Yoga nidra for pregnancy and birth
Motherhood is one of the most profound transitions a woman can experience, time of deep love, expansion, challenge and a lot of change. Yoga nidra supports pregnancy and birth by fostering a deep mind-body connection with the baby and the birthing process and can help manage the physical, mental and emotional demands of pregnancy, a long with the anticipation of birth.
Yoga nidra is a guided practice that can also help mothers visualise and mentally prepare for birth, fostering emotional well-being, and encourage self-care during the transformative journey of motherhood. Yoga nidra extends into supporting postpartum recovery by aiding rest and easing anxiety for both mother and baby.
Yoga nidra is scientifically proven to initiate the parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest response that in turn promotes relaxation, reducing stress and easing anxiety.
Yoga nidra during Pregnancy
Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Regular practice can soothe the nervous system, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety common during pregnancy.
Enhances Connection with Baby: The practice facilitates a deep connection with the developing baby, creating an opportunity for visualisation and mother-baby attunement.
Improves Sleep: Yoga nidra promotes deep rest, helping to combat pregnancy insomnia and fatigue by allowing the mother's body to relax mentally and emotionally.
Fosters Body Awareness: It deepens awareness of the body, including the pelvis and core, which helps in understanding the body's wisdom and making informed choices for comfort and ease.
Yoga nidra for birth Preparation
Exploring birth stories and belief systems: We carry many pre conditioned ideas and expectations around birth, as well as our own birth stories and the intergenerational birth trauma from our own mothers and ancestors. A tailored Yoga nidra supports women to explore what emotions, blocks or belief systems they may be holding onto.
Self acceptance: Yoga nidra creates a safe space where a mothers can explore these fears, emotions or blocks and move into a place of self acceptance and self love.
Focusing on what you want: In a Yoga nidra 1:1 we identify what it is you do want. We explore how you want to feel about birth and during the birth itself rather than what they don’t want.
Regular practice: Listening to your Yoga nidra recording 3-4 times per week can have a powerful effect on the subconscious mind. Through repetition of intentions and guided imagery, neural pathways in the subconscious can be strengthened to support new thoughts, behaviours, and attitudes around birth.
Yoga nidra during Birth (Labour)
Promotes Deep Relaxation: For labour, yoga nidra focuses on relaxing the body, especially the jaw, tongue, and pelvic floor, to support the maximum relaxation needed for the birthing process.
Uses Breath for Strength: Deep breaths and the use of humming sounds during strong surges can help manage intensity, draw energy into the womb, and promote opening and movement.
Trusts the Body's Process: The practice encourages surrendering to the body's natural wisdom and the birthing process, fostering trust and empowering the mother to move as needed.
Yoga nidra in the Postpartum period
Aids Sleep and Healing: Yoga nidra provides deep relaxation, which is crucial for healing and recovery after birth, especially when sleep is broken.
Supports Maternal Psyche: The practice can acknowledge the challenges of motherhood, affirm the new role, and encourage self-compassion and a positive mindset during the postpartum transition.
Soothes and Stabilizes: It offers a therapeutic approach for both mothers and fathers to manage overstimulation, anxiety, and the general exhaustion that can accompany new parenthood.
Yoga nidra 1:1 consultation and recording with Anna
What’s included:
Investment is $195 (required at time of initial consultation) and includes:
60 minute Initial consultation/set up session in person or online. During your initial Yoga nidra set up session we will discuss what emotions, negative thought patterns or limiting beliefs may have been created around birth. From here we will work on intention setting and exploring WHAT IT IS YOU DO WANT. We will also discuss the content and imagery for creating your tailored Yoga nidra recording and the creation of your ‘Sankalpa’ (intention/affirmation).
60 minutes of scripting - Once we have finalised your Sankalpa and you preferred imagery I spend approx. 60 minutes writing your personal Yoga nidra script.
60 minutes of recording time - The recording of you unique personal Yoga nidra recording lasting approx 30 minutes. The nidra will incorporate a reset for the nervous system, a short breathwork, planting your ‘Sankalpa’ and your visualisation journey, including the areas identified in our consultation above.
TOTAL OF 3 HOURS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is Yoga nidra?
Yoga nidra is a Sanskrit word from the Vedic texts (originating from ancient India) and is part of the Yogic teachings and philosophy.
Yoga - To unite or bring together, interconnectedness, the state of oneness.
Nidra - Sleep, Deep Sleep, Changing State of Consciousness.
Yoga Nidra - a State of Pure Awareness in the Deepest State of Relaxation/Sleep
Yoga nidra is a unique state of consciousness, where the body is in a deep state of sleep, the brain is aware but resides in a dream-like state. You are completely relaxed but awake, although falling into a deep sleep is very common due to our high levels of sleep deprivation. In a Yoga nidra practice there is a progressive movement through the brain wave states that naturally occur during sleep. Gradually, Yoga nidra brings the mind into a natural stillness. A deep state of rest with conscious awareness. In the state of Yoga nidra, there are DELTA brain waves present, this is the deep, slow wave state, associated with tissue and brain repair. Simultaneously, ALPHA brain waves are present, these are often reached through practices such as Yoga and meditation. This is a calm and tranquil state and is the UNIQUE combination where the body and mind reside in the deepest level of regeneration. Unlike deep sleep you are consciously aware at the same time. That conscious awareness combined with ALPHA brain waves gives us powerful access to shifting deep seated belief systems, behavioural patterns and conditioning.
