Pranayama

Written By Jaclyn Ross

Prenatal yoga is a great way for expecting mothers to stay active and healthy during pregnancy. It can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and alleviate common pregnancy symptoms such as back pain and nausea. One of the key components of prenatal yoga is pranayama, also known as breathwork. Pranayama is the practice of controlling your breath to calm the mind and body.  Practicing breathwork in prenatal yoga and has several benefits for mother and baby during pregnancy and labor.

1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for many women, and practicing breathwork can help reduce stress and anxiety. Deep breathing exercises can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's relaxation response. This can help lower blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, slow down the heart rate, and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.

2. Improves Oxygen Flow to the Baby

Pranyama can also improve oxygen flow to the baby. When you take deep breaths, you increase the amount of oxygen in your blood, which is then transported to the baby through the placenta. This can help promote healthy fetal development and growth.

3. Helps with Pain Management During Labor

Breathwork can also be a useful tool for pain management during labor. By participating in a prenatal yoga class you will get practice in breathing techniques to help with childbirth.

See you on the mat!  Mondays at 6pm.  Love, Jaclyn

Jaclyn Ross

Jaclyn Ross is a 200-HR RYT Yoga Teacher, an 85-hour Shanti Mom Prenatal Yoga Teacher and a Certified Health Education Specialist. In her classes, you can expect alignment-focused poses with breath and meditation work that is appropriate for all levels.

 

Jaclyn began her yoga journey in college, when she took a semester-long class at the University of Cincinnati. In this class, she was exposed to a variety of yoga styles including Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Yin. Jaclyn fell in love with how yoga could be so versatile in style and accessibility. Since this class Jaclyn had a small dream being a yoga teacher, but the timing was never right. She continued to practice on her own and at various studios over the years. Fast forward to 2019, Jaclyn was an overwhelmed elementary school teacher expecting her first child. She began taking a weekly prenatal yoga class to relieve stress and help with the aches and pains of pregnancy. She immediately fell in love with prenatal yoga and hoped to teach this one day.

 

In March 2020, Jaclyn’s daughter was born and the pandemic hit.  She decided to leave elementary education and set out to follow her dreams of becoming a yoga teacher and balancing the stay-at-home-mom life. Jaclyn has since completed her 200 HR YTT through Uplifted Yoga with Brett Larkin and is currently working to complete her 300 HR YTT. She also completed an 85-hour prenatal yoga course with Shanti Mom Yoga while being pregnant with her second daughter in 2022.  Jaclyn loves to learn, teach, and connect with her students.  She is in the thick of motherhood herself and has developed a passion for providing moms with a safe, supportive space to relax and connect with themselves, baby, and other mamas.

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