The research is overwhelming. Yoga is an amazingly beneficial practice, one that can enhance your health and that of your unborn child. Practicing yoga during pregnancy is a fantastic way to prepare your body and mind for carrying, delivering and caring for a baby.
Yoga supports women through all stages of pregnancy. The ability to adapt and learn new techniques, postures and variations makes prenatal yoga incredibly successful in meeting women’s changing needs and is why it is one of the most recommended practices by health authorities.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>In addition to being a gentle way to stay in shape and maintain a healthy pregnancy weight, prenatal yoga has an endless list of benefits. It relieves pain caused by the weight of the baby by <a href=”http://www.bodyburn.com.au/cultivating-zen-the-benefits-of-practicing-yoga-during-pregnancy/pregantfitness600/” rel=”attachment wp-att-1391″><img class=”size-medium wp-image-1391 alignright” src=”http://www.bodyburn.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/pregantfitness600-300×169.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”169″ /></a>straightening and realigning the spine, and strengthening the back muscles. It also alleviates nausea and constipation experienced in the first trimester. Even your immune system becomes stronger when you practice yoga. You experience a calmer mind, deeper relaxation and learn to better understand how to take it easy whilst still gaining greater energy during this time of change.</p>
Yoga can be practised all throughout pregnancy, including labour! It has even been attributed as a means to ensure a positive, risk reduced delivery. Carrie-Anne Fields, founder of My Health Yoga explains, “The effects of doing prenatal yoga have been proven to help the delivery process go considerably more smoothly. One physical aspect that prenatal yoga offers is that it can relieve tension around the cervix (and around the birth canal) by helping the pelvis open.”
Yoga also provides the tools needed to relax in the delivery room, such as breathing techniques that can be applied to great effect during contractions. “If the muscles are tense and tight during delivery, they could cause stress not only on the mother during labor but also on the baby”, says Fields. “Yoga during pregnancy quietens the nervous system, quiets the mind, and helps maintain a healthy blood pressure”. Having the ability to cultivate a state of mind and body to support such stress will help you, and therefore your baby, whilst giving birth.
Now before you go and pull on those yoga pants and twist yourself into a knot on your yoga mat, err on the side of caution. Due to hormonal changes, pregnant women’s’ muscles and ligaments are extremely flexible (especially from 38-42 weeks). Any overstretching can cause serious and even permanent damage. Be aware of the changes in your body and how they will affect how you can move. Due to the more pronounced curve in your spine, and the stretch or separation of abdominal muscles, it is recommended to refrain from strong poses that engage these muscles.
<a href=”http://www.bodyburn.com.au/cultivating-zen-the-benefits-of-practicing-yoga-during-pregnancy/pregancy-lady-sitting800/” rel=”attachment wp-att-1392″><img class=”alignleft size-medium wp-image-1392″ src=”http://www.bodyburn.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/pregancy-lady-sitting800-300×200.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”200″ /></a>Your yoga teacher is always there for guidance. Inform them of your pregnancy. They will advise extra care if you have a history of miscarriage, premature labour and/or cervical weakness. They will check in with you regularly to ensure your baby is moving appropriately and you feel no sudden unexplained discomfort. Don’t be offended if a yoga teacher advised their class is not for you. The class may be a style such as Bikram of Power Yoga which put you at risk of overheating your baby. Seek out gentler forms such as Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, Restorative and specific Prenatal yoga.
The most important thing is to remember the only people that know what it is like in your body is yourself and your baby. Follow your inner guide and intuition. Listen to your body and allow yoga to bring greater ease, happiness and health throughout your pregnancy, and when bringing your baby into this world.