Valerie May Yoga

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Vinyasa flow yoga teacher providing group classes, pregnancy and post-natal yoga, one-to-ones and co

07/10/2026

I think motherhood might be one of the most advanced yoga practices there is.

Not because you’re doing poses or breathing techniques, but because you’re constantly being asked to hold two completely contradictory things at the same time.

And perhaps the practice isn’t trying to resolve that contradiction at all.

It’s learning to be a little more comfortable living inside it.

04/10/2026

We hear so many stories about birth before we ever experience it ourselves.

And without really noticing, those stories can start becoming our expectations.

I’m not suggesting we only share positive birth stories or pretend difficult and traumatic births don’t happen. They do.

But “birth is horrendous and you just have to get through it” isn’t a story you have to take into labour with you.

For me, preparing for birth is partly about noticing the stories and fears you’ve already picked up, and learning how to work with your mind when those fears show up.

You don’t need to go into labour fearless.

But you can go in having practised how to come back to yourself when fear arrives.

That’s part of birth preparation too.

29/09/2026

I’m definitely not saying stop listening to birth stories.

I completely understand why we do it. We want to know what happened to other women because somewhere underneath it all we’re hoping it will help us feel more certain about what will happen to us.

But we can’t know exactly how our own birth will unfold.

For me, real birth preparation is about moving beyond just knowing and actually practising.

So when things get intense or don’t go quite as expected, you’re not trying to remember what someone else did.

You have something familiar in your own body to come back to.

I’ve got lots more coming on this very soon.

25/09/2026

You've attended an antenatal course where birth was discussed as something that happens in a logical order, a series of stages.

Early and established labour, transiton and birth. Followed by choices and interventions that may happen along the way.

It all sounds straightforward when you are sitting listening to this but, frankly birth doesn't unfold in a neat mathematical sequence.

How your birth happens is shaped by a complex mix of interconnected factors.

Hormones, nervous system, brain, emotions and environment all interacting and responding to one another.

Feeling safe can influence your nervous system, which affects your stress and birthing hormones.

How you move, breath and position yourself matters too.

So does your mindset, particularly when things get challenging or something changes that isn't quite on the birth plan.

No single factor controls the outcome, but each plays a part in creating the optimal conditions for birth to unfold.

This is why I believe in a different approach to birth prep.

You need info, then a method, THEN you need to practise applying it before the big day.

Understanding birth physiology gives you the context for how your body and mind are working.

Breath, movement, relaxation and positioning are key but they need to be felt in the body before going into the birthing room.

You philosophy helps with the part that can't always be rehearsed or predicted. It helps you not attach to one particular outcome and gives you a way to meet intensity and uncertainty with presence and awareness.

When you have all of that, you go into birth knowing more than the stages of labour and all the intellectual stuff.

Instead you understand yourself within the birth experience.

So when fear takes over, you know how to come back to your breath and the technique that helps because you're actually practised it.

And if your birth changes direction you have skills to adapt without feeling you've failed because it doesn't match the perfect plan.

Once you understand that birth doesn't follow a script and never happens in neat, separate parts, why would we prepare for it in that way?

Keep watching for more.

24/09/2026

You can either keep gathering more and more information, which will probably just leave you with even more to think about.

Or, you can invest in learning how to actually prepare for birth and feel calmer more confident and ready yo respond when your birthing day comes.

If you are ready for option two stay tuned as I am bringing together something very special and unique for you that will help you more from information overload to feeling practically prepared, calm and confident for birth.

23/09/2026

Your first thought might be, wait seriously? Relaxing in a room full of babies?

But guess what. It is totally possible.

My client had just enjoyed the mum yoga section of the class and her baby was fast asleep. So she took up my offer to lie back on a bolster to stretch her shoulders and chest whilst everyone else did the baby yoga section.

In her own words she said that "the combination of being in your beautiful, peaceful garden setting with the sound of the rain outside in the background made it feel so relaxing. It was almost like being in a little spa but with baby right there next to me, which made it feel even more special. I think it’s a rare feeling as a new mum to be able to properly switch off and have a moment of calm and relaxation. It felt really peaceful and grounding."

The zen doesn’t end when the yoga finishes, as we top it off by catching up over a lovely cup of tea or coffee together afterwards while the babies chill.

So you think you can’t possibly relax at a class with your baby. Well it turns out that you don’t need a childfree weekend to find your calm and connect with other mums.

Want to experience the vibes for yourself drop me a comment or a message to book your space for next week.

Address

Green Lane
London
BR76

Telephone

+447909518584

Website

http://www.valeriemayyoga.com/

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