Prenatal Yoga

Why Prenatal Yoga Can Help

First and foremost, any body movement during pregnancy is of great importance to the health of the mother and child. Some women do many of their favorite cardiovascular activities through most of the cycle, while others may have to take it easy in the last few months of the pregnancy.

Prenatal yoga works within the body’s guidelines, which is why many mothers-to-be find it to be the perfect exercise to continue through pregnancy. The fluid asanas are designed to respect any limitations while still maximizing the many benefits of the practice, such as:

• Increased circulation
• Toned muscles
• Improved mobility
• Maintaining physical and mental balance

The deep breathing necessary for working through yoga poses properly is another benefit to prenatal yoga. Deep breathing calms the mind and spirit, so seeking this relaxed state will ease each transition of pregnancy. Additionally, understanding how to use breath to manage pain, tension and stress will be helpful during labor and childbirth.

There’s also the general oneness and connectivity that yoga provides. Many expectant mothers report a heightened awareness not only of their bodies, but also of their babies, when practicing yoga.

Prenatal Yoga Precautions

To ensure your health and that of your baby, consult your health practitioner before starting a prenatal yoga program, and consider the following before starting a routine:

• If taking a class, inform your instructor of your pregnancy. That way he or she will be able to modify certain poses to accommodate you. Better yet, find a prenatal yoga class. Many studios and instructors now teach them.
• If you’ve been practicing yoga for some time, recognize that you will not be able to perform some of your normal routine as your pregnancy advances.
• Certain poses are not recommended for pregnant women, especially abdominal twists, inversion poses, and deep bends. In addition, the corpse pose should be avoided after the first trimester. Again, talk to your instructor for guidance about what poses are safe to practice through each stage of the pregnancy.
• Power yoga and Bikram or hot yoga are also not advisable yoga practices during pregnancy. The increased heat and intensity of these routines raises the mother’s internal temperature to a point that may be detrimental to the baby. Look forward to doing these practices after the baby is born to boost energy and shed weight gained during pregnancy.

Helpful DVDs

Since prenatal yoga is so specialized, it’s better to learn from a certified yoga instructor first, especially if you’ve never practiced yoga before. A prenatal yoga class is also a wonderful way to develop a fellowship among other moms-to-be. But if you are familiar with yoga and listen to your body’s limitations as the baby grows, you may enjoy these DVDs:

• On Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea, renowned yoga instructor Rea features comprehensive yet gently doable routines designed to accommodate the particular changes of each trimester.
• Dr. Christine Anderson’s Dynamic Prenatal Yoga is a great DVD for those yoga practitioners moving their yoga routine from studio to home as the pregnancy advances. This DVD has many helpful yoga posture modifications.
• ZenMama with Rainbeau Mars: Prenatal Yoga Workout is one of many yoga DVDs from this yoga instructor and lifestyle coach. Mars considered both the experienced yogi and the newcomer with her design of the flow of this DVD.
• More active mamas will enjoy Leisa Hart’s FitMama Prenatal Workout. In addition to gentle yoga and stretches, Hart mixes up the routine with a little salsa dance to get the blood flowing. The DVD has exercisers at various stages of pregnancy to show how everyone can join in.

External Links

• Visit LoveToKnow Pregnancy for more information to help you have the best pregnancy ever!
• To locate a prenatal yoga class near you, try Yoga Finder.