Prenatal Yoga Retreats are perfect during pregnancy as they help you to relax and start preparing mentally and physically for birth and motherhood. With multiple locations around Sydney, Mother Nurture Yoga Pregnancy Day Retreats will help you step out of the busyness of your day-to-day life and reflect on the incredible journey you’re on.
Come alone or come with another pregnant friend or sister – either way our Pregnancy Yoga Retreat is a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience that you won’t want to miss!
Curious to know what to expect? We talked to Caroline Bagga, Founder of Mother Nurture Yoga and the creator behind Sydney’s best Prenatal Yoga Retreat (as announced by Sitchu Magazine).
“I’ve been leading Pregnancy Yoga Retreats since 2014” says Caroline. “Women were telling me they’re so busy it’s hard to commit to regular classes, but a one day commitment is achievable.”
“I love creating a safe space for women to deeply relax and learn more about birth,” she adds. “I guide the group through a beautiful yoga flow, share tips and tools for birth and take a deep dive into breathing techniques, active positions for labour, ways to self-manage aches and pains and finish with a deep, guided relaxation and sound bath using crystal singing bowls.”
Mother Nurture Yoga is offering seven dates during 2023 for Prenatal Yoga Retreats at two stunning retreat centres in Sydney (Swamis in North-West Sydney and Heart & Soul in Otford south of Sydney).
Both retreat centres set the scene immediately on arrival, making you feel instantly at ease. The food is healthy and delicious and there’s plenty of time for sharing stories with other pregnant women.
7 reasons you should treat yourself to a Prenatal Retreat in 2023
1. MEET AND BE INSPIRED BY OTHER MUMS-TO-BE
Social support reduces stressors and improves the emotional and physical well-being of pregnant women. But being surrounded by other like-minded pregnant women is a very special experience! A retreat is a safe space to go beyond the superficial and explore the stories of other mums-to-be who are on a similar (but unique) journey. Hearing their stories will inspire you, shine light on issues you’d not previously thought about, and help you to reflect on your own journey. Many women comment that meeting other pregnant mums is the highlight of their day and they swap contact details and stay in touch with each other.
Join us at the Pregnant and New Mums Community – a place where pregnant women and new Mummas can come to connect and talk about all things pregnancy and baby related!
2. LEARN TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOU TO MANAGE THE ACHES AND PAINS OF PREGNANCY
Aching hips, back, legs and lack of sleep are all part of pregnancy but there are ways to manage this which you’ll learn on the retreat, including yoga poses, stretching, self-massage, partner massage and fascial release. You’ll leave feeling refreshed and equipped to self-manage these aches and pains for the remainder of your pregnancy.
3. PREPARE YOUR BODY AND MIND FOR BIRTH AND MOTHERHOOD
Prenatal yoga helps to prepare your body for birth by developing long, supple muscles to make space for your baby, opening your hips and strengthening your pelvic floor. During the pregnancy day retreat, you’ll also learn breathing techniques to keep you calm and relaxed during labour and birth, as well as throughout the challenges of motherhood! But don’t worry if you’ve not done a lot of yoga before – everything is safe and manageable with lots of options to suit all bodies and stages of pregnancy.
As your mind turns to birth during the second and third trimester, it’s important to start educating yourself about what to expect. Not just learning the facts, but reflecting on your hopes and dreams, expressing your fears, understanding the hospital system and processing any emotional baggage. The birth education you’ll receive on our yoga day retreat is unlike anything you’ll learn during your hospital antenatal course. It’s informed by yogic philosophy and holistic in nature.
4. TAKE AWAY TOOLS TO HELP MANAGE PAIN DURING LABOUR
Even if you consider yourself someone with a low pain tolerance, the hormones that flow during labour are designed to make it a manageable experience. You’ll learn all about these hormones, including how to use them to your advantage for natural pain relief. And with practice and techniques, everyone can extend their pain threshold. Comfort measures for labour include breathing techniques, active positions/movement, massage, acupressure, meditation and many other coping mechanisms. You’ll leave the prenatal day retreat feeling full of confidence and armed with plenty of tools and techniques, including what to do if labour has stalled or isn’t going according to plan.
5. PRACTICE POSITIONS FOR ACTIVE LABOUR AND BIRTH
We’ve all watched the movies with the birthing woman lying on her back and this informs our opinions of how we’re supposed to give birth. During the prenatal day retreat we’ll bust through that myth and teach you labour and birth positions which are Upright, Forward Leaning and Open (UFO) which will let gravity do it’s work and make your experience feel much more comfortable and natural. You’ll leave with a handout so you can continue to practice these positions at home so they feel intuitive for you when the big day arrives.
6. STRETCH, RELAX AND NOURISH YOUR BODY + MIND
Let’s be honest, being pregnant is physically hard work! You’re carrying around the extra weight of your baby and your incredible body is undergoing many changes. If there’s ever a time to treat yourself to a little pampering, it’s now!!
Come along to the Prenatal Yoga Retreat embrace this little bit of calm before baby arrives and life changes forever, enjoy some ‘me-time’ and leave feeling grounded and balanced.
7. CONNECT DEEPLY WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR BABY
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget about the magic of the journey you’re on – especially if you already have another little one to run around after! Spending time at a pregnancy retreat will help you connect with yourself as well as your baby on a much deeper level than you could ever achieve during a one-hour class. The yoga sessions are designed with your needs in mind, with use of blocks, bolsters and blankets to make you super comfortable.
We understand if you don’t want to leave and go back to ‘the real world’! Luckily there’s always the option to stay overnight 😊
Join one of our Pregnancy Retreats
Honour your pregnancy, prepare yourself mentally and physically for birth and bond with your baby.
