YOGA AND WORLD HEALTH DAY 2025
This year, World Health Day - celebrated on April 7 - puts the spotlight on maternal and newborn health. Yoga, with its gentleness, depth and capacity for bonding, is an invaluable resource for accompanying pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period. A holistic practice that supports the body, calms the mind and nurtures the sacred bond between mother and child.
Written by TINA - April 2025
Inklapbare content
Reading time
Approx. 10 minutes
WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DISCOVER
- What yoga reveals about the foundational link between breath and birth
- How prenatal yoga supports pregnancy, childbirth and the mother-child connection
- The power of breath as a pillar of health for mother and newborn
- How postnatal yoga rituals promote regeneration and healing
- Why yoga offers a holistic and humane approach to health
- How to awaken the very young to body awareness and breath from their very first steps
"Let's take a look!
BORN HEALTHY, ANCHORED IN CONSCIOUSNESS
Birth is much more than a biological event : it's an initiatory passage, an original breath that marks the entry into existence. In the yogic tradition, breath (prāṇa) is considered the very first expression of life, what animates the body and connects the being to the universe. The first cry of a newborn baby, often perceived as a vital reflex, is in reality the bearer of a profound symbolism: it's the moment when the body awakens to breathing, to anchoring, to presence.
As a holistic discipline, yoga reminds us that everything begins with the breath. Even before words, even before gestures, it is the breath that establishes our relationship with the world. And this breath, if conscious and nourished from the outset, becomes a precious foundation for the physical, mental and emotional health of the individual.
In celebration of World Health Day's 2025 theme - focusing on maternal and child health - this post pays tribute to that sacred link between the beginning of life and self-awareness. It invites us to reflect on how anchoring, emotional security, breathing and gentleness can be cultivated from birth... and even before.
PRENATAL YOGA: CULTIVATING LIFE BEFORE BIRTH
During pregnancy, the female body becomes a sanctuary in transformation, a space of creation and passage. Prenatal yoga offers invaluable support for this metamorphosis, providing pregnant women with concrete tools for inhabiting their bodies, calming their emotions and creating a deep bond with their unborn child.
Through gentle, adapted postures, prenatal yoga relieves lumbar tension, improves circulation, strengthens the pelvic muscles and softens the perineum. But its power doesn't stop at the physical. It invites us to center ourselves, to listen to our needs, to welcome every sensation with kindness. The breath becomes a guide, a refuge, a powerful ally in the stages of change.
On an emotional level, sessions help to calm fears, reduce stress andbuild inner confidence, essential for a more serene birth experience. Yoga also offers a space for cultivating self-presence, while nurturing the subtle bond between mother and baby.
Practised from the very first weeks of pregnancy, prenatal yoga not only prepares you for childbirth, it also invites you to experience your pregnancy consciously, in tune with your body and the living world. It celebrates women's creative capacity, in all its strength, fluidity and assumed vulnerability.
BREATH AS FIRST AID
Even before the first cry, there is breath. This primal breath, the one that breathes life from the very first seconds outside the womb, is a powerful transition between two worlds: the liquid world of gestation and the air of the outside world. In yoga, breath (prāṇa) is considered the vital energy par excellence, the bridge between body and spirit - an invisible force that animates all living things.
For pregnant women, the practice of pranayama - or conscious breath control - becomes an essential resource. Breathing deeply and consciously helps to calm the mind, release physical tension and regulate the nervous system. But it's also a way of communicating with your baby, entering into a subtle relationship through a shared rhythm.
During childbirth, the breath guides movement, supports contractions, channels intensity and promotes better oxygenation. It becomes an anchoring force in the storm, a tool for trust and connection. After birth, it remains present as an ally to accompany emotions, find calm and cultivate inner stability.
In the first days of life, an infant's breath is still fragile, irregular and almost imperceptible. This is why conscious breathing practices can also inspire newborn care: breathing slowly close to the baby, transmitting a form of invisible but very real security through presence.
Using breath as a healing tool means recognizing its silent power. It means getting back to basics: calm, regular, fluid breathing, capable of getting through upheavals and opening up a space of peace, for both mother and child.
POSTNATAL RITUALS: YOGA TO RESTORE AND NOURISH
After the intensity of childbirth, comes the moment of returning to oneself. The body has given birth, the heart is overflowing, but the balance is often fragile. In this delicate period, postnatal yoga acts as a gentle medicine, a caring space to repair, refocus and reconnect.
Physically, gentle postures help strengthen the perineum, tone the deep abdominals, realign the spine and release accumulated tension, particularly in the shoulders and back. The breath guides each movement, facilitating a gradual recovery that respects the young mother's rhythm.
