About Soul Mama Yoga
Kelly Thompson created Soul Mama Yoga with the aim of helping women to experience a positive empowering birth regardless of whether everything goes to plan or not and to help build on a strong and beautiful bond with their baby.
Soul Mama Yoga helps women prepare for birth and beyond through breath-work, movement and relaxation. During the specialised classes you will gain confidence to know, listen and understand your body, to trust in it and go with the flow whilst having a clear focus on your role during your pregnancy, through your birth and with your new baby.
Soul Mama Yoga, the heart and soul of mother-of-three Kelly Thompson, offers weekly yoga classes that focus on enjoying a safe, healthy form of exercise, receiving support and encouragement and creating invaluable friendships with like-minded mamas to help you embrace, thrive and survive pregnancy, birth and beyond. The more women Soul Mama Yoga can nurture, nourish and empower through this precious life changing journey the better.
About Me
Kelly’s Story
Kelly is a mother of three now living on the Gold Coast after emigrating to Australia from the UK back in May 2016 and life has been quite a ride! Having previously held a career in criminal law defence Kelly chose to leave this behind to marry, start a family and spend those precious early years with her children. With a new Australian adventure on the horizon, Kelly saw this as an opportunity to carve out a whole new meaningful path. Realising how much she missed making a difference in other people’s lives, Kelly searched her soul for new meaning, purpose and passion as her children grew.
Having attended pregnancy classes herself during each three of her own pregnancies, Kelly strongly believes these classes empowered her to be confident during each labour and birth. At the start of 2016, before leaving the UK Kelly embarked on a specialised teacher training course for Pregnancy and Postnatal Yoga with Yoga Gro. After arriving in Australia Kelly went on to complete a full 350hr yoga teacher training course with My Health Yoga. Eager to bring forth her new purpose and passion Kelly created Soul Mama Yoga specialising in yoga for pregnancy, birth and beyond.
The Beginning…
“Within a few months of being newly married we discovered I was pregnant, much to our surprise and delight it happened quickly. We were incredibly excited but sadly it was not to be and unfortunately I miscarried a short time after. The following year I was lucky enough to fall pregnant again. With instant joy came instant worry and anxiety… just because I’m pregnant does not necessarily mean I’m going to have a baby! However, albeit with trepidation, I progressed through those first 12 weeks without any drama with the exception of terrible nausea and extreme tiredness. My midwife suggested trying some pregnancy yoga classes, having never done yoga before I thought to myself well, I’ll give it a go… little did I know it would unfold into what it has now! The yoga helped to ease my anxieties and gave me a sense of empowerment throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. I no longer felt scared, I felt ready and prepared.
When my labour started I was excited but relaxed. I progressed comfortably by using breathing techniques learned during the classes I had attended as well as practiced movements to help keep things moving forward. Remaining calm, relaxed and focused was my aim and it was working. I was able to have a full conversation with the hospital and they only decided to have me come in because I had caught shingles and was full of cold. Well, it was a good job they did because the 45 minute journey to the hospital became a little hair raising and I wasn’t sure we were going to make it in time. Luckily we did but my bag and all my belongings never left the car. I was taken straight into a delivery suite by a midwife to be examined, I was already 9cm dilated. The midwife even asked me if this was my second baby as she noted how together I was… this was definitely down to the yoga and techniques I had learned!
Up until this point I had no pain relief save for a couple of paracetamol so I tried gas and air but unfortunately my first born decided to come down sideways and get stuck so this was taken off me. His heartrate had dropped off the chart and I needed to get him out immediately. This was not quite what I had imagined nor planned, well, you know what they say about best laid plans and all that haha! Despite the franticness of the situation I was able to maintain control and composure by simply taking a moment and breathing and I safely gave birth naturally to a beautiful 9lb 10oz (4.4kg) baby boy, yes… ouch!! Although many professionals view my first birth as traumatic, I do not see it that way at all and strongly believe that I experienced a positive, empowering labour and birth.”
Kelly Thompson, the heart and soul of Soul Mama Yoga
Soul Mama Yoga Services
Soul Mama Yoga Specialises In
Pregnancy Yoga
Yoga designed to prepare both the mind and body for pregnancy, labour and birth effectively as well as connect with their baby and enjoy a positive and empowering entry into motherhood.
Postnatal Yoga
Yoga designed for Mama's to help reconnect with themselves, help clear, calm and heal the mind and body providing some well earned and well deserved Mama 'Me time'.
Baby Yoga & Massage
Yoga and massage designed to build parental confidence and connection with their baby whilst supporting infant mental health and boosting their physical, emotional and social development.