Prenatal Yoga and Strength
Facilitated By: Neva Cockrell
Mondays 10:30-11:30am
April 14-May 26, 2025
Perhaps most importantly, this hour-long class is a time for you to be with your body and your baby during your pregnancy – which can be a busy and full time!
Class will begin and end with quiet, guided time to connect to yourself and the baby. We’ll take time to gently warm up and cool down as this is essential during pregnancy to help prevent injury and create a sense of wellbeing in the body. We’ll do many postures that encourage the body to softly open and relax, easing aches and postural pains. In the middle of class we will make our way through a series of movements from Yoga Asana practice, Ballet Barre, and classic Strength Training to help to strengthen and stabilize the body. Pregnant bodies tend toward looseness as they prepare for birth, so adding strength and stability into the mix is highly beneficial. During this portion, Neva will always offer options to increase or decrease the workload. While exercising during pregnancy (when cleared by a midwife or doctor to do so) can be an important piece of maintaining a healthy body and mind, overexercising can take away precious energy. Neva will encourage each person to work at their own pace, approach their body with kindness and care, and tailor each session to their unique needs. There will also be a time during each class specifically focused on the pelvis and the pelvic floor. This intimate work is vitally important during pregnancy, birth, and post-partum. Having familiarity and comfort working with the pelvis in a supportive way can truly change a birther’s experience of the whole process of bringing new life into the world.
Class will include a variety of props to help offer a well supported practice. Ideally, each session will leave participants feeling calmer, stronger, and more connected to themselves and their baby.
Neva has over 15 years of teaching experience with a combination of ballet barre, yoga, meditation, contemporary dance, acrobatics, and somatics. She has many years of teaching pre- and post-natal embodiment, including training new instructors how to do so. She is the mother of a 3-year-old named Dion and during this series will be in the second trimester with baby #2.
Trial Class
Apr 14 by Donation
6-week Series Dates
Apr 21
Apr 28
May 5
May 12
May 19
May 26
Who is this for?
This prenatal class is for anyone currently carrying a baby inside your body. You are welcome to come during any week of your pregnancy, though please be sure to be cleared by your midwife or doctor to exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring to class?
We will have yoga mats and all necessary props, though you are always welcome to bring your own. Bring a water bottle.
What should I wear to class?
Please wear loose or stretchy clothing that do not squeeze or restrict your body in any way and that are comfortable to move freely in.
Do I need to have done yoga or strength training before?
No. This is an open level class with no previous experience required. Neva will explain and/or demonstrate each position and exercise, and is always available for questions. For people with experience, you will find many things in the class familiar, and will hopefully be guided to new experiences as well.
Location
These classes will take place in the Barn at WildHeart. When arriving you can either park in available spots on the right side of the driveway, or drive all the way to the end of the driveway and park in front of the Barn. The Barn is the wood sided building at the end of the driveway. If you’re coming to WildHeart for the first time, please visit our Directions page for arrival info.
“Your classes are amazing. You are so consistent in how you offer modifications, which is really supportive. I loved learning technique and anatomy from you. It was incredibly interesting. Thank you!”
– Yoga Class Participant
“Neva facilitated a space that felt inclusive, liberating and autonomous. I felt that I belonged and I was able to arrive as myself. Each offering invited freedom of movement, self expression and sharing.”
– Dance Retreat Participant
“Neva is SUCH a gifted teacher and speaker. The way she explains things is so perfect, to the point. I am truly in admiration of your teaching style. After working with her, I feel this sense of movement, change, and understanding in my life that is so simple.”
– Somatics Class Participant
About Neva Cockrell
Neva Cockrell (she/her) has been teaching dance, theater, and embodiment practices for over 15 years, including opening Physique 57’s first international studio in Dubai, developing her own movement technique, Catalyst, and serving as the co-Director of the Art Monastery. She is a yoga teacher certified through Simple Yoga with Eric Stewart, and in training to become a Somatic Movement Educator through Body-Mind Centering. She is deeply passionate about the overlap of somatic work and breaking down systems of oppression, and has been offering workshops integrating somatics, art-making, and culture shift work for the last 5 years. Since becoming a mother, she has become passionate about the transformations that happen to a birthing body, and how to best support them.
She is also a professional dancer, director, and educator. She danced with Pilobolus from 2016-2019, as Dance Captain 2017-2019, and now teaches with the company. With Pilobolus she toured extensively to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, China, Mexico, Israel, Dubai, and within the US. In 2010 she co-founded her own dance-theater company, Loom Ensemble, which has toured across the US, Europe, and UAE for 14 years. For her directorial work with Loom Ensemble, she is the recipient of several grants from the New England Foundation for the Arts, including the New Work New England Grant.
She is the co-founder and co-director of WildHeart: Center for Performance and Embodiment Practice, where she lives, creates, and works in the Hudson Valley, NY, since 2021.
Registration
Program Costs
Series – $80-$175 (for all 7 sessions)
Individual session – $15-$30 (sliding scale)
*Please note this class will not be offered during the trial week for most other classes for the Spring series at WildHeart during Mar 31 – Apr 6. Instead, the Trial Class (by donation) will be Monday April 7th.
*Please note preregistration for the series is required by April 12th. This series will only run if a minimum number of people sign up for the whole series. If that happens, drop-in classes will become available for purchase.
*Preregistration and drop-ins are welcome for the Trial Class.
BIPOC spots
We are offering 2 free spots for BIPOC folx. Please email contact@wildheartcenter.art to get the registration code for one of these spots.
No refunds. Classes are non-transferable.
