THE
BARNES METHOD OF YOGA FOR TWO,
PRE-NATAL YOGA AND POSTPARTUM YOGA
KEY
PRINCIPLES
Alignment The
Barnes Method applies Anusara Yogas Universal Principles of
Alignment so women can create stability, build a strong foundation,
and become comfortable in their changing bodies as they open to
grace and celebrate new life. Students learn postures that eliminate
the common discomforts of pregnancy, postures that aid in labor
and delivery as well as postpartum. The Barnes Method also applies
therapeutic yoga techniques to help women deal with physical maladies
associated with pregnancy and the postpartum months.
Awareness
Yoga teaches us to be in the present, and
to turn our awareness inward. The Barnes Method gives women guidance
to trust their intuition as they enter motherhood. It emphasizes
that a womans body has an amazing blueprint for creating a
babyand for bringing this new life into the world. By developing
awareness of their own inherent wisdom, women are able to trust
that their bodies know what to do during childbirth.
Breathwork
Yogic breathing helps us control the central nervous system. In
Yoga for Two Pre-natal Workshops, women learn to breathe deeply
using the diaphragm. The deeper a woman breathes in labor, the higher
her pain threshold will be. The Barnes Method also teaches women
and their birth partners to exhale push during stage
two of labor, instead of holding the breath while bearing down.
The Barnes Method teaches women to exhale as they push, promoting
the downward release of the birth energy and a more easeful birth.
Sound
Vibration
The Barnes Method encourages pregnant women to lose any inhibitions
they may have about making sounds so they ultimately use sound vibrations
to aid in childbirth. Chanting and humming soft and low sounds draws
out the breath, which calms the nervous system. It also softens
the throat, which allows the muscles of the pelvic floor to release.
Just as sound can be a point of focus during yoga practice, it can
be a point of concentration that helps in labor.
Strength
Teaching women how to safely strengthen their abdominal muscles
helps them maintain postural integrity during pregnancy, push effectively
during labor, and regain the strength of abdominal and pelvic floor
muscles after birth. In addition to strengthening the abdominal
muscles, the Barnes Method incorporates the full range of yoga poses
to stretch and strengthen the entire body.
Community
For thousands of years, in every culture and
climate, women have shared and passed on the wisdom of their bodies
and the secrets of childbirth and motherhood. YOGA FOR TWO
prenatal and post-partum yoga classes allow women to celebrate new
life in the company of other women who are also going through the
same process.
©
Copyright, Mary Ryan Barnes. All rights reserved, 2002. Site
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