PREGNANCY YOGA
Conscious movement
for two hearts
Pregnancy yoga led by a certified instructor of women’s and prenatal yoga. Safe movement for each trimester — with breath, body awareness and calm preparation for birth.
Group classes at Inner Temple, Kollárova 20, Pezinok.
Private classes also at Inner Temple or at your home — write to me and we will arrange it.
PREGNANCY YOGA
Going through pregnancy consciously
Conscious movement adapted to pregnancy (from week 12, with your condition in mind) that supports strength, stability and release for mums-to-be.
- Suitable from week 12 of pregnancy (earlier only by arrangement)
- Small groups, a maximum of 10 places per class
PREGNANCY YOGA HELPS YOU:
- ease aches and pains
- release tension — especially in the back and the pelvis
- strengthen the body gently during pregnancy so it copes with the growing load
- settle the mind and the nervous system
- deepen the connection with your baby
- prepare the body for birth
- support recovery after birth
However gladly I help, always talk to your doctor before you start exercising.
What makes it different
This isn’t yoga with pregnant women added in
Pregnancy isn’t only a physical change. It’s a change for the body, the mind and the nervous system — and a class should work with all three.
Safe positions for each trimester are the foundation, not the whole of it. Alongside them we work on breath, on feeling your own body, and on how to settle when your head races ahead to the birth, to test results, to whether you’ll manage it all.
That part is what serves you most later. During birth and in the first months of motherhood you don’t need to know a pose — you need to know how to lengthen the exhale and notice when the body is bracing.
We work on that physically too — the pelvic floor is a key part of pregnancy yoga classes, and of the whole of pregnancy (when it carries the baby’s weight), of birth (when it has to be able to release) and of the time after birth (working with the pelvic floor during pregnancy can help it recover afterwards).
Working with the nervous system is an important part of my pregnancy yoga classes. Why? Research shows that wellbeing in pregnancy is not only about the mother — long-term stress in pregnancy is statistically linked to the child’s development as well (Glover, Imperial College London). It does not mean that every bit of stress does harm, nor that exercise can prevent it. It means that settling the nervous system is worth it in this period for both of you — which is why I build the classes on breath, slowing down and a sense of safety, not on performance.
Of course, movement and our relationship with our own body matter just as much for the overall health of mother and baby, so yes, we do exercise — but safely.
A pregnancy yoga class holds all of that in mind. Some classes are more about strengthening the body, some more about settling it, but every one prepares the body for the weeks of pregnancy ahead and for what comes after.
Safety before performance.
How a class runs
60 minutes nobody can take from you
The frame is always the same, so you know what is coming. We alternate more intense and calmer classes — the emphasis is either on strengthening or on releasing. We practise either way; only the intensity and the main focus change. You always go by what your body can manage and needs right now.
Settling and breath
The first ten minutes, just being. You sit, close your eyes and find your breath. Most women come straight from work and the body needs a moment to switch.
Getting moving
Gentle movement for the spine, shoulders and hips — exactly the places that carry the most in pregnancy.
Positions by trimester
Safe positions that work the muscles so they can carry the growing load, release the places that have stiffened, and bring in breathwork to regulate the nervous system. All at an intensity that you can manage. Even in a group class everyone has an individual approach — you never do something just because the group is doing it. Listening to your own body is part of what we learn here.
Pelvic floor
Every class also includes work with the pelvic floor. We work on strengthening it, since it carries the weight through pregnancy, but also on consciously releasing it — that is what you will need during birth. Being able to work with both is just as important for recovery afterwards.
Breath for birth
Extended exhale and calm breathing into the belly — the same thing that helps between contractions and in the first sleepless night with a baby.
Final relaxation
The last fifteen minutes lying on your side, supported, with sound. Time that belongs only to you and the baby.
By stage
When to come and what to expect
Classes are not split by trimester, but my approach is always individual.
I adapt the exercises to the group in front of me and, within the group, I offer alternatives according to how each woman is doing that day.
Second trimester
The nicest time to start. The body has energy again and the bump isn’t yet in the way. We work on strength in the legs and back, opening the hips, and the breath you’ll want later.
Third trimester
Less dynamic, more support. More sitting, kneeling and side-lying, plenty of bolsters and blocks. The aim is to ease the back and pelvis and let the body rest even when it feels heavy.
After birth
Pelvic floor, abdominal wall, shoulders and neck after carrying and feeding. Very slowly and with no ambition to “get back in shape” — a body after birth doesn’t need training, it needs time and gentleness.
Before you start exercising, though, always talk to your doctor.
If you have questions about what it looks like with us, I will gladly answer them. Write to me.
How I work
What I promise and what I don’t
- I promise: safe positions for your trimester and adjustments for your body
- I promise: a small group, 12 places at most, and time for your questions
- I promise: breath and techniques you take with you off the mat
- I don’t promise an easy birth or any particular health outcome — nobody can
- I don’t replace your doctor, midwife or physiotherapist
If you have a high-risk pregnancy or your doctor has restricted movement, tell me beforehand — we’ll find a way, or I’ll tell you that now isn’t the right time.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Romana H. — Pregnancy yoga“Dear Gabi, I believe your yoga does good not only to a mother’s body and mind, but to the baby as well. Our little boy was born on Monday and, besides the birth itself being extremely calm, our bundle of joy keeps drawing on that same quiet energy. Thank you for every hour we spent together. It really mattered.”
Prices
How to begin
Choose a single class or a discounted pass, or a private class made to suit you.
- No commitment
- Props included
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the class
- 1 class FREE
- You can change the date
- Props included
- Valid for 6 months
- The pass is not transferable
- A pace entirely your own
- Suitable if you have limitations
- Props included
- You can join with 2 or 3 friends — the price depends on the number and the place, just write to me
- During pregnancy and after birth
- Ideal if you already have a child and do not want to arrange childcare
- For you + your child (more children by arrangement)
- Props included
- Time for you and fun for your child
- With a certified instructor of women’s, pregnancy and children’s yoga
- Props included
Questions
What people ask me most
When can I start?
Always talk to your doctor or midwife before you start.
When can I start?
Usually from week 12, so after the first trimester. The classes have no fixed start, so from week 12 you can join at any point in your pregnancy, provided your pregnancy is without complications and your doctor has not advised against movement — I adapt everything individually to the mums in the room. If you want to come before week 12, that is very individual and only by arrangement with me and with your doctor’s consent.
What if I don’t like the look of an exercise?
You skip it. Everything is an invitation, not an obligation — doubly so in pregnancy, when the body changes from week to week. Instead of the exercise you can simply lie down and breathe.
Will it prepare me for the birth?
It will prepare you to work with your breath and your own body in a demanding moment, and to notice when you’re bracing. That’s a skill that serves you in birth. How the birth itself goes is something nobody can guarantee, and I don’t.
Can I come after the birth?
Yes. Postnatal recovery is a subject of its own — pelvic floor, abdominal wall, shoulders and neck after carrying and feeding. Write and tell me how many weeks it’s been and I’ll advise when it’s a good time to start.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothes, water, and a blanket if you like to be warm. Mats, bolsters, blocks and straps are all at the studio.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothes are enough. You can change on the spot. All props, water and a small snack are available at the class. A mat is provided and disinfected after every class, but of course you can bring your own.
Contact
Write to me
I will gladly help you choose the class that suits you best right now, or answer any question you have.
Inner Temple
Kollárova 20, 902 01 Pezinok, Slovakia
gabi@wholeyoubygabi.sk
0908 107 122
@wholeyou_by_gabi
GabiI always reply personally.
Inner Temple
Kollárova 20, 902 01 Pezinok, Slovakia
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