In West London, where I lived through my first unplanned pregnancy, Lolly’s reputation preceded her. It was the early nougties, and pregnancy yoga was new and exciting. I had just discovered Janet Balaskas and the Active Birth Movement, bought the book and tried to find a Lolly class but to no avail. It was not until [...]
Janet Balaskas is credited with starting the Active Birth Movement; a women's movement that led to fundamental change in British Obstetrics and childbirth preparation. The South African mother of four, who originally trained as an NCT teacher, founded Active Birth in response to the oppressive active management of obstetrics during the 80s and 90s. She is the author of many books on active birth and set up the Active [...]
How yoga and mindfulness for pregnancy and birth can help mums-to-be handle the unexpected twists and turns of their journey. There is a space between the stimulus and the response and in that space lies your power and freedom” — Victor Frankel I wanted to labour in that space; that timeless space where everything is [...]
The drive and vision of three female yoga pioneers, Janet Balaskas, Lolly Stirk and Francoise Freedman, initiated a movement that transformed childbirth and laid the foundations for pregnancy yoga in the UK today. Here, they talk to Nadia Raafat about their early yoga experiences, inspirations, pregnancies and births. Janet Balaskas Active Birth (activebirthcentre.com) How [...]
Maternity Chakras The Spiritual Anatomy of Pregnancy Discovering the Wisdom of the Chakras During the Maternity Year Our bodies have an energetic system; a structure of subtle energy pathways, which act as intersections between the different dimensions of our experience; spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and instinctual. This system, known as the chakra system, [...]
MAKE 2021 THE YEAR YOU BECOME A PREGNANCY YOGA TEACHER YOGA & MINDFULNESS TEACHER FOR PREGNANCY & BIRTH TRAINING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BATTERSEA YOGA STUDIO APPLY NOW REQUEST SYLLABUS YOGA AND MINDFULNESS FOR PREGNANCY AND BIRTH Lasting one month and comprising over 100 hours, with a faculty of four teachers, the [...]
During the Coronavirus lockdown period, I am live streaming my Pregnancy Yoga, Dynamic Hatha Yoga and Yin Yoga classes via Zoom. […]
Nadia Raafat is your local provider of yoga for pregnant women, new mothers and their babies. Now she is starting a LIVE STREAMING Prenatal Yoga Class Online. A 12-Week Mindfulness Training, Pregnancy Yoga and Embodied Birth Preparation Course. Starting Monday 20th April. Since completing her Doula training in 2007, Nadia has built a celebrated reputation [...]
We are delighted to let you know that our Pregnancy Yoga & Mindful Birthing Course will be starting in September, not just at our studio in Battersea, but for the first time in Kingston upon Thames at the Krishna Yoga Centre, 34 Portsmouth Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2BF […]
By Nadia Raafat Take these ten steps during your pregnancy to prepare your body and mind for an empowered and positive birth experience and one you will remember with joy. 1.Prepare your Body with Yoga Yoga is the optimum physical practice for pregnancy. Working on every level of the being from the physical to the [...]