AN OUR MANLY HEALTH AND WELLBEING INTERVIEW
Breathing Space Yoga’s
Denby Sheather
Located in Avalon, Sydney, Breathing Space Yoga is an eco-friendly, community focused yoga studio where several of Avalon's leading yoga practitioners, natural and artistic therapists choose to gather. Denby has been specialising in pre & post natal support for several years, as a yoga practitioner, bowen therapist & reiki energy healer. She is dedicated to helping women connect with their innate ability and desire to birth their babies with confidence, empowerment & grace.
We asked Denby about her pre – and post natal yoga classes for expecting and new mothers. She has a desire to empower women to find the space for a natural birthing.
OM: Does an expectant mother need any background in yoga to receive benefits?
Denby Sheather: Not at all. Most of my girls have never done anything, but they get pregnant and suddenly want to create a good scenario for themselves. The service I offer with my business partner, a mid-wife, is continual support from the very beginning, when they first get pregnant, all the way through to after birthing. It fills a void that hospitals don’t currently provide.
Our Manly: What are some of the pre- and post-natal concerns of expectant mothers?
DS: Blood health, getting healthy before conceiving, what foods to eat while you’re pregnant and how to look after yourself. There are lots of yoga postures to do, energetic therapies that can get you in a good space for birthing, so you have as natural, drug free experience as possible. We are empowering women.
OM: What is the “Birth Zone” that you try to get women into?
DS: On many women’s mind is how to get to that zone where they don’t need medication or intervention. Birthing is not like an exercise where you go in anticipating pain intervention or cesarean. Our philosophy is that you are not just birthing physically, you’re actually birthing from your heart space, with all the trust an emotional issues that go with it, and that will actually help your cervix dilate. It almost a trance-like state.
OM: Once the baby comes you have yoga classes called “Mummy & Me”?
DS: It’s all about pelvic floor, and regaining that strength. It’s just a muscle in the body, but it is a core muscle for women, especially, that relates to your confidence, the pressure and strength of your diaphragm, your breath, vitality and energy. It’s very important to get it healthy after birth. I focus on blood strength so you’ll have the energy to adjust. We do a lot of baby massage. The class lasts from birth to when the baby starts to crawl. That helps moms bond with their babies, as well.
