Yoga and Pregnancy

Pregnant women can benefit from yoga. It teaches you how to relax and teaches beneficial breathing techniques. This in turn will assist you during your pregnancy, labor, and birth and during motherhood. Yoga will provide you with both physical and mental stress relief. There are benefits for both your body and your mind.

Yoga can be beneficial during pregnancy, but there are precautions that need to be taken. This applies to people with no yoga experience. An experienced yogi may find that they can continue their practice at a different level.  If the yoga class you are taking is not specifically for pregnant women, you need to tell the instructor that you are pregnant and what trimester you are in. After your first trimester you should not do any poses, or asanas, on your back. These poses can cut off the blood flow to your uterus. Poses where you have to stretch too much should also be off limits; especially poses that involve stretching your abdominal muscles.  When you are pregnant the hormone relaxin puts you at increased risk for strains, pulls and other injuries because it softens your connective tissues.

Another good precaution is to use a chair or the wall for support during your second and third trimesters. This is because during this period your center of gravity has shifted and you do not want to lose your balance and hurt yourself or your baby. Avoid Bikram, or hot yoga, because studies have shown that overheating can affect your baby's growth and development.

When you are doing poses that require you to bend forward, make sure that you are hinging at the hips and leading with your breastbone to allow space for your ribs to move. This will make breathing much easier. When you are bending while seated use a towel or yoga strap behind your feet and hold it at both ends. You should bend at the hips and lift your chest so that you are not compressing your abdomen.

Twisting positions should be done by twisting the shoulders and back and less from the waist; this is to avoid excess pressure on the abdomen. Deep twists should not be done during pregnancy and you should listen to your body; go only as far as is comfortable. Whenever you feel discomfort you should stop. You will most likely have to modify poses all throughout your pregnancy because your body is changing. If you have a good instructor, they should be able to help you customize your yoga practice for each stage of pregnancy.