During your pregnancy, practicing yoga is one of the finest ways to keep your body healthy and your mind peaceful. Your brain responds to the inner sensation created by yoga practices. Your body remains in good shape after delivery. In pregnancy, Yoga can connect an expectant mother to the unborn baby in the most profound form. It eases the birthing process and fosters a sense of happiness to the journey. Being a mother is incredible and learning yoga makes it more special.
Conditions and Precautions for Prenatal Yoga
There are several things to consider while learning prenatal yoga from a yoga teacher training school in India or abroad. To ensure a healthy mom and baby, here are some guidelines on what you need to do and what you not to do in your yoga teacher training in India. The list is compiled for normal pregnancy condition and does not apply for complicated medical conditions if any.
Safety
Practicing yoga during pregnancy has not received many scientific studies, but it is generally considered to be safe and helpful for going to be a mother. Still, you need to take consultation from doctors before doing prenatal yoga. If there are any complications, doctors or your healthcare team can provide you suggestions for best outputs.
At the time of pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called relaxin. It’s an important hormone that helps in creating room for the baby in the ovary and increases flexibility in the mother’s body. You need to be careful at that time, as overstretching can destabilize your joints and ligaments.
One of the most significant troubles for pregnant women is falling. Be careful with every pose you practice; do it under the guidance of experts only. Skip some yoga types which are not feasible and feels safe to the body.
Poses to Practice
Five different yoga asanas that are found safe during nine months of yoga practice. They are –
Cat-Cow Stretch (Chakravakrasana) – Keep your baby in the right position before the delivery by doing Cat-Cow Stretch. It’s a gentle pose to wake up your spinal cord.
Gate Pose (Parighasana) – Make more room in the crowded abdomen by doing gate poses every day. This posture stretches your body from both sides for better space in the abdomen.
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana) – Strengthen your legs with Warrior position. Practice this standing posture and open up your hip area for better delivery.
Cobbler’s Pose (Baddha konasana) – Stretch your inner thigh muscles by doing the cobbler’s pose. Use props under each knee to gently open your hip and thigh muscles.
Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani ) – This yoga asana is an antidote to swollen ankles and feet.
After pregnancy, yoga postures – For a new mother, it takes almost six weeks to recover your body. Doctors usually recommend six weeks of rest for vaginal birth and more for cesarean section. When you are all fine and have no significant bleeding, ask your yoga professional for postpartum yoga practice. Specific yoga practices specific to alleviate joint and neck pain in newly mothers.
Precautions for Pregnant Yoga Practitioners
- A pregnant student should avoid yoga, if she has a history of miscarriage, the low weight of the baby, and has persistent bleeding for two to three months.
- A pregnant student should avoid yoga if she suffers from nausea, dizziness, and fatigue
- After 20 weeks no supine postures should be practiced
- Try to avoid doing exercise in a hot and humid weather condition
- Drink plenty of water
- Consume at least 300 calories for the baby
- Always wear comfortable, relaxed and supportive clothing
Bottom Line
These are a few basic guidelines for a yoga student who is going to be a mother soon. Please do not forget to consult your healthcare team if you feel any disturbances in your body.
Practicing yoga for an expectant mother is meant for bringing peace and harmony. Yoga helps you to slow down and enjoy the experience of being a mother. Join a yoga community to embrace the beautiful journey of motherhood with other expecting mothers. For any more information, feel free to talk to experts at Rishikesh Vinyasa Yoga School. Visit the site directly.
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