B.R.A.I.N.

In this blog post I explain the acronym B.R.A.I.N.

It is a really useful tool to use when making choices, and is especially well known in the world of Pregnancy, Labour and Birth, when having to make choices can come quickly and without much warning. I’ve included a free B.R.A.I.N. card to print out to use at antenatal appointments, through labour, birth and postnatally.

B.R.A.I.N. can also be used by anyone for day to day, and more complex decisions. I invite you to have a read and see if this tool could be helpful for you.

10 Books for your Christmas List

I’m a big fan of books. Any kind of book- fiction, non-fiction, hard back, paper back, kindle. I thought I’d share 10 books with you that I’ve loved over the past 12 months or so. There’s a variety, but they are all focused on yoga and mindfulness, and cover the breadth of my classes from pregnancy to meditation to menopause.

Whether you add them to your Christmas list, or are looking for a gift for a friend, you can find all of them (and lots more recommendations) on my https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Breathingspaceyoga pages – if you buy from there you support local bookshops and also a little tiny commission comes to me. Otherwise they are available from most of your usual booksellers.

Let me know if you read any of them…

10 Teacher Trainings

When you choose to train as a yoga teacher, there is a huge range of training that you can access. In the Western World you usually choose a 200 hour yoga course, or similar, to begin with, and then from there the world’s your oyster!

Read about some of my favourite teacher trainings over the past ten years and why my students are my biggest teachers…

Ten active birth positions to help you and your baby through labour and birth

In this blog post I share ten active birth positions, which are just some of infinite variations you may discover as you labour and birth your baby in your own unique way. You can use them at home or in hospital, and even when you are being monitored.

They are a far cry from the usual way we imagine birth – lying on our backs with our legs wide. TV, film and the now more medicalised labour and birth system we have, often promote lying on our backs as the way to give birth. They have somehow forgotten about the natural process of birthing, using gravity and tapping into instinct which can be shorter and offer less discomfort.

Whatever position you and your body want to be in is ok, your professional support whether at home or hospital can work with you and around you in the way that you want to. Everything is your choice – it’s your body, your baby and your decision – including the positions you take to labour and birth in the best way for you and your baby.

Try these positions out during pregnancy – it will help prepare you for your labour and birth and then have them in your toolkit when the time comes to meet your baby.

Yoga Tips, Yoga for PregnancySarah CloverJune 6, 2023Pregnancy Yoga, top tips

Pelvic stability in pregnancy - 4 top tips

It's really important to have an understanding of your pelvis in pregnancy, how to keep it healthy and stable and how best to use it during labour and birth.

The female pelvis is designed with childbirth in mind, it is an amazing structure. The down side to the amazing ability of the female pelvis to not only be flexible, but also to house a growing baby, placenta, and all its usual organs and systems is that a lot of pressure is put on both the bony pelvis and the muscles and ligaments such as the sacroiliac, symphysis pubis and pelvic floor.

Read on to find out more about how to keep your pelvis stable and healthy during your pregnancy…

Yoga for Pregnancy, Yoga TipsSarah CloverJuly 13, 2022Pregnancy Yoga

Why you should learn to relax in pregnancy

We're not usually taught to relax, for some of us it's fairly easy to stop and chill out. For others it's really hard. Pregnancy may also bring additional challenges of physical discomforts and new worries as you navigate your pregnancy, labour and birth. Relaxation can be a challenge.

When we relax we support our parasympathetic nervous system, the side of our nervous system that dials down stress, anxiety and busy-ness. When we release tensions through the body we immediately feel better and this also helps to signal the mind to become more relaxed as well. When we relax, our heart rate slows and our breathing becomes more easeful.

Your baby feels everything that happens in your body. Tension and tightness, release and relaxation. A calm and relaxed body signals to your baby that all is well, they are safe and secure.

Read on to find tips on ways to relax and resources to help you…

Yoga for Pregnancy, Pregnancy YogaSarah CloverMay 15, 2022Pregnancy Yoga, relaxation, stress

How to find the right yoga class.

In this blog post I guide you through the types of yoga class you might find in your local area. There's a real spectrum of yoga, like music or dance there are many styles, some you will like and some you won't be so keen on. Depending on where and who a class teacher has trained with will influence how they teach.

I will guide you through some of the considerations you might like to make whilst deciding what class to try, what you should expect from a good yoga teacher, and when you know you’ve found the right class for your body and mind.

Yoga Practice, Yoga for Pregnancy, Postnatal Yoga, Baby YogaSarah CloverSeptember 27, 2021yoga class, yoga practice, top tips, yoga tips

4 books you should read if you are expecting a baby (and I wish I had read when I was pregnant)

Knowledge is power. If you are expecting a baby there is a wealth of information out there to support your pregnancy and birth, as you have no doubt discovered.

You've probably read some blogs, joined some apps and booked a pregnancy yoga class, new parent class or NCT class. You may have been given information by your midwife, or at antenatal appointments. Friends and family may have offered you advice.

Through all of this information is threaded the medical model of pregnancy, labour and birth, this is the basis for how we learn about pregnancy and birth.

Whilst the development of medicine and technology has supported the labour and birth process, in other ways it can get in the way. We have replaced handed down knowledge from generations of women, with medical rules and systems that makes pregnancy and birth appear to be a hospital procedure, something done to a woman, rather than a process led by and owned by the woman herself.

Here are 4 books that will give you wider information and help you to have an active labour and birth. They include tools and techniques to help your labour progress positively and even joyfully; how to ensure both mother and baby are well supported, empowered and able to make confident choices whether in hospital or at home. Everyone expecting a baby should read at least one of these – mother, partner and anyone supporting a mother and baby.

Yoga for Pregnancy, Pregnancy YogaSarah CloverJuly 13, 2021Pregnancy Yoga

Cautious or Can't Wait?

It's almost time for yoga classes to return to in-person. We await the next level of restrictions lifting on 17th May, and government confirmation that we can get back to practicing in a room together in England.

But how are you feeling about this? The reality is that we're not all ready to plunge back into closer proximity to others, and that's ok.

I spent a lot of time last autumn, working out a comprehensive covid policy and procedure for in-person classes. When we were not in lockdown, we came together safely and I felt confident hosting and teaching classes because this was in place and we all adhered to it. We could still chat, make social connections and enjoy being together. Mums and babies, and pregnant ladies could make those important networks and share experiences. Students commented that they felt safe and it was joyful to practice together.

In this blog post I talk about how I am feeling as we go back to class and how my covid policy and procedures can help you feel reassured. Whatever the individual journey we have had to navigate and wherever we are on the scale of cautious to can't wait I welcome you to class whenever you feel ready.

4 Books to take you into 2021

Over the past year I have been reading a lot, some fiction, lots of yoga books and these four books that I highly recommend.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

A brilliant book which explains in a pretty straightforward way why enough good quality sleep is essential, what gets in the way of sleep and how we can sleep better.

Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish
This book includes not only candid poetry about her journey of pregnancy and new motherhood, but also includes some lovely prose giving context and background to the poems and her experiences.

Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms by Kate Northrup
In 14 'Experiments' Kate suggests simple ways to look at your work flow, daily working habits and also self-care to work better and do less. You can implement the ones that resonate easily one by one or a few at a time.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
This one needs no introduction. Michelle is an inspiration and her book won't disappoint.

Read on to find out why I love each of these books

Occasional Thoughts Blog

07977093373• sarah@breathingspace-yoga.com