Michelle Cadieux, 36, sets up her yoga blocks, strap and bolster, and settles onto her cushioned yoga mat at Morpho Bleu, a yoga studio located in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
As the sunlight streams through the large window, a glow is cast over the space. Soft instrumental music plays at a distance and the scent of eucalyptus and lavender fills the air, evoking a sense of relaxation.
With a hand placed on her growing belly, Cadieux watches as more expecting mothers gather on their mats.
“Welcome, everyone,” says prenatal yoga instructor Lauren Enright. “So, how are we feeling? Are there any new developments from last week?”
The women take turns sharing their thoughts and experiences for 15-minutes before diving into adaptations of the cat and cow, the warrior, and various other yoga poses for the remaining hour.
“What I do in my classes is beyond just yoga,” Enright says. “It also serves as a community where we have discussion circles.”
Enright explains that her students appreciate this format – especially those who struggle with pregnancy-related anxiety or depression, like Cadieux.
“Pregnancy can be stressful, especially if you’re already an anxious person,” Cadieux says. “It’s a very fragile time. There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
And many expecting mothers can relate to this feeling.
According to a research review article, 20 to 40 per cent of pregnant women have reported feelings of anxiety or depression during pregnancy, typically related to worry about fetal wellbeing, maternal illnesses, social and financial support and mortality. This is concerning as perinatal anxiety and depression can contribute to fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery, or low birth weight.
Yoga is one way that Cadieux, and many other moms-to-be, choose to manage their symptoms of mental illness during the perinatal period – and research proves its effectiveness.
A systematic review from 2020 found that prenatal yoga may decrease stress levels, anxiety scores and depression scores, and may increase maternal immunity and emotional-wellbeing.
Another research study found that prenatal yoga classes are helpful in self-managing psychological distress and in developing a sense of community among other pregnant women.
The study’s corresponding author Dr. Patricia Kinser explains that prenatal yoga involves focused movements, breathing exercises, mindfulness practice and a sense of community.
“All of that together can be helpful mechanisms by which yoga practice could decrease symptoms not only of depression, but also of anxiety,” she says.
According to Dr. Kinser, anxiety and depression share a common theme: the sense of overwhelm. With anxiety, this may look like an overwhelming sense of concern or fear; whereas with depression, this may look like an overwhelming sense of sadness or generalized blue.
Some describe anxiety as being trapped in a dark room, unable to find the exit as a heavy rock sits on your chest; while depression is often described as feeling like you’re buried inside a deep, dark pit.
Women will usually experience an overlap between the two during the perinatal period, explains Dr. Kinser.
“Most people are not just depressed or just anxious, but there’s going to be some flow between those symptoms,” she says. “It’s the constellation of symptoms that can be debilitating.”
Dr. Kinser notes that prescription medication and psychotherapy are “powerful” and “important” tools for mental health, but she argues that prenatal yoga can act as a complementary treatment that is accessible, safe and effective for pregnant women.
Mindful Movements & Breathing for Two
As the moms-to-be mindfully move their bodies through different yoga poses – which help strengthen their muscles and keep their bodies mobile – they root themselves in their breath, according to Enright.
In yoga, breath is an anchor: it pulls the mind away from past regrets or future anxieties, and instead, it focuses on the mind in the present moment.
This has been proven to positively impact autonomic nervous system imbalances and stress-related disorders, according to a review article.
Yogic breathing refers to breathing into the diaphragm, the belly and then upper chest and breathing out in the reverse order – through the nose for both the inhale and exhale.
Enright – who has an undergrad degree in Biology and a graduate degree in Neuroscience – explains that breathing in this way can help regulate the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
“It helps put the gas on the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for down regulation and the rest and digest response,” she says.
She adds that focusing on breathing is especially important for pregnant women as they often experience shortness of breath.
As a baby grows inside the human body, it pushes up on the diaphragm – the main muscle responsible for respiration. This makes breathing more challenging as it results in less space for the lungs to expand, according to Enright.
“When we work on breathing, it’s really helpful to create more space in the body and it’s helpful to just bring a little bit more calm if there’s anxiety,” she says.
But beyond the yoga poses and breathing exercises, prenatal yoga fosters a sense of community for women who often feel isolated and alone.
Nama-Stay Together: A Sense of Community
The National Alliance on Mental Health states that a sense of community and connection provide three benefits that are critical for mental health: belonging, support and purpose.
According to Dr. Kinser, ‘connection’ is one of the most important components of participating in prenatal yoga classes – and Cadieux agrees.
“Pregnancy can be very isolating,” Cadieux says. “It’s really nice to connect with other people who are going through the exact same thing.”
Nathalie Ouellet, a new mom who practiced yoga during pregnancy, shares a similar experience.
“Although many of my friends had been pregnant or had babies, I didn’t have a friend who was exactly in the same spot as I was at that specific time,” she says. “It definitely made me feel welcome and made me feel that I was in a safe space.”
While many community-based activities may exist for expecting mothers, Dr. Kinser argues that prenatal yoga is the most effective as it helps pregnant women “in a very holistic realm.”
“It wasn’t just hitting the physical. It wasn’t just hitting the mental. It wasn’t just a breathing practice. It wasn’t just a relaxation,” she says. “It was the whole package. It’s that combination that can be so powerful for people.”
And the real benefit of yoga translates outside the class, according to Cadieux.
“You start to take that mindset shift and do those breathing techniques in your real life, every day,” she says.
As Cadieux rolls up her cushioned yoga mat and walks out the door alongside other moms-to-be at the end of the class, she leaves feeling less anxious and more supported.
“I always feel a sense of peace and calm,” she says.
