Prenatal Yoga Ctr

05/07/07

A great place to get ready for being a mom.

by mranzer

I started taking yoga at the Prenatal Yoga Center 17 weeks into my pregnancy.

I looked forward to every class. The atmosphere is calming, the teachers are compassionate and knowledgeable. I had a wonderful delivery, and truly believe that the yoga and breathing techniques I learned at the Prenantal Yoga Center made it possible.

05/07/07

best if you are in the family way!

by lizziebean50

i had never done yoga until i was about five months pregnant when a friend recommended the PYC. i went (somewhat halfheartedly) and fell in love. i signed up for the 8 class package and 18months later i have barely missed a week. the teachers are wonderful and sensitive (but they still make you sweat!); at the beginning of each class there is a check in, during which the students talk about where they are in their pregnancies/how old their babies are and any aches and pains they may be experiencing. the class is then tailored to the needs of the women. i don't have anything to compare it to, but i've been told that is rare. the only agenda is to help mom help herself. the center offers mommy and me and postnatal yoga (where the babies are welcome), as well as workshops and classes. i did my childbirth education classes there, as well as a CPR class, infant massage, breastfeeding workshop and joined a new mother's support group. i used many of the yogic techniques i learned in class in my labor, and ended up giving birth to my beautiful son with no medication (trust me, that would not have happened without my practice!). and to reiterate thethoughts of the last reviewer, deb is phenomenal. she was also my doula, and is the reason i trek from washington heights every friday. i can't say enough about the PYC... just go!

• Pros: classes tailored to the students' needs
• Cons: classes can get crowded

05/07/07

If you are expecting a baby, expect to love this place as a mind/body center.

by vgerstein

When I moved to the Upper West Side, many friends and neighbors told me that once I became pregnant I WILL GO to the Prenatal Yoga Center. So once I was pregnant, I thought, well, I had better check it out. I have practically lived there since. I loved the classes since they always started with the moms-to-be going around the room saying how many weeks along they were. So you could look at bellies that used to look like yours weeks ago or what yours will look like at 39 weeks. Women would talk about their aches or ask questions both physical and emotional. It was almost like a support group as well as a body workout. Once my baby was born, I returned to the new moms support group and made friends with women who live in my neighborhood with babies the same age as Mia but women also came from Brooklyn and the Upper East Side! You know this place is worth it when a new mom straps on the Bjorn and brings her 5 week old to the UWS from Brooklyn!

It is also very clean there and I expect that but had not seen clean mats at many other gyms and yoga studios.

My husband also has attended some classes with me like CPR, and couples programs.

Oh, I also fell in love with Deb, the owner, and she was our doula. My husband said she was worth every penny. She only only helps with the labors of her students so that's almost incentive enough to go to the center while pregnant - to secure Deb as your doula! I probably would have had a c-section without her help in class (to prepare my body and mind) and during labor.

• Pros: authentic and resourceful instructors you can trust at this important time in your life.
• Cons: you have to walk up one flight of stairs to get to the studio so once the baby is born, it's better to come without the stroller.

03/28/07

Prenatal Yoga Center

by jentamarkin

I really enjoyed my classes at the Prenatal Yoga Center. I went there with both my pregnancies and met some wonderful women that I am still friends with. I also really liked that many of the teachers are childbirth educators, doulas and moms. I felt like it was so much more then just a yoga class! The teachers offered a lot of insight in childbirth. Even the second time I went, there was still so much good information that was shared.

I highly recommend this place to any expectant and new mom. There mommy and me and postnatal classes are great too! I went to postnatal until I was pregnant with baby number 2! My family is moving out of the city, so when baby number 3 comes along, I don't know where I am going to take prenatal yoga!

• Pros: Easy to get to location, wide varities of class times and good teachers
• Cons: only one bathroom for all those pregnant women!

A stretch in the right direction for mommy, daddy and baby.

by Sandra Ramani

The Scene
Co-owned by Debra Flashenberg and Alyssa Miller, both certified yoga instructors and experts in an array of fitness and alternative healing methods, the Center is a warm and welcoming place for new and expectant parents. The staff is trained in a number of styles, including Bikram, ashtanga, vinyasa, pranayma and Pilates. If medical certification impresses you, take note: One of the staff is a nurse.

The Workout
In addition to pre- and postnatal yoga, the Center offers "Mommy/Daddy and Me" and children's classes. The prenatal programs helps prepare both the body and mind for the marathon of childbirth, while postnatal sessions focus on renewing strength and striking a mind/body balance. A number of workshops and lectures address topics from early childhood parenting and pregnancy FAQs to "Breastfeeding 101" and partner massage techniques.