Yoga has been so instrumental to my mental health and to feeling whole in my body during both pregnancies.
During my pregnancy with snowpea, I filmed so many videos in the third trimester when we were on lockdown. I look back at those videos and think how scary of a time it was when the world first shut down and how thankful I was to have a passion project to throw myself into before my due date.
It was such a steep learning curve to figure out how to film, edit, and post yoga videos at that time! I was so uncomfortable being on camera and I was told by a dedicated but well-meaning fan (my husband) that my setup looked more like a cave than a home yoga space. Also, one of my early meditations got flagged as being unsuitable for users under 18 because my voice was too suggestive, so I decided I should probably work on that.
I had optimized my filming protocol prior to this pregnancy. But not long after I found out baby number two was on his way, the first-trimester fatigue made it nearly impossible to film anything. Travel, moving, and life with a toddler in a world no longer on lockdown got in the way of me making many videos for the rest of my pregnancy. So, I'm so glad I made these few before all the chaos began!
Filmed in roughly weeks 0-7 of this pregnancy and edited in the first 40 days postpartum, here are the 7 videos that set the tone for this wild ride of my second pregnancy. I hope you enjoy them!
Playlists to accompany these classes coming soon! Look for them on my Spotify account here.
Disclaimer: These videos should never substitute for the guidance of any trained medical provider or mental health professional. Yoga comes with risks, including serious physical injuries, emotional damage, and spiritual crisis/awakening. Please practice at your own risk.
Prenatal Yoga for Beginners
Here's me, a little nervous and extremely uncertain about filming this series. You'll see me looking nerdy in my reading glasses because I guess I wanted to look like I knew what I was talking about. It was experimental. And I regretted it as soon as I began to teach and vowed to never do yoga with glasses on again. Recommended props for this absolute beginner's class are two pillows, a blanket, and a yoga mat. All are optional, so feel free to get creative with what you have around the house.
Prenatal Yoga: First Trimester
Here's a grounding yoga class to practice during the never-ending nausea and fatigue of the first trimester. Recommended props: a fluffy pillow or bolster, 2-3 blankets or towels, and a yoga mat.
Prenatal Yoga: Second Trimester
A prenatal yoga practice focused on cultivating strength, resilience, and that GLOW (*cue the hair flip*) during the second trimester. Recommended props: two blocks and a yoga mat.
Prenatal Yoga: Third Trimester
This class is geared toward slowing down and preparing for birth in the third trimester. Recommended props: a blanket, a strap, 4 yoga blocks, an eye pillow, a bolster or fluffy pillow, a tennis ball or massage ball, and a yoga mat.
Prenatal Barre
Barre is one of my favorite practices for feeling strong during pregnancy and preparing for birth! I've been told my voice is too relaxing (or too suggestive?) for barre, so call it yoga for strength if you like, but these are the exercises that helped me. Barre uses a lot of props, so I recommend having 2-3 lb. weights, 2 foam yoga blocks, a resistance band, wall space, and a yoga mat.
Postnatal Barre
Yes, practicing with a little one really is as chaotic as it appears in this video! And even more so now that I have two under three. Here's a postnatal barre practice with snowpea running around at my feet. Recommended props: 2-3 lb weights, 2 foam yoga blocks, a resistance band, wall space, and a yoga mat.
Postnatal Yoga
And I've saved the best for last! This postnatal yoga practice is my favorite in the series. The idea of practicing solo to this postpartum feels so soft and luxurious. No, it's not typical for me to have a full 35 minutes silent and uninterrupted to do yoga in this phase of life, but this video is the fantasy. A blanket, a pillow, and a yoga mat are recommended for this class.