Pregnancy Yoga Guidelines
Categories: Fitness, Ask a Fitness Expert
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Dear Sarah, I have been practicing yoga once or twice a week for about the last six months and I am now six weeks pregnant. What precautions and modification should I be taking to continue my practice?
Helen
Dear Helen,
Yoga is an amazing activity for your body during pregnancy, but be sure to check with your health care provider to ensure that it is safe for you to continue. If you are practicing at a studio be sure to tell your teacher that you are pregnant, this will prevent them from making un-safe, hands on adjustments to your body and provide them with the opportunity to share their modifications with you.
The most important part of pregnancy yoga is to listen to your body. If something does not feel right, try something else. The practice of yoga connects the mind body and spirit, growing this connection will bring you more in tune to your body and your growing fetus.
Here are some different moves for each trimester:
First trimester: Your yoga practice during your first three months of pregnancy can stay pretty much the same as before you were pregnant. You may prefer to avoid any transitions that involve jumping. As the fetus grows, your body begins to release the pregnancy hormone relaxin. This hormone is responsible for increasing the laxity of your joints. You may notice that you become more flexible than ever before (be careful!). If you are a regular 'hot room' yogi, you will need to move your practice to the regular temperature room as raising your body's core temperature is not recommended during pregnancy.
Second trimester: During your second trimester you will start to notice many changes in your body. As your child grows so, of course, does your abdominal area. It is very important to avoid placing any pressure on your womb. Because the relaxin hormone is active, I recommend avoiding poses such as three-legged dog and standing splits, as they can strain your the sacroiliac joint in your pelvis. A good alternate is a bent knee downward facing dog. If you are doing a twisting posture, twist away from your belly. Shavasana ( corpse pose, lying down on your back) should now take place on your right side, knees bent for stability.
Standing postures: Stand with your feet hip distance, this increases your base of support. Hip width forward fold.
Balancing postures: Your center of gravity is ever shifting forward, use lower options with your postures or keep both feet on the ground. Focus on grounding yourself and achieving stability rather than an advance full expression of the pose. Low option tree pose.
Lunges postures: Focus on tucking your tailbone under and keeping your pelvis upright to support your lower back.
Sun Salutations: As your belly grows you will need to transition to a cat/cow sequence in place of chaturanga and upward facing dog.
Third trimester: This is the time to use yoga to prepare your body for birth. I recommend seated wide-legged forward folds, standing triangle. Hindi squat is another amazing posture to prepare for birth.
In yoga we practice the art of letting go of our fears and inhibitions, during your pregnancy practice the art of letting go of your previous abilities, your body is growing a new life inside and that is one really amazing ability.
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