Prenatal Yoga in Denver

Yoga is a great way to stay active during pregnancy and to open up those hips for birthing. It's also a great idea to practice at home, keeping in mind the following modifications to regular poses:

Yoga Modifications for Pregnancy

• avoid doing too many twists
• modify backbends: in poses like dancer, don't do the full backbend and instead focus on lifting out of your back. Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on your back so you don't want to put any more.
• stick to the left side. Try to avoid poses where you lay on your right side.
• Modify savasana. Instead of laying on your back after 3 months, prop your back up with a bolster and bring the soles of your feet together so your legs make a diamond shape (sorry y'all, forgot what that one's called).
• Do lots of hip openers! All of the classes I've gone to include tons of hip openers, including: half pigeon, goddess, happy baby, dead bug, frog, etc.
• Practice breathing. Not to be a yoga cliché, but incorporating some meditation and breath training into your yoga practice seems like a good way to train for the big day.

Places in Denver that offer Prenatal Yoga

• Corepower Yoga: has recently opened a studio in the Highlands (on Julian between 31st and 32nd) that offers two weekly yoga classes. While I generally love the nickname Corporate Yoga, the prenatal classes are nice because they are generally small and provide a lot of personal attention and pose assists. The first few minutes students introduce themselves, tell how far along they are, and answer a quick question, like what are you recent food cravings and aversions. Classes also include some meditation that will certainly help later. For those of you with a more extreme former yoga practice, classes feel a little easy but you certainly are building strength. The Prenatal Yoga instructors are specifically trained to modify yoga for ladies with babes.
• Spiral Wellness: this relatively new studio in Northwest Denver provides yoga and wellness classes, including prenatal yoga. The Saturday morning class I went to had about 12 students, and was had more of a component of sharing than at CorePower. Classes would be great for women who are looking to connect with other pregnant women in Denver. Prices are more competitive than Corepower and Belly Bliss.
• Belly Bliss in Cherry Creek North offers nearly anything a pregnant woman could desire, including prenatal yoga classes. They also offer an occasional partner yoga workshop where your partner can come and learn pair poses to get you into a deeper stretch.