Your Guide to Pregnancy Yoga

During pregnancy, many women struggle to find an exercise that benefits both themselves and their new baby. With the worry of vigorous exercise affecting their little one, keeping in shape can prove difficult. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be! Pregnancy Yoga allows expecting mothers to relax and connect with their baby. Better still, the practice can relieve symptoms such as back pain, headaches, and nausea. All you need to practice Pregnancy Yoga is a good-quality yoga mat and some comfortable clothes. In this article, we explore Pregnancy Yoga in more detail.

Benefits

As well allowing moms-to-be to stay in shape, pregnancy yoga boasts a range of other benefits. Below, we discuss these further.

Increases Strength

Throughout pregnancy, carrying the weight of your new arrival can become tiring – especially during the third trimester. As baby grows, more strength and energy is needed to be able to continue with day-to-day life. Pregnancy yoga strengthens the hips, back, arms and shoulders to make carrying your little one a little easier!

Improves Balance

As baby gets bigger, our balance is also challenged. Pregnancy yoga teaches us the power of breathing. Through a series of simple breathing exercises, we learn how to tune our balance – both physically and emotionally.

Relieves Tension

During pregnancy, a large amount of stress is placed on our back, neck, and shoulders. Over time, this causes tension to accumulate in these muscle groups. Through various asanas, we can stretch out these areas to relieve built-up tension.

Promotes Relaxation

Most moms-to-be understand the importance of relaxation; however, finding time to do so can be tricky – especially if you already have other children. Pregnancy yoga offers some well-deserved downtime. Better still, it can be fitted around day-to-day life. If you’re super busy, try practicing a 5-minute sequence before bed. If you’ve got more time, look for a pregnancy yoga class close to where you live. Through deep breathing exercises, yoga sends the nervous system into parasympathetic mode. By reducing the effects of the fight or flight response parasympathetic mode allows us to relax on a deeper level.

Connect with Baby

Helping us to relax, pregnancy yoga allows us to focus on what is going on inside our body. When growing a mini-human, becoming more aware of what is going on inside can only be a good thing! Additionally, this gives expecting mothers the chance to connect with their baby before birth.

Teaches How to Breathe

Pregnancy yoga teaches expecting mothers the power of breathing. As well as promoting relaxation, deep breathing can be beneficial during labor. Remembering to breathe consistently through contractions keeps our blood pressure and heart rate regulated. Not only will this keep moms-to-be relaxed, but it will keep baby calm too.

Make New Friends

When starting a family, it’s not uncommon to drift apart from friends. Once you have children, your priorities are vastly different to what they once were; sometimes, this can be difficult for child-free couples to understand. Pregnancy Yoga classes allow you to meet other women in the same position as you. Once your baby is born, you can still meet up regularly with your new arrivals.

Prenatal Yoga Poses

Cat-Cow Pose

Stretching the spine, Cat-Cow Pose is great for releasing tension in the back and neck. Additionally, this posture helps get baby in the optimal position for delivery. To perform the asana, start on all fours with your wrists directly under your shoulders. Throughout the posture, you should also keep your knees aligned with your hips. Next, take a deep breath in and arch your back toward the floor. You are now in Cow Pose. Hold the position for around 4 breaths. On your fourth exhale, tuck your chin into your chest you arch your back toward the ceiling. You are in Cat Pose. Hold the position for around 4 breaths before returning to Cow Pose. Repeat the sequence as many times are you like.

Legs Up The Wall

Relieving pressure on the feet and ankles, Legs Up The Wall Pose is beneficial for those with swelling. To practice the pose, place the end of your yoga mat against a wall. When your mat is in place, sit down facing the wall. Gently lie back on the mat and extend both legs up the wall, making sure that your bottom is almost touching the wall and that your legs are closed. Depending on what feels most comfortable, you can either rest your hands on your stomach or on the mat. You are in Legs Up The Wall Pose. Hold the pose for around 5 minutes, or however long you feel comfortable doing so.

Dolphin Pose

Opening the back and shoulders, Dolphin Pose releases tension in the upper body. Additionally, the pose can relieve pregnancy-related nausea. If you’re an avid yogi, you may have been practicing Downward-Dog before you became pregnant. Dolphin Pose is similar to this asana but can open the back and shoulders even more.

To perform the asana, begin on all fours. Tucking your toes, lift your hips toward the ceiling and straighten your legs. Next, slowly lower your torso until your forearms are resting on the mat. Try to keep your neck aligned with your spine and your hips raised toward the ceiling. You are in Dolphin Pose. Hold the asana for around 30 seconds whilst breathing deeply.

In Summary

Whether you’re an experienced yogi or a complete novice, Pregnancy Yoga can be practiced by people of all abilities. With benefits including relaxation, increased strength, and tension relief, it’s no surprise that the practice is popular amongst moms-to-be. To further enhance relaxation, consider picking up a Love Tuner mindfulness tool. Worn around the neck, this single tone flute helps to align the body and mind.