Prenatal Yoga in Overland Park | Full Circle Yoga KC

Full Circle Yoga KC is MOVING!

January 10, 2025 by Full Circle KC

We’re bringing everything you know and love to a brand-new location—our warm and welcoming spirit, expertise in body movement during pregnancy and beyond, unmatched community, supportive education, and a safe, loving space. With a renewed commitment to reaching more KC families, we’re excited to continue fostering wellness, connection, and growth in this next chapter! Our due date is February 1st and our doors will open for classes mid-February!

One of my proudest accomplishments began as a simple idea—an idea that I nurtured, watered, and poured my heart and soul into. What started as a small vision has blossomed into a thriving community, touching the lives of expectant and new families in the KC area and beyond. With every step of this journey, I’ve been driven by a deep passion for creating a space where families can connect, grow, and feel supported. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and excited for all the lives we’ll continue to reach and uplift.

Heart of Kansas City

Our new studio is nestled in the heart of KC, we’re just minutes away from Waldo, Brookside, South Kansas City, Prairie Village, Westwood, South Plaza, Leawood, Fairway, Overland Park, and Midtown. You will continue to see all of our prenatal yoga, postpartum yoga, baby yoga, toddler yoga, preschool storytime yoga classes and wellness workshops along with our incredible teachers. As we embrace this new chapter and settle into our new space we will be offering additional classes and workshops. Stay tuned!

First class at our new Full Circle Yoga KC studio

Drum Roll……..We will have our very first Prenatal Yoga Class at the new studio Saturday, February 15th! Sign up here to join us for our first class in the new space!

Here’s a glimpse of where Full Circle Yoga KC has been and the exciting path ahead.

Full Circle Yoga KC’s birth studio (2017)

Our new studio is beginning to buzz with magic as we work to bring it to life! It feels a lot like the anticipation and excitement waiting for the arrival of a sweet baby!

Full Circle Yoga KC is a family centered yoga studio in Kansas City specializing in Prenatal Yoga, Postpartum and Baby Yoga, Toddler Yoga, Preschool Yoga, Fertility Yoga, and workshops

Yoga and Pregnancy

October 15, 2018 by Full Circle KC

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Yoga, or prenatal yoga, and pregnancy are a prefect combination! Prenatal yoga is like the rehearsal leading up to the grand performance of your birthing journey! Mama’s who practice yoga while pregnancy have a strong tool in their well-house to pull from during labor.

While exercising can feel daunting it helps build stamina for labor and supports a healthy pregnancy. Exercise normalizes blood pressure and glucose metabolism, builds muscle tone, helps regulate digestion, increase energy, and improves mood. Exercise also improves blood flow through the placenta by 30%.

Pregnancy has a profound impact on a Mama’s body as the body undergoes physical and emotional changes. The first trimester is often the most challenging period of pregnancy with the greatest physical adaptation that takes place. The blood pressure drops, intense fatigue, nausea, and lower back discomfort, mood swings, and constipation. Regular yoga in the first trimester will help temper these side-effects. Breath awareness that is practiced in prenatal yoga will help increase energy.

The second semester is often referred to has the “blooming period” where energy returns, skin glows, hair shines and the body finds a new normal with pregnancy. Prenatal yoga offers poses that are safe and support the changing shape and weight of a pregnant Mama.

As baby grows and takes up more room, discomforts may set in again in the third trimester. Yet, with poses and stretches offered in prenatal yoga your body will remain strong and prepared for your birthing journey. The emphasis placed on breath in prenatal yoga is the platform for which a Mama can find her inner strength and confidence she can carry into her birthing journey.

Yoga and pregnancy compliment each other so nicely for the dual benefits yoga offers. While exercise is important to Mama and baby, prenatal yoga offers a deeper level of preparing the mind and body for one of the most empowering challenges a Mama will experience. Prenatal yoga prepares a Mama for discomforts that she will experience in labor. Through holding challenging poses and relaxing into these poses it equips a Mama to relax and accept the work her body must do to bring her baby into the world.

Full Circle Yoga KC is family centered yoga studio in Midtown Kansas City specializing in Aerial Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Baby Yoga, Power Vinyasa and more.

Overland Park yoga studio

National Breastfeeding Month

August 16, 2018 by Full Circle KC

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Happy National Breastfeeding Month. Best advice I ever received, “if you’re planning to breastfeed, don’t think it comes naturally.” At the time of the advice, little did I know I would really struggle with breastfeeding my first child. Her words of wisdom became my truth as we struggled with latch and producing enough milk supply for my daughter. For me, breastfeeding was incredibly important and I have many happy memories of breastfeeding my children. For others, guilt surfaces when they think about not being able to nurse.

National Breastfeeding Month should offer the opportunity to reflect on the importance of keeping our children healthy. Whether that be through breastfeeding or formula every Mama’s ultimate goal is to keep their baby healthy. I recently read an article from Scary Mommy blog that made some good points about how we might think about breastfeeding month differently. What about Mama’s who can’t despite pulling out all the tricks to breastfeed, what about the Mama’s who decide breastfeeding isn’t for them? While we all know if we’ve done any reading at all, breast is best, sometimes it’s not an option. Supporting our village of Mama’s raising healthy, strong, kind, respectful, empathetic, courageous, and confident children is what our society needs. We may not understand why a Mama decides breastfeeding is not for her, but we can support one another in the journey of motherhood.

