Postnatal Yoga at Home: DVD, Mat and Blocks Setup
By Sustainable Yoga Mats， Yoga Equipment | Published: 2026-10-14
Category: How-to Guides
Set up a safe postnatal yoga practice at home using a guided DVD and cork blocks. Follow six steps to rebuild strength after pregnancy without overdoing it.
Quick answer
Start with a guided postnatal DVD like Postnatal Yoga DVD with Tara Lee, a non-slip mat, and two cork blocks for support. Practice three to four times a week, beginning with the gentler options and only moving to stronger sequences after a few months. Check with your healthcare provider before you begin, especially if you had a caesarean birth or diastasis recti.
Why a guided DVD beats random videos for early postnatal practice
When you are sleep-deprived and your body is still healing, decision fatigue is real. A structured DVD gives you a fixed sequence that a qualified instructor designed for the postnatal period, so you are not scrolling through random clips wondering whether a pose is safe. The Postnatal Yoga DVD with Tara Lee is built for practice from six weeks after birth and includes separate options for gentle yoga, abdominal exercises, deep relaxation, and strengthening work. That structure means you can stay at the gentler end for the first few months and progress to the stronger sequences when you are ready, without guessing which video is appropriate.
Set up your space before you press play
You do not need a dedicated studio, but you do need enough clear floor space to lie flat with arms extended. Put your mat where you can see the screen without twisting your neck, and keep a water bottle and a folded blanket within reach. If you are practicing while your baby naps, set up near the baby monitor so you are not distracted. A wall or sturdy sofa nearby is useful for balance support in standing poses, especially when you are still rebuilding core stability.
Use cork blocks for support, not as a crutch
Postnatal yoga props are not a sign of weakness; they are a way to keep your alignment honest while your joints are still loose from pregnancy hormones. Cork blocks give you firm, stable support for seated folds, bridge variations, and standing poses where your hand does not comfortably reach the floor. The Large Cork Yoga Brick has rounded edges for added comfort and is designed for lift and stability in standing and balancing poses. Because cork is a natural, renewable, and biodegradable material, it also fits an eco-conscious home setup. A pair lets you use one under each hand in symmetrical poses, which is why the Large Cork Yoga Brick - Pair is often the more practical choice if you plan to practice regularly.
How to progress without flaring symptoms
The biggest mistake new mothers make is treating a six-week clearance as a green light for full-intensity practice. Your body may feel ready before your pelvic floor and abdominal wall have caught up. Start with the gentler options on the DVD and stay there for several weeks. Add abdominal exercises only when you can do them without doming, bulging, or leaking. If you feel heaviness, pain, or increased bleeding after a session, scale back to deep relaxation and gentle movement for a few days. Progress is not linear, and a DVD that offers multiple intensity levels lets you match the session to your energy that day.
Six steps to start your home postnatal yoga practice
- Get clearance and set a start date: Wait for your healthcare provider's okay, typically around six weeks after birth, before beginning the DVD. If you had a caesarean, a tear, or diastasis recti, ask specifically what to avoid in the first months. Checkpoint: no clearance means no practice yet, even if you feel fine.
- Choose the gentler option first: Put the DVD in and select the gentle yoga or deep relaxation option for your first two to three weeks. Do not jump to the strengthening sequence just because it looks manageable on screen. Common mistake: treating the strongest sequence as the goal instead of the later progression.
- Position your mat and blocks before you start: Place your mat with room to lie flat, set a pair of cork blocks within arm's reach, and keep water nearby. If you only have one Large Cork Yoga Brick, put it where you tend to need support most, such as under one hand in a standing pose. Checkpoint: you should not have to get up mid-session to fetch props.
- Practice three to four times a week, not daily: Short, consistent sessions beat one long session followed by exhaustion. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough in the early weeks. Use the DVD's chapter options to build a session that matches your energy. Common mistake: practicing daily to 'catch up' and then feeling too sore to continue.
- Use blocks to keep alignment, not to force depth: In seated folds, bridge, or standing poses, place a block under your hand or sit bones so you can breathe easily. The rounded edges on the Large Cork Yoga Brick make it more comfortable under the hands than a sharp-edged block. Checkpoint: if you are gripping or holding your breath, add height with a block.
- Reassess every few weeks and progress slowly: After a month of gentle practice, try adding the abdominal exercises or the stronger sequence once a week. Stop if you notice doming, leaking, or heaviness. The DVD is designed so you can move between gentler and stronger options as your body changes. Next step: if a stronger session feels fine twice in a row, make it your new baseline.
Products that support this routine
- Postnatal Yoga DVD with Tara Lee: Postnatal Yoga DVD with Tara Lee guides you through appropriate postnatal yoga suitable to practice from 6 weeks after the birth of your baby, with options including more gentle yoga, abdominal exercises, deep relaxation and strengthening yoga. Gives you a structured, stage-appropriate routine so you are not guessing which poses are safe in the early months.
- Large Cork Yoga Brick - Pair: Large Cork Yoga Brick - Pair offers strong, stable and durable support with rounded edges for added comfort, ideal when adding lift and stability in standing and balancing poses. Two blocks let you support both sides evenly in symmetrical poses, which is useful when your balance is still returning.
- Large Cork Yoga Brick: Large Cork Yoga Brick is made from cork, a natural, renewable and biodegradable material, harvested from the cork oak tree. A single brick is enough if you mainly need support in seated folds or one-sided standing poses, and it fits an eco-conscious practice.
