What’s your style?

by Jeanna Lurie

Looking at the schedule of a yoga studio reveals a plethora of yoga styles: vinyasa, yin, Iyengar, restorative, slow-flow, prenatal….Wait, prenatal?! Is that actually a style of a yoga? It makes sense on a schedule to label a class as prenatal because, of course, it targets a very specific audience. However, prenatal is not in itself a style of yoga. I may be getting into semantics here, but prenatal is really a sub-heading of any style of yoga: A prenatal class may be vinyasa, yin, Iyengar, restorative, or any other style for that matter.  Even Bikram yoga offers a sequence of poses and modifications for the childbearing year.

This makes prenatal yoga available quite literally to any expectant mother. Those that had a yoga practice prior to pregnancy can continue to practice what they love with a few simple modifications. An athletic mother new to yoga may enjoy a prenatal vinyasa class. A working mother who is looking to reduce stress from her job may gravitate towards a restorative prenatal class. Mothers with physical discomforts will benefit from the precise alignment cues of Iyengar yoga. The prenatal classes with which I am familiar, often include a combination of these styles.

Lotus Blossom Prenatal Yoga is NOT a style or method of yoga. We aim to give our trainees tools that allow them to transform the classes they teach, whatever style they may be, into an appropriate practice for an expectant (or postpartum) audience. One of our modules is devoted specifically to applying prenatal elements to the various yoga styles that resonate with our trainees.

So…what’s your style?