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National Breastfeeding Month should also offer the opportunity to normalize public nursing. We’ve all heard about the discrimination women have faced when simply trying to feed their child. Again, we have the opportunity to lift Mama’s up and support hungry babies by empowering Mama’s and creating a safe and accepting society. There are several ways to help support the normalization of breastfeeding.

In the end our ultimate goal should be to lift all Mama’s up and remembering that we are champions for each other in raising healthy children.

Full Circle Yoga in Overland Park was founded in 2017 by yoga teacher Jenny Hellman focusing on wellness in the early stages of family life from prenatal to early parenthood and the older adult years. Full Circle Yoga KC is an Overland Yoga Studio specializing in Prenatal Yoga, Baby Yoga and Chair Yoga for seniors.

Practicing Visualization in Prenatal Yoga

June 27, 2018 by Full Circle KC

Visualization is just one of many techniques we practice at in prenatal yoga classes Full Circle Yoga KC: Close your eyes and allow your facial muscles to relax, soften your brows, allow your jaw to relax releasing the tongue from the roof of you mouth. Take two breaths here, letting the exhale be longer than the inhale. Let yourself be present to this moment and find gratitude in all your beautiful body and baby are doing together in team.

As your eyes remain closed imagine yourself standing on a warm beach, first feel the warmth of the sand on your feet and between your toes. With a stick in hand, or using your finger, imagine that you are writing the number one in the sand. See the number one in your mind, watch your finger start at the top and draw a line to the bottom, making the number two visualize the curves and turns to complete the number two, moving to number three see the number being engraved into the sand, now to 4, see in your mind the number 5. Continue in this manner until you get to the number 10 and start over again. Take a restorative breath, feel yourself surrender into this journey.

Above is just one of many examples of visualization techniques for birth. Other techniques include:

count the ripples as you imagine throwing a rock into a pond
visualizing the contractions as riding the waves- hear the rhythmic lapping of the waves, the breaker in the wave is the most intense part of the contraction and as the wave crashes into the beach is a moment to relax before the next wave/contraction.
the mental imagery of your favorite flower- what is the flower, where do you see the flower, size, shape, how many pedals, smell. Visualize the opening of the flower as your body opens to bring life into the world.

heading 2 Importance of Visualization

Practicing visualization in prenatal yoga allows it to become a practiced tool when entering labor, a journey into the unknown. Visualization can be a wonderful tool to ride through the contractions and avoid spiraling from the pain of contractions. When a Mama can place her attention on imagery it can often curb the intensity of the contraction in order to get to the next contraction. Lots of visualization is placed on the end of the long hard journey of giving birth at Full Circle Yoga KC.

Visualization is not a practice that comes natural to many. It’s easy to get off track or let the outside stimuli or thoughts interrupt visualization. Practicing prior to the birthing journey allows it to be an organic self-help comfort measure.

At Full Circle Yoga KC our prenatal yoga offers a class that mamas at all stages can practice and build their physical and emotional strength in preparation for their birthing journey.

Yes, prenatal yoga supported me in my birthing journey

June 21, 2018 by Full Circle KC

I recently asked a group of Mamas who attended a BYOB class when they look back at their birthing journey what they found helpful from their Prenatal Yoga classes.

Subheading “YES, prenatal yoga supported me in my birthing journey!”

Each one of these Mamas had a different birthing experience. One Mama planned a home birth with a midwife, she had the baby at home, however the midwife did not arrive in time and she and her husband delivered the baby together, one Mama had a scheduled cesarean for medical reasons, one Mama went into labor natural and wanted an un-medicated birth, however to support relaxation asked for an epidural, another Mama planned to go into labor naturally prior to planned induction, however she required induction and cesarean. Each one of these women is one tough Mother!

They all agreed the breathing we practice in prenatal yoga was a huge tool they practiced during their labor. And, they have found that yoga breath continues to help them in motherhood. One Mama said because of her breathing during labor she was able to stay relaxed mentally, but felt herself getting physically tired, when she asked for an epidural her team was surprised because she appeared so calm. She now continues to use breath to help center herself when her baby is fussy so that she can release calming energy for him.

Another Mama said the breathing practiced in prenatal yoga helped her calm down and get under control when she felt herself spiraling.

One Mama said the breathing was key to working through each contraction. She also felt prenatal yoga helped her build endurance for the mountain climb of labor.

And another Mama said her mantra became I can do anything for 24 hours, I can do this for 1 minute. Mamas at Full Circle Yoga KC hear this in almost every class: “Typically, a contraction lasts about 1 minute, YOU can do anything for 1 minute. Typically, a first birth lasts about 24 hours, YOU can do anything for one day.” This particular Mama’s labor was longer than 24 hours, however she kept saying the Mantra to herself to keep her focused for the end journey of bring life into the world.

Each Mama has her own birthing journey, yet they all found the benefits to prenatal yoga. These Mamas have also created community through their pregnancy yoga and recently all got together for a play date to celebrate being tough Mama bears together!!!

Full Circle Yoga KC is a yoga studio in the heart of Kansas City that specializes in embracing the full cycle of life. Classes include Prenatal Yoga, Prenatal Partner Yoga, and Bring Your Own Baby (BYOB) Yoga for those entering the beautiful journey of pregnancy and the transition into motherhood. Full Circle Yoga KC also offers chair yoga for older adults living in retirement communities who are seeking an added component to health and wellness.