WHAT TO EXPECT? WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT LUSHTUMS CLASSES?

Make friends. Make your own informed choices. Learn key birth preparation tools. Have a truly empowered experience. Recover safely postnatally.

LushTums Yoga offers a blend of traditional yogic practices, encompassing a modern approach to hypno-birthing and mindfulness, with an understanding of biomechanics for birth and somatic movement to help you feel comfortable as pregnancy progresses and preparing you in mind, body and heart for birth and recovery postnatally, as part of our nurturing, friendly community.

All LushTums Yoga classes start with our signature approach; a welcoming Hello Circle. This is a well held space where we simply check-in with everyone present. Giving you a moment to think about what’s going on week-to-week and be heard. We then tailor the class, adding specific practices for the mind, body, emotions and energy levels to suit each woman attending; making all our classes bespoke, completely tailored to you and expertly delivered. Every single time.

LushTums Yoga for pregnancy is birth preparation. You will explore how the body’s movements play a crucial role in your pregnancy comfort and the biomechanics of the birth itself. We help you align the bones of the pelvis to help with your baby’s positioning, enhancing your comfort and helping optimise birth itself. We teach you how to you can transform your mindset to childbirth by working with and trusting your body. The importance of posture, movement, breathing practices and relaxation techniques can help you find your flow and can ease the birthing process.

Antenatal education is peppered throughout all our classes and in some locations you can sign up to our full Prepare for Birth & Baby Courses or our Yoga For Birth Intensive Short Workshops.

We have hundreds of fabulous google reviews from other mums and mums-to-be who have loved our classes since we began back in 2007, that you can read.

All our teachers have been trained at LushTums - find a local class near you. You can access our Video Collection to practice from home in your own time join us - access now. Enjoy relaxations for bed time and routines for every trimester and to help with all the usual aches and pains.

HOW TO BOOK?

Look at the list of locations under Find A Class to select your nearest class. Check out what’s happening near you. Classes are popular so go ahead and book in to save your space! If there is not a class near you, then sign up to access our online Video Collection instead and enjoy LushTums from home, in your own time.

WHAT KIND OF YOGA IS IT?

Classes mix ancient yoga with the latest in evidence-based anatomy, science and research. We are particularly passionate about somatic movement, fascia, biotensegrity and biomechanics for birth. Birth & mothering wisdom plays a huge part and encouraging you to listen in and connect with your own intuition is an important part of our offering. Plus we share fascinating facts, evidence and statistics. We have been teaching and working with women throughout their pregnancy and mothering experiences for nearly 20 years and this lived experience shines through in all of our offerings. We blend this to give you the perfect balance of nourishing yoga classes with helpful and effective birth tools and empowering education so you make your own right choices for you and your baby.

KEY BENEFITS OF COMING TO CLASSES?

By joining LushTums classes, you will slow down and tune in to connect with your yourself and your intuition, helping you throughout this transformative time. This will help you always make the best decisions for yourself and your baby. You will learn key practices to help with common pregnancy and postnatal aches and pains. Plus every class includes our signature practices teaching you how to “breathe, move and relax for birth.” You will also make friends and connect into your local community of mums, mums-to-be and professional experts. You’ll be invited to join the local LushTums What’s App group, where you can share tips and ideas, ask questions and arrange meet ups. For us, community is everything!

I’VE NEVER DONE ANY YOGA BEFORE, IS THAT OK?

Yes that’s ok! You don’t need any previous yoga experience at all. In fact around 80-90% of our students are brand new to yoga when they come along to our classes and they love it! Classes are always tailored to those in attendance. You can always take your time, move slower, have more rests if you need to. Or work harder and make it more challenging. Come as you are and give it a go!

WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO START?

Pregnancy Yoga classes are suitable for complete beginners from the end of the first trimester which is actually around 15/16 weeks - when you stop feeling so sick and start getting a bit more energy - all the way until full term or when you go into labour! If you are an experienced yogini or you regularly exercise and know your body well, you may wish to continue moving earlier on in pregnancy. If in doubt at all, just check in with your doctor or midwife too.

Postnatal Yoga classes are suitable for new mums from 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery. If you have had a caesarean delivery, please wait 8 weeks for some additional healing to take place. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor or midwife before practicing. We also recommend seeing a Women’s Health Physio for a more detailed check and asking them to check your pelvic floor muscles and your tummy muscles for separation. These are really helpful benchmarks to know when you come to class.

Women's / Mother's Yoga classes are suitable for all non-pregnant women, those working on their fertility or those with children; time out to move, recharge and feel all put back together again in today’s busy world.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PRACTISE?

Most people come to a class once a week. However, to get the most out of your practice it is recommended to come along 2 to 3 times a week if you can. Do it twice as much, you’ll get twice the benefit!

I PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY BEFORE, WILL THESE CLASSES BE TOO BORING OR TOO SLOW FOR ME?

We do get a lot of yoga done! And it is tailored to everyone in the session. So let us know you’d like something more active or challenging and we can include some practices just for you too. Lots will be familiar from your previous practice and lots will be totally new for pregnancy and motherhood; modified for all the immense changes happening in the body. Sometimes classes are more active, sometimes more nourishing. Just come along and have a chat with your teacher and they will know what to offer you in the class.

WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga is a lot of different things to different people from exercise to spiritual practice. For many, practising yoga gives a constant; something we can come back to when all around us is in change. We move, breathe and relax. We practise breathing techniques and mindfulness. We become quieter, more mindful and have an opportunity for deep reflection, which can be enlightening and liberating and bring about a sense of balance and well-being. You can think of it as exercise or a moving meditation, as we gently come back to ourselves. It’s a bit like coming home.

Classes help you feel energised and stronger and at the same time calm the mind and reduce levels of stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Overall practicing yoga can give us a guide to living well and feeling great. It is not religious in itself, although it has its roots in various Eastern religions, philosophy and history.

We have taken the best aspect of traditional yoga and blended it with science and women's health to bring you the very best, especially tailored for pregnancy, birth and life as a new mum. Come along to try it for yourself!

DO I NEED A YOGA MAT?

Some of our venues and/or teachers will provide you with a yoga mat, blankets, blocks and pillows so you can be more comfortable as you practice. If you prefer to bring your own that’s fine, you are welcome to. In some instances venues rules prefer this. Check with your teacher for latest guidance.

WHAT DO I WEAR?

Wear loose, comfy clothes you can move around in on your mat - leggings and a t-shirt is fine. You don’t need anything too sporty or specific, just be comfy. It’s preferred if you can come ready to practice.

WHAT SHALL I BRING?

Bring a bottle of water with you.

CAN I EAT BEFORE CLASS?

If you’re pregnant and feel tired or light headed eat a banana or little snack before class - that’s fine. Most of us probably always need a snack or two on hand for either before or after class!

WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?

Please arrive at least 10-15mins BEFORE the class start time, so you can get settled and we can begin promptly. Late arrival may mean the doors have been locked and you may be charged as if attended. Likewise anyone who cancels within 12hrs of the class start time will also be charged as if attended. Please review our cancellation policy or check with your local teacher for any variations.

I’M ON THE WAIT LIST - WHAT IS THIS?

If a class is full the timetable will explain there is a Wait List only for it. You can Sign In to reserve your space on the Wait List. Then if someone in the class cancels their space, you will be notified that you now have a space in the class. Be sure to wait for this notification confirming that you have now been removed from the waitlist to the class, before coming along or just check with your teacher if you are not sure.

I'VE RESERVED A PLACE IN CLASS - HOW DO I NOW CANCEL THIS?

Cancel classes in the same way as you booked them. The quickest and most reliable way if you have booked online is to cancel online. Log into your Account. Once logged in, you can find all the classes you have scheduled yourself in for and manage your classes there. We can not accept cancelations by email or text unless otherwise agreed with your local teacher. Please note classes cancelled too soon to the class start time will be charged as if attended (generally most teachers operate a 12hr cancellation policy, but check with your local teacher) - our cancellation policy available here - terms and conditions.

I NEED TO CONTACT TO MY TEACHER

If you have any questions about class, where to park, what to bring or wish to let your teacher know anything else about you before you begin classes, please contact your teacher DIRECTLY. You'll find your teachers contact details under each location section under Find A Class or you can look them up in our Teacher’s Directory. Just find your location, you teacher and their details are there. We usually prefer email, however, if it is an emergency feel free to text or call.

CAN MY PACKAGE OF CLASSES WORK ACROSS MULTIPLE TEACHERS/VENUES?

Generally NO. Even though, every LushTums teacher has been fully and expertly trained by us, all our teachers operate an independent, self-employed, sole trader. This is because we intend to train teachers to run their own businesses and be independent and empowered in their own work life commitments. As such, we all operate individually and manage separate finances. Please buy classes, packages of classes and/or courses with each teacher directly. You can alway do a drop in or buy a second package with other teachers if you wish to practice with them too. Just to clarify any package bought with one teacher, can not be redeemed with another. The only exceptions to this are classes that are run in Haywards Heath where you can buy packages of classes with Kate and Sarah and use them across all venues.

SHOULD I FOLLOW YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Yes please! Oh and listen to our fab Podcast, find us on Spotify and Apple here on the website. And join us at LushTums At Home for online practices to help you throughout pregnancy - 7 day free yoga for everyone who signs up!