Yoga in Pregnancy

Prenatal Yoga is a relaxing and calming way to strengthen, stretch, and prepare your body for birthing, and motherhood!

We all know every woman experiences pregnancy differently. The reasons are many, be it hereditary, environmental, physical and even lifestyle choices. For any major athletic event or professional milestone, preparation and training is necessary. The same is true for birthing. Prenatal yoga is one way for all women to prepare through relaxation, birth preparation and gentle exercise.

Regardless of how a pregnancy progresses, a regular yoga practice can have many benefits for mothers-to-be. Whether you are in your first trimester or in your final weeks of pregnancy, yoga offers ways to relax, to begin to exercise with your baby, to relieve any light discomfort, and to prepare for birthing, bringing awareness to the extraordinary transformation happening within you. Asanas, the physical poses, can help build strength and stamina and improve circulation. Certain poses help to open the body to make room as the baby grows, and to prepare particular muscles for birthing. Meditation can improve the mind and body's ability to relax and to concentrate. Pranayama, breathing exercises, can also help to relax the body and mind, and develop skills to manage contractions during birth.

There are usually two types of structures to prenatal yoga classes. A drop-in class is offered one or two days/week and requires no sign-up or commitment to attend. Classes usually attract women from all stages of pregnancy and the teacher will offer modifications to asanas and breathing exercises to accommodate each woman.

Pre-registered classes begin in the second trimester and may offer a more structured class from week to week, building on what was introduced the week before. However, as we know, being pregnant is also a very busy time and many women cannot commit to weekly classes. It all depends on what type of class fits in with certain lifestyles.

Most basic asanas and breathing exercises are recommended to practice during the first trimester, with an understanding that every woman experiences pregnancy differently and during those first weeks, it is a good time start practising mindfulness of the pregnancy experience, honouring the body as a home to your new life. There are many modifications to regular asanas that begin to be more relevant during the second trimester, when there is added weight and your balance and gait begins adjusting accordingly.

Prananayma exercises from the first trimester onwards to help to relax and calm your mind and body as you adjust to being pregnant. Deep yogic breathing allows you to focus inward, to your growing baby and to your transforming life. Daily meditation throughout pregnancy has many benefits including calming the mind, exercising focus on the mind and body connection and relaxing into each changing state of pregnancy. Once it is practised regularly, a meditative state while birthing will give you and your baby the relaxed and open conditions it needs to birth with ease.

A pregnancy yoga class may modify many asanas and maintain a more relaxed pace than a regular class. A prenatal yoga instructor will understand more specific changes going on and can help to develop a yoga practice that is unique to your own experience with pregnancy. Some types of yoga classes are going to feel more comfortable than others. Hatha, Yin, Restorative yoga may be beneficial to those with nausea. Advanced Power yoga or Ashtanga yoga or hot yoga classes may heighten nausea and fatigue, depending on the level of yoga that was practised prior to pregnancy.

Exercise and relaxation are essential to an enjoyable pregnancy and prenatal yoga offers both in a unique and beneficial way for both you and your baby.