But postnatal yoga goes far beyond the body. It invites us to honor our emotions, often on a rollercoaster ride between fatigue, intense joy and vulnerability. By integrating breathing and relaxation exercises, the practice becomes an inner refuge, a suspended moment where we can simply be, without pressure or expectation.
It's also a good time to strengthen the bond with the baby. Certain practices invite you to integrate the child into the session: place your hands on him/her, breathe together, share a calm presence. This gentle, silent yet profound contact soothes both hearts and strengthens attachment.
In some cultures, the postnatal period is sacred, marked by rituals of care, warmth and silence. Postnatal yoga reactivates this tradition of caring. It reminds us that restoring the mother is also nourishing the child. It reminds us that taking time out for oneself is not about stepping back from one's role, but about embracing it more fully.
This moment of returning to the mat, after birth, becomes an act of tenderness towards oneself. It's a space for listening to oneself again, rediscovering one's inner power, and allowing a gentle peace to settle in, radiating through the mother-child bond.
THE ROLE OF YOGA IN A HOLISTIC VISION OF HEALTH
Much more than a simple sequence of postures, yoga is an art of living, an age-old discipline that considers the human being as a whole: body, breath, mind, emotions and consciousness. It is precisely this integrative approach that makes it an invaluable ally in contemporary public health issues.
In an age of fragmented health care, yoga offers a path to unity. The aim is not to "heal" one part of the body in isolation, but toharmonize the entire inner system. Breath calms the mind, movement awakens vitality, presence reconnects us to the moment. Everything is connected.
In this sense, yoga is profoundly preventive. It boosts immunity, manages chronic stress, improves sleep quality, regulates the autonomic nervous system, prevents musculoskeletal pain... all elements which, if neglected, can lead to lasting imbalances. With regular practice, the body learns to repair itself even before suffering.
But yoga is also humanly therapeutic. It offers a space of inner security, where everyone can embrace their frailties without judgment. It invites us to slow down, to listen, to feel. It is this posture of self-attention that creates the first conditions for lasting well-being, deep healing, and sometimes a genuine change in life's trajectory.
In hospitals, schools, birthing centers and social centers, yoga is increasingly being integrated as a complement to traditional care. Because it doesn't replace anything, but accompanies everything. Because it gives the patient back an active role, and the caregiver a tool for listening. Because it reminds us that health is not the absence of symptoms, but the quality of being present to oneself.
On a collective scale, such an approach to care contributes to building a more conscious, resilient and connected society. A society where taking care of oneself becomes a simple, natural and deeply committed act.
A FUTURE FULL OF HOPE: WORLD HEALTH DAY AS AN IMPETUS TOWARDS A MORE RESOURCE-CONSCIOUS GENERATION
Every year, World Health Day invites us to take a collective look at what it means to "take care" in our modern societies. The 2025 edition, with its focus on maternal and child health, reminds us that health begins in the earliest moments of life, and that education in well-being should never wait until adulthood.
From this perspective, yoga becomes a tool of the future. Not only to accompany mothers and infants, but also to raise awareness of the body, breath and emotions from childhood onwards. By introducing gentle, playful practices into schools, families and healthcare settings, we are helping to build a generation that is more grounded, calmer and more connected to itself and to others.
So this day is not just a symbol. It's a call to action, to transmission, to hope. It reminds us that a healthier world depends on simple gestures: breathing consciously, listening to our bodies, taking care of our inner balance.
By instilling this holistic vision of health today, we're paving the way for a future that's more aligned, more humane, and resolutely focused on prevention, gentleness and presence. A world where breath becomes the guiding thread for a fuller life, from the very first steps.
Thank you TINA for this post
Thank you for this committed and conscientious reading. May every breath you take today be a promise of health, connection and hope.
TINA's bio
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TINA
1994, Reunion Island & Mauritius, a Life inspired by the Indian Ocean and Yoga
Since childhood, this intrepid traveler has criss-crossed the globe, leaving her footprints on beaches the world over.Passionate about surfing, scuba diving and sailing, she has made the ocean her playground and source of inspiration.
The freedom of the waves, the serenity of the ocean depths and the wind in his sails have punctuated his journey, always guided by a quest for connection with nature.
Through her explorations, yoga has become more than a practice for her - it's a way of life.
Between morning surf sessions and meditative sunsets, she has found in yoga a perfect balance of strength, fluidity and self-awareness.
Today, she combines her passion for water sports with teaching yoga and is part of the Yogaterrae team, here in France, in the South-West and often remotely :)
This adventuress is a true source of inspiration for anyone who aspires to live in harmony with their body and nature.
Through her stories of incredible experiences, she invites everyone to open up to a world where every wave, every breath and every posture is a celebration of life.
