I was asked before - why must we have deep relaxation at the end of our yoga class? Maybe she was thinking, "Why does Vanda make us lie here in the dark? Why not just let us go home earlier?"
There is a purpose to the darkness. Deep relaxation at the end of a yoga session helps us to regulate our breathing and enjoy the benefits of all the poses we just did. In addition, we learn to observe our body and breathing and be aware of any imbalances in our bodies.
Additional benefits for mothers-to-be in our prenatal yoga classes are learning an abilty to unwind upon demand and need for rest.
So let go and enjoy that few minutes of darkness after class!

 Starting a yoga practice can be an intimidating thing for a beginner.  But we know that anyone can do yoga, and everyone has to start somewhere.    So, here are a few yoga tips for anyone looking to start a yoga practice. 

-Choose the right yoga for you.  There are so many different types of yoga, if you don’t like one type, give another one a try!  Iyengar, Yin, Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram…the list goes on!  There’s a yoga type for any type, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries to find the perfect fit!

-Don’t worry if you can’t touch your toes in the first class.  Yoga is a gradual process of lengthening and strengthening muscles, if you can’t touch your toes now, no worries!  You’ll definitely be able to as your practice develops. 

-Take things slowly and listen to your body.  Even if the yogis next to you are flowing into amazing poses, listen to where your body wants to go.  You’ll get there slowly, but surely!

-Go for the experience, not an end goal.  Try to enjoy the calming experience of yoga one class at a time. 

All that said, the best tip for any beginner yogi is:  get started!  Contact VandaYoga for more information about classes and yoga styles. 

Being brought up in an environment where two languages are spoken has advantages — these babies have been found to show better learning and memory skills, said a study.
A bilingual baby is learning two languages while at the same time learning to tell the difference between them. “It is possible that since learning two languages at once requires more information-processing efficiency, the infants have a chance to rise to this challenge by developing skills to cope with it,” the researchers theorised.

For this study, bilingual babies were defined as having at least 25 per cent exposure to a second language and monolingual babies were defined as having at least 90 per cent exposure to a first language, namely English.

So, start now, speak different languages to your baby and watch her grow!

We are excited to announce that a new Prenatal Yoga lunchtime class is being introduced at Rochester Mall, near Buona Vista MRT!
It is on Tuesdays 12;30pm, great for those mummies who work nearby or drop off their children at the nearby facilities. 
A minimum no is required before commencement.

Interested to start? Please email us your contact details!

We are excited to announce a new Prenatal Yoga class at Safra Toa Payoh!
Also at the popular 7pm timeslot, this new class is on Tuesdays, great for mummies who like a good stretch and baby bonding time after work.

Interested to start? Please email to book your space!

See an interactive time lapse of how your body is changing during pregnancy!  A new exhibit is being featured at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, USA focused completely on the pregnancy process, and how your body changes from week to week.  If Chicago is a bit too far for a visit, be sure to check out the website for the exhibit, which features an interactive look at how your body changes from the first week until the last.  It shows how your organs change position to accommodate your little one, along with what to expect with each new week.  These are some great graphics, have a look here:

http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/you/the-exhibit/your-beginning/make-room-for-baby/interactive/

I simply love the softness of this Bamboo jersey. The drape is gorgeous too! The elegant and practical elasticated hem, cuffs and waistband - makes it perfect for a great yoga session. I love this top so much I wear it outside of my yoga classes too!

A new study out of the UK has proven the theory that most prenatal yoga enthusiasts already believe: that prenatal yoga is an excellent way to relax during pregnancy!  Now it has been proven to reduce the risk of developing anxiety and depression during pregnancy.  Yoga reduces stress levels, anxiety and other risk factors that can lead to depression. 

This recent study, done at the University of Manchester, had 59 pregnant mothers attend a weekly yoga class for eight weeks and then tested them for anxiety.  They compared these scores to a control group that received antenatal treatment that did not include yoga. 

The results?  Anxiety was reduced by one third and stress hormone levels by 14%. All this with only one class a week!
This is the first study to look at these exact factors and the researchers hope it will lead to more funding to study these positive results.  This could lead to more women using prenatal yoga to reduce stress and anxiety, which means overall healthier pregnant ladies; something we're always rooting for!
For more, check out this detailed article here:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/yoga-pregnant-women-study-shows-7055540#.U2Fpza7gf1Q.facebook