Who can practice yoga in pregnancy?
I recommend that you wait until at least 14 weeks before coming to class. Early on your body is working hard already and you feel nauseous and tired, so follow your instincts to relax as often as you can. There is a point after the second trimester starts when you feel ready to move to stretch and that's the time to start yoga. If you have used IVF treatment to conceive, or you have had previous miscarriages, you are advised to rest for longer. Talk to your midwife if you're unsure.

Will the yoga I practice help me through labour?
The simple answer is 'yes', yoga provides not just a set of tools, but a change in the way you think that helps you in labour. You can see more on the 'birth and beyond' and 'benefits of yoga in pregnancy' pages.

What's the difference between a yoga for pregnancy class and a general yoga class?
It's true that many things in a general yoga class will also benefit you.  But your body is different when you're pregnant, your balance changes, hormones change the way you stretch and some things, like lying on your back, will no longer be appropriate. Yoga for pregnancy is tailored to benefit you and your baby.

What qualifications have you got?
I trained for three years with the British Wheel of Yoga (the Governing Body for yoga in the UK) to teach yoga and followed that with a certificate to teach yoga for pregnancy, birth and postnatal yoga. I'm also on the Register of Exercise Professionals at the their highest level of 3 which allows me to take referrals for exercise from GPs.

Birth partners need training too - can they come to yoga?
Yes, every few weeks there will be a session for you both to relax, to breathe and focusing more specifically on the birth itself.

If we are facing in the right direction, then all we need to do is keep walking

Buddhist Proverb