Sunday Shoutout & Tour of Columbus – Balanced Yoga Pre-natal class

[by t gellenbeck and c loncaric]

We’ve checked out Balanced Yoga in Clintonville previously, but since then they’ve done a major overhaul…. and this time we tested a pre-natal class!  Here is a quick recap of our visit…

Thoughts by Teresa:

Having only been to Balanced one other time about a year ago, I was surprised by their renovations.  The entry way was open and stylish, with a small retail section (one of our favorite Bend Active shirts was on display!) and lots of storage for shoes and personal items.  As we headed upstairs, the renovations continued and the studio room we entered had a great vibe to it.  Here is a quick tour, thanks to our handy iPhones…

I wasn’t sure what to expect, as this was my first ever pre-natal class.  Frankie, the instructor, greeted us with a smile and I felt like I sort of already knew her since I’d stalked her bio on the Balanced web site. She was friendly and very knowledgeable about yoga, pregnancy and momma-hood.  Although I did expect it to be slower than the cardio-like power vinyasa classes we are used to, I was pleasantly surprised that we still did several power poses that challenged me.  Frankie gave many modifications for the various stages of pregnancy and at almost 37 weeks, I had no shame in dropping to child’s pose when needed.  I enjoyed the class very much and if the studio were closer, I would probably go regularly these last few weeks!

Thoughts by Christine:

I love the vibe of a room when you gather with a group of like-minded women. It felt like a special treat to myself to be surrounded by others going through the pregnancy experience with me.  It was wonderful to see some celebrating the start of their pregnancy journey and motivating to see the ladies nearing the end of their pregnancy still take the time to nourish their body and spirit. I felt no judgement in the room and was completely comfortable doing what felt good for my body.

Some things I enjoyed [and observed] about the pre-natal class at Balanced…

• The vibe of this class, although slower than our typical class, still had some spunk to it!  Music was playing in the background, and the instructor spent time moving around the room and offering assistance or adjustments.
• The class was a balance of active poses, stretching and relaxation. At my stage in pregnancy (17 weeks) I am still very active and able to attend Power Vinyasa and Flow classes two-three times a week.  It can be hard for me to slow down and take it easy!  I thought this class was great because we still worked on strength building in our legs, and went into traditional poses like down dog and chaturanga (with options to modify) that I love, but we also took it slow and were instructed to pay attention to our breath and our bodies throughout the practice. In all yoga classes we are reminded that if something doesn’t feel good, we shouldn’t do it, and this is especially important during the various stages and changes in our pregnant bodies. Shavasana while propped up on blocks and a bolster was so great.
• The studio has been recently renovated and is beautiful and inviting. There are three rooms for classes and plenty of bathrooms and spaces for personal storage. The only downside to the location is that parking off High St. can be tough during a busy time of day.

I can see myself enjoying this class throughout the rest of pregnancy, now when I am more active, and then deep into my third trimester when I still want to move, but need to tailor my activity to my pregnant body.

Christine, demo-ing the modified plank… one of many modifications Frankie offered.

Christine [left, 17 weeks] and Teresa [right, 36.5 weeks]

Overall we both enjoyed the class very much and give it two (or rather four) thumbs up!  More details…

• Suggestions:  bring your own mat (rental = $3), get there early due to street parking
• Drop in class was $15, liked that you could do one pre-natal class (many studios that offer it require a series)