How is Yoga nidra different from Meditation?
1. You are lying down on your back (in Savasana) unlike meditation where you are typically in a seated position. Stillness is more effortless and it is easier to reach deep states of relaxation when lying down. When we are seated it is impossible to completely relax as the spine is engaged.
2. Yoga nidra is fully guided. Meditation uses an anchor like the breath to return to. There may be some guidance in meditation but generally it is up to the individual to guide themselves back to the anchor when the mind wanders. This can take years and years of practice.
3. Yoga nidra moves beyond the waking state into a dream state (Theta and Delta brain waves) accessing deeper layers of consciousness and is an exploration of self. Unlike meditation where you remain in a waking state (Beta and Alpha brain waves).
What is a Sankalpa?
Sankalpa is a Sanskrit word from the ancient Vedic texts.
San - born from your heart
Kalpa - over eons (something that will remain true over eons)
A Sankalpa is your heart's desire, an intention, a seedling. It is different to a goal as there is no time frame or time pressure.
Why do we work with Sankalpa in Yoga nidra?
Working with an intention in the waking state can dilute an intention. Using the conscious mind may work in direct conflict with our subconscious. In Yoga nidra the conscious mind is quiet and allows us powerful access to the subconscious. The Sankalpa provides a lighthouse guiding you to your true north, your heart's desire and purpose. You may work with more than one Sankalpa at any given time. It is common to have a primary and secondary Sankalpa, and they will change over time as you evolve.
What is Samskara?
The word Samskara is a Sanskrit word meaning 'little groove or impression'.
Sam - complete or joined together
Kara - action, cause, or doing
You can think of Samskaras to be like neural pathways. Samskaras are individual impressions, ideas, or actions; taken together, our Samskaras make up our conditioning and affect our Karma (our way of being). Repeating Samskaras reinforces them, creating a groove that becomes deeper with each repetition. Samskaras can be passed down from past lives and ancestors when we are born. They can also be created over our lifetime. There are 'positive' and ‘negative’ Samskaras. Negative Samskaras hinder our positive evolution and take us away from our Sankalpa. We work on reversing negative Sanskaras during Yoga nidra and reinforcing positive ones. Yoga nidra is a powerful tool for rewiring the neuroplasticity of the brain because the rewiring process happens during sleep in Theta and Delta brain wave states, where we reside in Yoga nidra.
What is Ashraya/inner resource and how do we use this in Yoga nidra?
Ashraya is a Sanskrit word meaning 'coming home', inner resource' or 'inner sanctuary'.
Ashraya is a tool for developing emotional resilience. Your Ashraya is unique to you. It is somewhere or something that creates a somatic experience, meaning it is perceived from within the body. Your Ashraya will create feelings of peace, ease, safety, support, love, connectedness, stability, stillness, balance and calm. An Ashraya can take months, even years of practice to cultivate. Yoga nidra give us the perfect space to cultivate this inner resource. We can utilise our Ashraya when we are triggered, or when the reactive fight or flight mode is dominating and we need a safe place to return to. We cultivate this from within during Yoga nidra allowing us to return to our safe place again and again with practice, so that it eventually becomes second nature. Like a Sankalpa your Ashraya may change over time.
What to expect from your initial set up session?
During your initial Yoga nidra set up session we will discuss an area of your life that you wish to work on and what negative Samskaras may have been created around this area of focus . From here we will develop a primary Sankalpa and an potentially your ‘Ashraya’ that I will use in creating your tailored Yoga nidra recording.
What can I expect from my Yoga nidra recording?
These are different and unique to each individual but generally your Yoga nidra recording will focus on breathing techniques and calming the central nervous system, ensuring that you are out of your reactive fight or flight state and residing in your natural state of rest and digest. This allows your body and subconscious to associate your Sankalpa with peaceful and calm sensations in the body and reinforce positive Samskaras.
How many times a week should I listen to my Yoga nidra recordings?
It is recommended that you listen to a recording at least 3-4 times per week but more if you can.
Cancellation Policy
Please click here to read the Terms & Conditions page for full cancellation and privacy policy.
Cancellation fees - Kinesiology, Reiki & Yoga Nidra 1:1 services:
Cancellation within 4 days of the appointment incurs a fee of 25% of the service cost
(Rescheduling an appointment within the late cancellation time period does not waive the cancellation fee. If the practitioner is able to fill the appointment slot, the cancellation fee still applies).
Late Cancellation within 48 hours of the appointment incurs a full fee of the service cost. No show incurs a full fee of the service costs.