Yoga Mama & Yoga Baby

I started in week 12, and I only took 5 weeks off during the term when I was teaching two academic writing classes. This means I've been doing yoga for 22 weeks of my 39-week pregnancy. I love it, Peanut loves it, and I firmly believe that yoga is the reason that I haven't experienced backaches, leg cramps, or any other kinds of aches and pain. I highly recommend it!! In fact, I think all pregnant women should do yoga. It's such a great way to relax, exercise, and bond with the baby.

The yoga class I've been going to is held twice a week in the Health Center of the Taiwan Adventist Hospital. I chose this class for four reasons. First, the teacher is a certified yoga instructor. She was trained in Seattle and continues to go to retreats and seminars in different parts of the world. Second, since it's held by a hospital, it's a lot less commercialized compared to the classes at some of the chic yoga centers in Taipei. You go there to do yoga, and no one will try to sell you expensive yoga outfit, accessories, or equipment. Also, it's cheaper than the other yoga centers. Each session is 10 hours of classes, and the tuition is about US$170 for the first session. However, you get 20% off for all the subsequent sessions you sign up for. The last and most important reason is the medical attention you receive. Before each class begins, our weight and blood pressure are measured and recorded by a nurse, and the instructor is informed if your blood pressure is too high or low today. It's a great way for us to keep track of our weight throughout the pregnancy, and it offers peace of mind knowing that there are medical professionals nearby should something happens in a class full of pregnant ladies.

The class always begins with a breathing exercise that helps us focus on our bodies. I particularly like "the River of Life". Helen, the yoga instructor, tells us to put one hand on our heart and the other on the baby. Then she asks us to imagine the River of Life flowing toward the baby as we inhale and it flowing back to our heart as we exhale. As I concentrate on the sound of my own breathing, I can really feel this intimate connection between Peanut and me.

Of all the poses we do, I love the standing poses, such as the Tree, the Warrior, and the Half Moon, because I can really feel the strength of my body. Peanut usually uses the hour to move around too. I'd imagine he's probably getting quite a workout as I bend and turn and gently flex my muscles. I love knowing that I'm strong and that my baby is getting stronger with me. What's best is that I know we'll be rewarded with complete relaxation when it comes time to rest.

Well, Peanut loves yoga; he's also a little trickster who loves messing around. As his punches and kicks get stronger, sometimes it makes doing yoga a bit more challenging. You Facebookers remember that I once tooted in yoga class because Peanut kicked me while I was on all fours with my butt sticking out. Today, while I was working on maintaining balance doing the "Half Moon Pose" (standing on one leg with the other leg raised to the same height as the hips), he jerked and nearly knocked me off balance. Also, when I was in the middle of a Downward Facing Dog, it felt like he was wiggling his fingers and tickling me. It was a really weird feeling.

This Friday is my last class. A couple of classmates who started with me from the beginning are due around the same time, so we made a pact to meet up again in about 2 months. As one classmate put it, "Then our kids can finally meet each other in person. After all, they've been doing yoga together for so many months."