Yoga For Modern Life

I feel like Susan has been a large part of my pregnancy and early motherhood journey, having been to her pregnancy yoga, hypnobirthing course, baby massage and mum and baby yoga. I would highly recommend her if you’re pregnant, a new or new-ish mum and in or near York, and I have done so to as many people as possible. To me, Susan is incredibly supportive, empathetic and knowledgeable, and possesses an amazing ability to create safe, warm and accepting spaces every class. I found that these qualities allowed me to share concerns, get advice and become part of a community of mums, which has been so important to me. Pregnancy yoga offered me time every week to slow down and really check in with my growing baby and body. Susan was so helpful and provided advice and adjustments for me to help with the pregnancy related heartburn and sciatica I experienced, and she also gave me information on some additional poses I could do at home. One of my favourite aspects of the class, was the time spent at the beginning when we would all get to introduce ourselves and discuss how our week had been or ask a question. It was lovely to get to know other pregnant women, get advice or support and hear about other’s experiences. I always left the class feeling refreshed and relaxed. My baby also seemed to love the meditation at the end and would kick. The hypnobirthing course helped me feel more confident about giving birth and empowered me to develop a birth plan that felt right for me. The resources Susan provided were excellent and very helpful to look at during and after the course. The relaxations worked and Susan has the perfect voice to deliver them (she’d be great for audiobooks), they were nice to listen to on an evening and go to bed feeling zen. The breathing techniques covered on the course and during the pregnancy yoga classes were fantastic during labour, with my partner coaching me through what we’d both learnt I felt more in control and focused. Plus, the snacks provided on the course were yummy, Susan is also a great baker (is there anything she can’t do?!). Baby massage was a lovely experience to share with my baby, the techniques Susan taught me allowed us to have some great mum and baby bonding time at home as well as help with his reflux through some of the stomach massage. Mum and baby yoga is wonderful, I highly recommend it! It was lovely to do some yoga which enabled interaction with baby, as well as meet and get to know other mums. It was a brilliant to do some gentle exercise post birth and pelvic floor work. Again, Susan starts the class with introductions and how your week has gone or questions, and at the end there’s time to have a drink and snack together (which Susan provides) giving you the opportunity to make friends. There’s no pressure or judgement if baby cries, or if something else happens, and it’s all very relaxed. If baby needs a fed or nappy etc you can do it as and when needed and re-join the yoga when able. The class also includes a couple of songs with babies, so it’s the perfect mix of mum and baby time. If you’re pregnant or a new or new-ish mum I would recommend giving one (or more) of Susan’s classes a go. York is very lucky to have Susan!

I started pregnancy yoga with Susan when I was 16 weeks pregnant. I am now 37 weeks and I can't imagine my pregnancy journey without it! Susan is a fantastic teacher. She provides you with lots of information about anything that might be of your interest and she gives you lots of tips to make pregnancy super enjoyable. Definitely recommend it! :)

Pregnancy Yoga with Susan was absolutely brilliant, I loved the class, Susan is so welcoming and friendly and really makes the class a lovely place to be. I found the weekly class a perfect time to forget about everything else and just focus on baby, baby also seemed to really enjoy the class as there were always plenty of kicks and wriggles towards the end. My little girl is 8 months old now but I still regularly look back at the classes with fondness and wish I could still attend! Thanks Susan Nicky and Norah x

Susan makes you feel welcome and relaxed from the first moment. My last pregnancy was a hectic one with 3 children already and lots of work pressures, my weekly escape to pregnancy yoga was my little sanctuary away from the chaos of daily life, it allowed me time to relax and connect with the pregnancy. I found the yoga positions and breathing techniques were so important during labour and also for the afterpains and breast discomfort in the weeks that followed. Susan is very knowledgable about resources available to help people make informed choices about pregnancy and labour. Discussions were inclusive and non-judgemental, which made it feel like a safe space to share any worries or concerns. I would highly recommend Susan’s pregnancy yoga!

We attended Susan's hypnobirthing course this month and it was fantastic. The perfect mix of relaxation techniques, evidence based information about all your options, non-judgemental advice, guides on how to remain in control and make your own decisions, how to navigate the NHS systems and tons more. The effort she had put into the course was evident throughout and we were sent away with loads of extra info and freebies. This course covers everything you need to know about pregnancy, labour and birth - a real all-rounder. I wish I hadn't bothered with anything else! Thanks Susan :)