Yoga Moves
Welcome Yoga Moves friend!
Pregnancy Yoga Classes
Are you pregnant, looking for prenatal yoga classes, ánd you currently have class credits or a membership at Yoga Moves? You are in the right place! We are Yoga Moves’ partner for all preganacy yoga, postnatal yoga ánd birth prep classes. You are very welcome to join in our weekly classes from 14 weeks of pregnancy on. Please find all the information you need below. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Pregnancy Yoga
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
You are very welcome to our yoga studio which is specialized in yoga and relaxation before, during and after pregnancy. We look forward to meeting you and to guide you during this special phase of your life.
As a yogi from Yoga Moves, you may be used to taking yoga classes regularly, and this doesn’t have to change now that you are pregnant. We offer many weekly prenatal (pregancy) yoga classes, both live in Utrecht as well as through live-stream via Zoom. You are welcome to also join in classes at two of the Yoga Moves locations familiar to you.
When entering your second trimester (from 14 weeks of pregnancy on) regular yoga classes become less and less suitable for a pregnant body. Pregnancy yoga classes are especially designed for pregnant women, both keeping them safe and healthy as well as fit and relaxed during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga is suitable for all pregnant women from 14 weeks on and until birth, for women with or without yoga experience, and even when you are experiencing physical complaints or inconveniences such as pelvic (floor) issues.
You are welcome to try a class first before you decide to continue, buying a trial class for only €12,50. If you want to join in more regularly, a 5, 10 or 25 class card may be a suitable and cost-friendly option. Credits left over after birth can be used for our postnatal yoga classes (yoga after birth).
Signing up for Pregnancy Yoga
- In case you have remaining class credits or a membership at Yoga Moves, your credits or membership will be frozen until you feel ready to return to your regular yoga classes. To arrange this, please contact Yoga Moves at contact@yogamoves.nl.
- We offer both in-studio and online (via Zoom) pregnancy yoga classes, also accessible to English speakers. We are very flexible: Take classes, where and when it suits you.
To Sign up with us:
- As a client from Yoga Moves you already have a B-sport account, you just have to activate it for our studio (studio Vandaan).
- 1. Log in with your existing e-mail address and pass word which you already use for B-sport.
- 2. Fill out our registration form
- 3. Enter our portal, where you can find our class cards and yoga schedule.
- 4. Buy a trial class or one of the class cards (use the code below for a discount on our 10 class card!)
- 5. Register in one or more of our classes through our hybrid yoga schedule.
- Please note: Canceling or changing your reservation can be done easily in your account and is free of charge until 24 hours before class starts.
- After your pregnancy we advise you to take Postnatal yoga classes before returning to your regular yoga or sports practice. Read all about how to safely return to regular yoga in our Guidelines.
- Moving on after the postnatal phase? When restarting regular yoga classes, Yoga Moves offers you a special discount!
As a yogi client from Yoga Moves, we offer you a special €15,00 discount on your first 10-Class Card! You can buy it for just €140,00 (instead of €155,00), by filling in the discount code YMPRY23! on check out.
You are pregnant!
Being pregnant is an intense and beautiful process in which your body changes in many ways due to hormonal shifts. You are building a baby! During this amazing process it is of great importance to take good care of yourself. For us, modern women, this can be a challenge in itself as we often face many challenges; combining work, family and a busy social life.
To be in a good state, both mentally and physically, is the best preparation for birth and the first months after birth. Practicing prenatal yoga (pregnancy yoga) will not only help you to feel fit and flexible, prevent complaints in especially the pelvic area, help you to cope with the changes in your body and daily life, but will also practically contribute to your preparation for birth. What is more, prenatal yoga enables you to be in contact with your growing baby, being pregnant in a conscious way and to experience those precious moments of deep relaxation.
Our Prenatal Yoga Classes:
- Stimulate your physical fitness, posture and mobility during pregnancy.
- Improve your body awareness and helps you to feel what your needs are at this moment.
- Improve, physical and mental power and resillience, trust and intuition.
- Relax body and mind and helps you to make space for you and your baby in your busy, daily life.
- Support the connection between you and your baby.
- Allow you to practice poses, movements and transitions which play an important role during birth, and keep you (and your pelvic area) save during pregnancy ánd beyond.
- Offer a space for questions and exchange with other mums-to-be in Utrecht (or online). both Dutch and international.
“I honestly couldn’t be more thankful for your guidance and advice. I basically gave birth using the birthing exercises and positions you suggested. Thing is, they were very impressed by my movements and the breathing. I gave your name to all the personnel that helped me deliver my baby. They couldn’t believe I gave birth based on yoga coaching.
To be honest I will miss our prenatal sessions having also my little one in my tummy. But I’m looking forward to our next classes. I enjoy yoga a lot but you are one of the few instructors that motivated me so much to keep going. Thank you very much again for everything.”
– Marina, followed live-stream pregnancy yoga classes with Nadine
What do we do in class?
At studio Vandaan we offer the Birthlight method of prenatal yoga, developed by Francoise Freedman. These are soft yoga classes pay attention to both mom and baby and aim at caring for moms-to-be from the start of pregnancy. During our classes, which last for 75 min, we practice yogaposes that keep your body flexible and strong and the pelvic area safe. Moreover, we practice breathing techniques for relaxation and make you familiar with positions for labour & birth so chances are greater you will be using them at the time of labour.
Our Birthlight prenatal yoga classes are suitable for all pregnant women from 14 weeks pregnancy on. No need for any experience or flexibility :-). Join us when and where it suits you; be it weekly in the same class or changing classes as you wish. We recommend starting from 14-18 weeks on so you will be well prepared when the time arrives to have your baby.
