Pregnancy Yoga Programme

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14-22 22-32 32+

We have partnered with international yoga teacher Mercedes Sieff to deliver her private three-stage pregnancy yoga programme to your home or workplace via specially trained teachers.

Mercedes Sieff is co-founder of the award winning health retreat Yeotown in Devon as well as the Yeotown Kitchen in London. An expert vinyasa flow yoga teacher and certified Positive Psychology coach, her passion is guiding people on how to build upon their existing strengths in order to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, cultivate what is best within themselves, and enhance their experiences of love, work and play. Oh, and she's also a mother of two gorgeous girls.

The Pommama programme is a vinyasa flow style of yoga with modifications for pregnancy. Unlike many prenatal yoga lessons based on a more static 'hatha' style of yoga, a private prenatal Pommama class is breath and movement-based and focuses on staying active, strong and connected as your pregnancy progresses.

We don't believe one class suits every stage of pregnancy. Many active women have told us they found pregnancy yoga lessons boring, especially in the earlier weeks when they still very much wanted to move. "I went to a couple of classes when I was pregnant myself and thought they were neither one thing nor the other," says Mercedes. "Your body is not the same at 16 weeks as it is at 36 weeks and your practice is very different. I soon gave up and went back to my regular practice and simply adapted it as I went. This is really what this type of pregnancy yoga is - an adapted vinyasa flow class."

We are delighted to roll out Mercedes three-stage prenatal programme, via our private Pommama teachers.

What can you expect?

Stage one: 14-22 weeks
An active flow focusing on creating space in hips and pelvis, prepping for a bigger belly and shifting awareness to changes in the body.
Says Mercedes: "At this stage you have a little surge of energy, any nausea may be subsiding, your pelvis is shifting slightly so we make small adjustments such as standing with your feet hip-width apart rather than together. You can definitely feel the changes in your body, but you don't have a big belly yet, especially if it's your first child, so you are not really hindered in your movement. Stage One is a flow to embrace the energy that returns after the first 12 weeks, which may have been a pretty challenging time hormonally. If, for any reason, you feel this stage is too much, you can simply move to Stage Two."
Stage two: 22-32 weeks
A slower, increasingly mindful flow but with further modifications to take into account a growing belly and tightness in the shoulders and back.
Says Mercedes: "It's still a flow but it's a little slower - you are moving in a more mindful way. Your growing belly and boobs mean that all the weight is now forward and as a result your shoulders and back can start to tighten. You hunch more and the 'duck waddle' starts to happen. The lower back is doing a lot more so we focus on shoulder opening and back strengthening with bolsters and blocks to support you."
Stage three: 32+ weeks
A grounded slow flow, focusing on breathing and connecting to the baby, prepping mentally for birth.
Says Mercedes: "Your belly is pretty big, you are in your final weeks but you are still not completely static. Your energy levels start to drop again at this point. Stage Three is much more internal; we focus more on breathing and connecting to your baby with lots of hands on belly, affirmations and setting intentions. By this point, the baby is kicking and you really feel like it's happening. The ligaments are getting softer. We are especially careful with the stretches at this point, because you can overstretch."
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