your feet as often as possible. If you have to sit for long periods of time, place a small stool by your feet to elevate them.
• Wear proper fitting footwear. Footwear that is too narrow or short will constrict circulation.
• Have your feet measured several times throughout your pregnancy. They will probably change sizes.
• Wear seamless socks that do not constrict circulation.
• If you are driving for a long period of time, take regular breaks to stretch your legs to promote circulation.
• Exercise regularly to promote overall health; walking is the best exercise.
• Drink plenty of water to keep the body hydrated. This helps the body retain less fluid.
• Eat a well-balanced diet and avoid foods high in salt that can cause water retention.

5. The Hips:  

 Prenatal yoga can help bring back flexibility and comfort to the groups of muscles and bone structures in the front and back of the hips. Hormones released during pregnancy soften and relax joints and cartilage between bones in our pelvis to prepare it for child birth. However, getting the muscles ready is good to facilitate an easier birth for mom and baby.

In front, we have our hip flexors, which work to flex, or bend, the hips. This brings our knee and thigh up and in line with our hip joint and toward our chest. Lunges are a great example of the work of the hip flexors. It is imperative to keep these flexible so we can easily open our legs with out too much strain for delivery, as well as bend the knees close to the chest to assist with birth. Yoga can also stretch the ligaments in the pelvis, hip and leg areas, all making the positions and pushing in labor easier.

Our muscles are, however, antagonistic, which basically means when one works, the other does the opposite to allow the action. So, in order for the hip flexors to contract, the back of the hips need to relax. This is why it is essential to work the front and back of the hips in stretching, relaxing and strengthening to find balance. Again, low lunges are the perfect way to stretch the hip flexors while contracting them on the other side and the same for the muscles in the back of the hips. However, your yoga teacher can give you many poses for this area of the body.

What else can yoga do?

Research suggests that prenatal yoga can have many benefits for pregnant women and their babies. Studies have suggested that practicing yoga while pregnancy can also improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth.

It can also decrease nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches and shortness of breath, and decrease the risk of preterm labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction — a condition that slows a baby's growth.

But don’t forget, yoga is also a perfect workout after you have your baby as well. When you feel ready to move, starting out with gentle yoga, simple breathing and stretching is a great way to start your body moving again. As you may have already guessed, or experienced, finding time to practice as a new mom is hard. A good time to start is take 15 minutes while your baby is napping to work with a gentle yoga sequence each day can work miracles for energy and body strength. Also, as your baby eats, try practicing pranayama, the relaxation from deep belly breathing and action of the muscles helps to speed up the recovery time.

As always, check with your physician before you begin any new exercise practice.

If you are pregnant and interested in trying out something new and good for you, join us in Yoga for Healthy Pregnancy class in Dunstable Leisure Centre on Wednesdays at 10:50-11:50.

Why practice yoga while pregnant?

     To bear a child is undeniably the ultimate dream of the majority of women. Pregnancy is the state of carrying a growing embryo or fetus in the uterus. In mammals, pregnancy is defined as the period between implantation of a fertilized egg (now called a zygote) in wall of the uterus and delivery or other termination. Some people believe that conception, the moment when the sperm and egg first meet in the fallopian tube, is the start of pregnancy, while the legal and medical definition holds that pregnancy begins when the zygote implants in the uterine wall. 

     Human pregnancy lasts about 38 weeks from conception to birth, or 40 weeks from the time of the last menstrual period to birth (a little more than nine months). It is an almost divine fulfillment that she hopes to attain through this act of procreation. Fear and apprehensions often cloud the mind, the moment pregnancy is confirmed. Will I be able to take this responsibility? Will it be a male or a female? Will it be a healthy child? and so on. Child birth is surely the greatest act performed by women. It can be a great emotional experience. The physical and psychological aspects can’t be separated. For most of women labour is a time of apprehension of fear and agony. But with a proper antenatal preparation the majority of women can have and labour that is easy and painless or almost painless and she can actually enjoy the labour and experience a sense of fulfillment.  

     Yoga tackles an individual's well-being on the whole – body, mind and heart. This is very much unlike other forms of physical fitness. Yoga for pregnant women can help would be mother get through their pregnancy with the least amount of discomfort. Pregnancy Yoga even helps in childbirth and in the post-delivery stages. Pregnancy Yoga’s stretching exercises help relieve aches and pains. The practices also help improve overall posture and this can help alleviate back problems so common in pregnant women. Smooth pregnancy and a natural childbirth are just some of the benefits of yoga. But more importantly, yoga does wonders on the physical and mental development of the fetus.

     Ensuring a healthy baby is every woman’s dream and yoga helps you do just that. During last few decades, the research in yoga has proved beyond doubts that yoga helps to prevent and cure many chronic ailments. Yogic practices integrate the body, mind and spirit. They bring harmony; develop a restful and positive attitude towards life. This comprehensive programmed of yogic practices designed for pregnant women will help; those to have correct posture flexibility of spine improve their breathing capacity, to manage stress. It helps to build immunity, inner strength, improve control over body and emotions. In short it is the best preventive and curative therapy for many ailments that can occur during pregnancy. It will also ensure the baby's healthy growth.