Most women lead busy lives, but if you’re a mom, you are up and at ‘em 24-7.  Don’t worry, we’ll work it out:

*  If you don’t have an hour, we have a 30-minute intensive (fits nicely into naptime).

*  If you’re pregnant, there’s a special prenatal yoga program and birth day assistance/doula offering that’ll prepare you for daily life, labor and delivery and postnatal wellness.

*  If you have a little one who just won’t let you go, we have a kid’s yoga certification, too.

Prenatal Yoga

Excellent for a fit pregnancy, managing stress and preparing the body for birth.  A recent clinical study even indicates that prenatal yoga may help women experience shorter, less painful labors. HGY sessions are also the perfect workout if you’re an experienced yogi and you’ve found prenatal classes “too easy.”  Backed by extensive training in prenatal yoga and childbirth education, you’ll get a trimester-specific prenatal program that focuses on your unique, changing needs to get you ready for your birth day.

Birth Day Assistance/Doula Offering

There’s nothing like having a reliable, supportive, awesome assistant help you through your daily life — so just imagine what that could mean for your birth!  Higher Ground provides labor and delivery support — like comfort measures, pain management techniques and related knowledge — based on your needs and preferences, allowing you to simply focus on your baby.  Check out this recent Cochrane study linking doulas to better outcomes, such as lower cesarean surgery rates, higher Apgar scores and greater satisfaction with the birth experience.

For more on these services, see how much our prenatal and doula clients love being Higher Ground Yoga mamas.

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“Yoga is a powerful form of exercise that encourages flexibility in the body as well as the mind.  If you haven’t already experienced yoga, now is the time to do so. Consider it a gift that you give to yourself and to your unborn baby….

Your yoga practice will reduce your daily stress, thereby sweetening your inner environment for your baby.  As you stretch into poses, you will learn to relax naturally and begin to trust the innate wisdom of your body.  Yoga awakens mind/body harmony, making it easier for you to make choices that are good for you both physically and emotionally…and can also help relieve many discomforts of pregnancy….  you will learn to surrender into places that feel tight or out of balance.  Your awareness shifts from being in your active mind to being in a deep, quiet place within you.

…Yoga helps you listen to your body, your needs, and the needs of your unborn baby.  You will find yourself feeling more intuitive and balanced in all aspects of your life, which will help you throughout labor and birth.”

Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives
Deepak Chopra, M.D. David Simon, M.D.
Vicki Abrams, C.C.E., I.B.C.L.C.

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A few of HGY’s favorite pregnancy and birth books, articles, blogs and other resources:

Visit the Higher Ground AStore for Kelly’s Favorite Books and DVDs for Yoga Mamas

Focus on You: Secrets to Tame Your Life, Working Mother Magazine, August/September 2010

Deb’s Blog, Debra Flashenberg, Prenatal Yoga Center, New York City

Lil Omm Yoga Studio, Washington, DC (including new mom support group)

Jennifer Kogan, Counseling and Support for Parents, Washington, DC

Dr. Shoshana Bennett, Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression

Little Bird Community Acupuncture, Washington, DC

The Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington, Washington, DC

Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding, Fit Pregnancy

Baby 411 & Toddler 411, The latest news on infant and toddler health from the authors of Baby 411, Toddler 411 and Expecting 411

BabyCenter, the Web’s #1 global interactive parenting network

Thinking Green (How to Make Your Space a Healthier Place), Fit Pregnancy

Julie Bowen’s Aha! Moment, on powering your way through parenthood, O Magazine, September 2010

Enlightened Motherhood, Yoga Blog, Yoga Journal

Yoga for Kids , Yoga Journal

Kids’ Yoga slideshow, CNN.com