Lou
About Lou…
Lou Horgan trained in India with teachers from the Iyengar, Ashtanga and Sivananda traditions. She completed further training with The Life Centre in London gaining certification with the International Yoga Alliance and British Wheel of Yoga. Her practice takes an interdisciplinary approach, emphasising the connection between the quality of the body’s energy and ones experience in the world.
5 years ago Lou began studying and teaching prenatal yoga while pregnant with her son Joshua. After her home birth and continued study into pregnancy, birth and yoga she began teaching Active Birth workshops to expectant couples. Prenatal classes take up the majority of Lou’s schedule. Lou ’s second child, Alana was born at home in 2009, compounding Lou’s belief in the power of the human body, mind and spirit and it’s development through yoga.
More at: www.louyoga.com
Lou’s Prenatal Yoga Classes
Lou teaches prenatal yoga at the Ranelagh studio:
- Mondays 20:00 – 21:15
- Tuesdays 20:00 – 21:15
- Thursdays 10:00 – 11:15
- Thursdays 18:00-19:15
While the prenatal classes run on a drop-in basis, they do follow a recurring, 6-week course cycle. With this in mind, it is required that you attend an initial 6-week block, and once complete you can drop in to any of the other prenatal classes.
It is recommended that you begin prenatal classes at the beginning of the second trimester, around 13 weeks, and no earlier as your body is still adjusting to the changes that are occurring.
Price is €18 to drop-in or €100 6 class pass.
Prebooking is essential.
Testimonials for Lou’s work here
Prenatal Yoga with Lou
All of Lou’s prenatal classes run on a 6 week rotation. It is strongly
recommended to attend a block of classes, weeks 1 thru 6 to avail of a
fully rounded experience of yoga posture, breath, labour and birth
preparation. After completing the 6 week block feel free to drop into
any one of Lou’s 4 prenatal classes offered weekly. Yoga posture and
breath are covered every week however there is an emphasis on various
topics as we practice. The topics covered over the 6 weeks include…
Week 1 Yoga asana (posture) and breath work.
Week 2 Yoga asana, breath work and understanding the connection of
breathing with the body to affect the state of mind.
Week 3 Yoga asana, breath work and the pelivic floor. Understanding
how to tone for pregnancy and how to relax for birth.
Week 4 Yoga asana, breath work and positions for labour.
Week 5 Yoga asana, breath work and positions for birth.
Week 6 Yoga asana, breath work and the hormones of labour and birth.
The vast majority of women will attend at least 2/3 blocks of classes
throughout their pregnancy. The above topics are a guideline of class
content, each class is always a reflection of the needs of the
students attending. No two classes are the same even if you’ve been
to the “Pelvic Floor” class several times there will always be
something new to learn, a new perspective offered. Needless to say
every class will address deep relaxation and time for you to connect
with your baby.
Active Birth Workshops for Partners
Lou also teaches a 3 and a half hour workshop on the birthing process.
Active Birth workshops are designed to inform and empower both mom and birth partner throughout the labour and birth process. The areas covered include:
- The different stages of labour.
- The postures and breathing techniques of an active labour,
- How to maximize your time labouring at home before transferring to hospital, (which will decrease the likelihood intervention)
- The hormones of labour and how to keep them flowing,
- Delivery postures to minimize inervention,
- Connecting with baby,
- The post natal period and more.
- Breathing, Relaxation and massage methods that help during labour.
- Labour and Birthing Positions.
- The role of the Partner.
- Benefits and risks of medical interventions.
- How to stay active at home and in hospital.
- How to create a calm and stress free environment in hospital.
Postnatal tips and lots more “Active birth is nothing new. It is simply a convienient way of describing normal labour and birth and the way that a woman behaves when she is following her own instincts and the physiological logic in her body” Janet Balaskas
Price: €100 per couple
