Yoga Poses For Pregnancy
Written by Sara Langer, Illustrations by Alessandra Olanow
Staying active during pregnancy has a lot of great benefits for both mom and baby. Maintaining an exercise regimen will help you carry all of that extra weight and prepare you for the birth of your babe (which in itself could easily be compared to running a marathon)!
Other perks of fitness include increased circulation, boosts in energy levels, uplifting one’s mood, improved sleep, and help fending off pregnancy-related illnesses such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, not to mention it will aid you in getting back in shape after the baby arrives.
Low-impact exercise such as yoga is a good place to start.
If you’re a hardcore yogini, there is no reason to stop attending your regular classes. However, if you’re new to yoga, don’t have a regular practice, or want to focus on poses specific to pregnancy, prenatal yoga is where it’s at! This practice can help prepare the body for birth by toning specific muscles, while opening the hips and pelvis. Focusing on breath and meditation are other great benefits to the practice that you can use throughout your pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
Tabletop and Cat/Cow
Begin on all fours. Shoulders over the wrists, spreading the fingers wide. Hips over the knees, knees hip-width apart. Cow: Inhale, lift the tailbone and chest up toward the sky, sinking the belly towards the ground. Relax shoulders away from the ears and soften the gaze. Cat: Exhale, round the spine toward the sky as the hands and legs push firmly into the ground. Release the head and tailbone toward the floor. Breathe slowly (I breathe to a count of 4 for each inhale and exhale), allowing the breath to flow with the motion of the spine. Inhaling into cow opens the heart, stretching the torso and the neck, while exhaling expands the back and stretches the spine. These poses bring the attention to the breath, anchoring the mind into the present moment, and calming worry.
Easy Seat (Sukhasana)
Breathe Into Your Belly - deepening your breath and closing your eyes, which helps to calm the nervous system and decrease the body’s stress response. Inhale slowly through your nose into your belly, feeling your belly expand. When you have inhaled as deeply as is comfortable, slowly exhale through your mouth letting your belly relax as it releases the air. You’ll start opening the hips, but it should also be relaxing.
During pregnancy you always want your hips higher than your knees to honor the natural curve of the spine and accentuate the forward tilt of the pelvis. So, sit on top of a rolled-up blanket.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
This pose can aid in optimal fetal positioning, lifting the baby’s head away from the the pelvis to turn and reposition if it is malpositioned. It is a great back and inner thigh stretch. As you get further along in pregnancy, you may require more props, like bolster or pillows and blocks to make you feel comfortable and supported. Use a block, folded blanket, pillow, or bolster under the forehead to create lift and more space for your belly. Knees should be spread wide.
For back pain, begin on all fours. Bring the big toes together and knees wider than the hips. Push the hips back towards the heels while keeping the arms extended forward. Rest the forehead on the ground. Soften the shoulders, and relax the arms. With every inhale, breath into the back of the torso. On every exhale, allow the body to relax and sink into the pose more and more. Child’s pose is a restorative, grounding pose that also stretches out the spine and sides of the body. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system and facilitates a sense of calm.
http://www.mothermag.com/yoga-poses-for-pregnancy/