The classes take 75 min and we combine breathing exercises, yoga postures, movements and meditations together with deep relaxation at the end. There is time for practical questions and sharing experiences as well.
You can sign up for a discounted trial class and reserve your spot in one of our classes through our hybrid Yoga Schedule.
Birth Preparation
We offer several options in English to help you be well-prepared for the birth of your little one. We offer both group classes and several private options in English. We advise you to plan one of these options around your 35th week of pregnancy.
All options are practical and informative. During the classes we guide you through the phases of natural birth, show and practice useful breathing techniques, positions for labour & birth and poses and movements from Birthlight prenatal yoga, for each stage of labour. You will learn how to encourage the natural process of birth and will see how your (birth)partner can support you during the process. All practices are specifically focused towards giving birth in the most relaxed way possible.
Group Classes
1. Group Partnerclass (2 hrs) in English
In this compact birth prep class we teach you all we can in 2 hrs about giving birth and aiding the process with yoga, breath and massage. We teach this class in English every other month. More info
2. Birth Prep Course (2×2 hrs) in English
For you or together with your (birth)partner. In these 2 classes of 2 hrs we elaborately discuss natural birth and how to support it yourself and together. In the course there is ample time to practice positions for labour & birth as well as breathing and massage techniques to relieve pain and tension. We teach this course in English every month. More Info
Private Options
- Private Prenatal Partner Class (2 hrs) for you ánd your (birth) partner together at your own home: In this compact birth prep class we teach you all we can in 2 hrs about giving birth and aiding the process with yoga, breath and massage. More info
- Private Birth Prep Speed Course (3hrs) For yourself or together with your (birth)partner. With an hour extra we have more time to dive into the practices and specifically cater the class to your needs or wishes for birth.
- Private Birth Prep Course (4 hrs) For yourself or together with your partner: In these 2 classes of 2 hrs we elaborately discuss natural birth and how to support it yourself and together. In the course there is ample time to practice positions for labour & birth as well as breathing and massage techniques to relieve pain and tension. More Info
- Private Birth & Postpartum Prep (4hrs) For yourself or together with your (birth)partner: In these 2 classes of 2 hrs, you gain the necessary insights, knowledge and practices to be well prepared for both birth as well as the first 6 postpartum weeks after birth.
We advise you to plan a birth prep class or course in your 35th week of pregnancy. To book any of these private options, please send us an e-mail.
“During our lessons you always compared yoga teachers to taste in chocolate and I just wanted to let you know that you are my tripple chocolate with cream and sprinkles teacher :D. I am so thankful for the weekly moments were I could get out of my head and connect with my body and my baby. It gave me so much peace. During labor I used a lot of our breathing techniques and barely experienced any pain. My birth was a very positive experience and I just wanted to let you know that you played a big role in it. You’ve changed my life completely, because a woman’s birth stays with her, her entire life. Thank you so much for that!”
– Juliane followed live-stream pregnancy yoga during her first pregnancy
Yoga after Pregnancy
During late pregnancy your body creates maximum space for your baby. After giving birth, you want your body to close, heal and gently recover. To support your physical recovery, we at studio Vandaan offer specific Birthlight postnatal yoga classes, suitable for new moms from 6 weeks after birth, and until you feel ready to move on.
In these soft yoga classes we practice soft yogaposes and movements that rebuild your core strength in a safe way and from the inside out. We pay attention to any issues that may play a role in your postnatal body; from diastasis, pelvic (floor) issues, lower back pain, to stiffness in your shoulders and so forth. We practice breathing techniques for a relaxed mother’s mind and an important part of class is the sharing of experiences with other moms as well as a well deserved deep end relaxation.
We cannot stress this enough: be gentle, patient and take things slow! Your future body will thank you big time. Focus on healing the inside and the outside will follow. In our postnatal classes we therefore focus on two important things: stabilising the pelvis and closing the body from the inside out. This means we take time to breathe, feel the pelvis and bring it back to a neutral stance and work on posture to align the spine. Slow steady breathing helps to close the ribs, belly (diastasis) and pelvic floor muscles. We focus on gentle exercises that feel very powerful and supporting after giving birth and will help you, with time, to safely return to your regular yoga or sports practice.
Returning to Yoga Moves
After taking postnatal yoga classes for a while (how long this is, is very personal and very much depends on how you and your body feel and recover), you may feel ready to return to regular yoga classes at Yoga Moves.
Please know that your body takes at least 9 months to a year to fully recover from 9 months of pregnancy and the birth of your baby. This experience is not to be taken lightly. To prevent any injuries, pelvic(floor) or back issues in the long run, we do recommend you, as a new mom, to take it slow and to consciously build up your yoga practice.
We therefore recommend to start your regular practice with the following types of yoga: well-women or hormone yoga, restorative, hatha, slow flow or inner axis yoga (find an explanation of these slower styles) then slowly building up to the more Yang or active yoga forms such as Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga. You can find more info on Yoga Moves’ yoga styles here.
When practicing regular yoga as a new mom, we highly recommend taking these guidelines for yoga after birth into account.
When (re)starting regular yoga classes after your pregnancy, Yoga Moves offers a special discount. You can choose between a 10x class card for €99,- instead of €139,- with the code: VANDAAN2022, or 50% discount on your first month membership. Simply enter your promo code upon check out, or reach out to Yoga Moves via contact@yogamoves.nl for the special offer on your membership.