WHEN THE FAMILIAR BECOMES FOREIGN: Perinatal Yoga in a New Body
Pregnancy shifts the landscape of the self in ways that are tough to articulate, but you feel it in every fiber of your being. What was once familiar becomes foreign: your body, your emotions, the way you move through the world. You’re constantly in conversation with a new version of yourself - one that’s still being written, edited by time, biology, and the quiet hum of anticipation. There’s a kind of grace in learning how to move in this new body, even if it feels the opposite of graceful.
Perinatal yoga can be a lifeline for when the ground underneath your swollen feet is shifting faster than you can keep up. It holds a mirror up to you - not one where you see yourself in old photos or pre-pregnancy memories, but one that reflects who you’re becoming. There’s strength in the stretching and in the stillness. It’s about learning to hold space for the discomfort, the awkwardness, and the fear that comes with change.
When I was pregnant in 2020, I only had the chance to take two or three in-person prenatal yoga classes before the world shut down. Like so many, I found myself cut off from the kind of community I’d hoped to build with other moms-to-be. Instead of bonding over morning sickness, heartburn, or constantly having to pee, I spent most of my visibly pregnant days hidden away at home. While I never missed a weekly Zoom class (what else was I doing at the time?), it just wasn’t the same as being in a room full of women sharing this unique phase of life. Despite all the challenges, there were silver linings to pregnancy in 2020. Covid gifted me the time to establish a daily yoga practice from home (thanks, YouTube). It also gave me several unexpected months to spend solo time with my husband before our daughter arrived - something I now look back on with gratitude.
With my prenatal practice, I found a way to prepare physically and mentally. Each breath and movement was an invitation to honor and acknowledge what was happening inside of me. There was no denying the weight of it all, heavy belly pulling towards the floor in a cat/cow. I was learning to breathe through it, to lean into it. I realized that preparation wasn’t about controlling the outcome but being open to whatever came next. The benefits were obvious: prenatal yoga builds essential strength and flexibility, tones muscles used during labor and delivery, and improves circulation to reduce swelling. It also eases pregnancy's discomforts - back pain, fatigue, that heaviness of carrying new life. More than just preparing your body, these classes offer breathing techniques and relaxation strategies that will serve you in the most challenging moments of birth.
Yoga after delivery feels different - it’s quieter but no less transformative. The body you’re moving in is both fragile and powerful, still recovering from the seismic event of childbirth. Postnatal yoga doesn’t ask you to bounce back. It offers something softer - a way to rebuild, but also to reconnect with yourself. Postnatal yoga is about honoring your transformation while slowly and carefully restoring strength, particularly in the core and pelvic floor muscles that have just worked so hard.
These practices gently support the healing of your body while simultaneously boosting your energy levels and improving your posture. The weariness that can accompany motherhood finds relief in small movements, deep stretches, and mindful breathing. Sleep improves, stress is softened, and slowly, you begin to feel at home in your body again. In every class, there’s the reassuring presence of community - a space where other mothers walk beside you on the same journey. We get that it can be tough to leave your baby, even just for an hour. That’s why pre-walking babies are welcome in our Perinatal classes at The Pearl. Even if you spend most of the class nursing or soothing, there’s real value in simply being in the room with other moms. Sometimes, just being in a supportive space can be enough to recharge and remind you that you’re not alone.
One of the most special things about our perinatal yoga class is that it’s led by Nicole, who in addition to being a yoga teacher is an experienced doula and the co-founder of Sésé, Birthing Freedom and Bx (Re)Birth and Progress Collective. There’s something incredibly reassuring about knowing that your teacher has helped so many women through the birthing process. Nicole's yoga teaching is a profound extension of her holistic approach to support. In her classes, she weaves together elements of mindfulness, cultural reverence, and social justice, creating a space for healing and empowerment. In every facet of her work, Nicole embodies a commitment to uplifting individuals and communities, ensuring that the journey through childbirth and beyond is one marked by dignity, agency, and belonging, offering support not just physically, but emotionally, and mentally.
At The Pearl, we’re proud to offer the only weekly perinatal yoga classes in The Bronx. Offering perinatal is so important to us because we know how essential it is for expectant and new moms to have a space where they feel supported and connected during a life-changing time. Perinatal yoga teaches more than just movement - it’s about connection, about acknowledging the fullness of this stage of life. We’re here to help you find your strength, not just in your muscles, but in your spirit, because motherhood doesn’t ask for perfection, only presence.