Prenatal yoga helps prepare the body for labor and delivery, and the benefits can include stress reduction, improved emotional well-being, and increased self-awareness. As in any health or exercise program pursued during pregnancy, it’s important to listen to your body and consult with your doctor or health practitioner for guidance, before you begin.

Guest-host Katie Baki is in her third trimester and guest Ali Owens is a mother of three. They are both teachers at Glo. Katie has a three-part class of prenatal yoga classes on the Glo platform.

Katie and Ali discuss how pregnant yoga practitioners must adjust their practice to accommodate the changes in the body during pregnancy. Yoga props can help, providing support for the body and more room for the baby. Katie and Ali discuss the prevailing myths about yoga during pregnancy, focus on the importance of core work to foster stability (rather than strengthening), and how to use breath work and pelvic floor exercises to help with relaxation, stress reduction, and preparing for labor and delivery. They agree that one of the top benefits to practicing prenatal yoga is learning how to listen to the body and check in with what it needs.

To wrap up the conversation, they discuss what prenatal yoga classes are available on the Glo platform.

00:00 Meet Ali Owens

06:56 benefits of prenatal yoga

12:23 self-awareness and listening to your body

19:32 shifting perspectives and redefining “progress”

29:05 myths and modifications in prenatal yoga

36:01 core work and pelvic floor exercises

42:23 breath work and relaxation techniques

48:04 prenatal yoga programs on the Glo platform

Katie Baki’s Prenatal Power Yoga: 1st Trimester Program

Katie Baki’s Prenatal Power Yoga: 2nd Trimester Program

Katie Baki’s Prenatal Power Yoga: 3rd Trimester Program

Ali’s Moving Into Motherhood: First Trimester Program

Ali’s Moving Into Motherhood: Second Trimester Program

Ali’s Moving Into Motherhood: Third Trimester Program

We have an expansive library of prenatal classes and programs on Glo.

Katie’s website

Katie’s Instagram

Ali’s website

Ali’s Instagram

In this extended conversation for The Glo Podcast, Glo teachers Annie Carpenter and Kia Miller discuss their journeys through the energy of the asana poses to the subtle energetic shifts the poses bring about.

Kia and Annie emphasize why a safe and sacred space is important to create in yoga classes, where students can pursue an investigation into and questioning of the self. Both Annie and Kia talk about how their yoga practices have evolved over time. During Kia’s thoughtful line of questions, Annie discusses being present, finding balance, and witnessing life as a form of spiritual engagement.

They also discuss the power of pranayama as a tool for observation and finding stillness. Annie is one of Kia’s mentors, so the conversation naturally flows into the topic of mentorship.

The episode ends with expressions of gratitude and admiration between Kia and Annie, encapsulating the essence of their teacher-student relationship and the enduring impact of their shared yoga journey.

00:00 introducing Annie Carpenter

03:57 the importance of subtlety in yoga

08:40 yoga as a quieting practice

24:14 living in continuums and finding balance

27:03 the role of yoga studios and community

30:49 the dance of surrender: allowing life to unfold

35:04 the power of pranayama: observing and finding stillness

41:46 self-trust and resilience: keys to a strong yoga practice

45:38 mentorship and assisting: deepening understanding and growth

47:27 in-person trainings: community and hands-on learning

49:45 the evolution of practice: finding meaning and simplicity

53:29 witnessing and presence: connecting with self and the world

Annie Carpenter’s SmartFlow Yoga Teacher Training.

Annie on Instagram

Kia Miller Website

Kia on YouTube

Kia on Instagram

Classes with Annie

Classes with Kia

In this deep dive into yoga’s origins and history, guest-host Stephanie Serrano interviews scholar Dr. Christopher Jain Miller about the yoga sutras and their role as the guiding texts for modern yoga. They discuss the connections between the yoga sutras and Samkhya philosophy, the relationship between the yoga sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, and the origins of the yoga sutras and Patanjali himself.

Their discussion also covers how these texts were reinterpreted, and even misinterpreted, during the American counterculture. The conversation delves into how British colonialism changed our perception of the yoga tests. The conversation concludes by examining the changes in the practice of the Yoga Sutra today and how the text can inspire practitioners to bring yoga philosophy into their everyday lives and create a better world.

Key Takeaways for this Episode

00:00 the yoga sutras as guiding texts 07:16 the connection between the yoga sutras and Samkhya philosophy 13:49 unraveling the origins of the yoga sutras and Patanjali 21:37 the importance of selfless action in the Bhagavad Gita 24:08 the influence of the American counterculture on modern yoga 28:14 the role of British colonialism in the history of yoga 38:18 overemphasis on asana in modern yoga 44:12 embodying yoga philosophy in everyday life

Links:

arihantainstitute.org

Dr. Miller on Instagram: @theyogaprofessor

Embodying Transnational Yoga by Dr. Christopher Jain Miller

Our Beyond The Pose series are classes themed after the first two of eight limbs, outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

There are five Yamas that make up the first limb:

• Ahimsa: Beyond The Pose: Vinyasa For Ahimsa
• Satya: Beyond The Pose: Hatha For Satya
• Asteya: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Asteya
• Brahmacharya: Beyond The Pose: Hatha For Brahmacharya
• Aparigraha: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Aparigraha

There are five Niyamas that make up the second limb:

• Saucha: Beyond The Pose: Kundalini For Saucha
• Santosha: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Santosha
• Tapas: Beyond The Pose: Conditioning For Tapas
• Svadhyaya: Beyond The Pose: Meditation For Svadhyaya
• Isvara Pranidhana: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Isvara Pranidhana