mums-and-bubs in London

Mums-and-bubs yoga is one of the most tender and joyful corners of the yoga world — a shared practice designed for new mothers and their babies, typically from around six weeks postpartum through to the crawling stage. Far from a watered-down class, it is a genuinely nourishing experience that weaves gentle movement, breathwork, and moments of stillness into the often-chaotic rhythm of early parenthood. What makes it so beloved is its permission to simply show up as you are: tired, emotional, milk-stained, and completely besotted with a small human who may or may not cooperate. Babies are not a distraction here — they are the whole point.

While mums-and-bubs yoga does not trace back to a single founder in the way that Iyengar yoga connects to B.K.S. Iyengar or Ashtanga to K. Pattabhi Jois, it has grown organically from the broader maternal wellness movement that gained momentum through the 1970s and 1980s, as yoga teachers in the West began adapting classical postures to serve pregnant and postpartum bodies. Drawing from restorative yoga, postnatal physiotherapy, and infant development research, the format has been shaped by countless midwives, women's health experts, and dedicated yoga teachers over decades. Today it reflects an understanding of the postpartum body that is both evidence-informed and deeply intuitive, honouring the profound physical and emotional transition of new motherhood.

A typical session moves at a gentle, unhurried pace, beginning with breathwork to calm the nervous system and ease anxiety — a constant companion in those early weeks. Mothers move through modified postures that support pelvic floor recovery, strengthen the core, ease back and shoulder tension from feeding and carrying, and gradually rebuild overall stamina. Babies are incorporated throughout, resting on mats, being lifted during gentle sequences, or simply being held during a quiet moment of meditation. The social element is just as valuable as the physical one: mums-and-bubs classes have long served as a space where new parents find community, share honest conversations, and realise they are not alone in what can be an isolating season of life. The mental health benefits — reduced postnatal anxiety, improved mood, and a restored sense of self — are as significant as any physical gain. This practice is best suited to new mothers seeking gentle reintroduction to movement, connection with other parents, and a rare hour that belongs entirely to them and their baby. For anyone navigating the beautiful, bewildering landscape of new parenthood, mums-and-bubs yoga offers something quietly extraordinary: a place to land.