Yoga
During Pregnancy
Yoga can be a wonderful way to enjoy pregnancy, but it can also pose risks if you attend the wrong class, or do the wrong postures. It's important to be well-informed if you plan to take yoga classes while pregannt.
Yoga can help align your body optimally
for healthy carriage and delivery of the baby, and can provide breathing
and relaxation techniques to use during pregnancy and labor. Yoga can also reduce discomfort in your upper and lower back. However, pregnant women should understand that the effects of individual yoga postures on pregnancy have not been studied or examined on any large scale. Therefore, much of the available information about yoga & pregnancy is conflicting and unreliable. For instance, one well-known prenatal yoga teacher says that downward dog is one of the best postures, while another says that it is a dangerous posture that can cause miscarriage.
In general, you are welcome to take our yoga classes at your own risk while pregnant, as long as you understand the unknowns. We recommend that pregnant women take our Gentle Yoga classes to play it safe. (See our class schedule for class times.)
You should tell every new instructor that you're pregnant so
s/he can offer modifications, in order to practice safely for your
baby and your own body. In group classes, start out by asking the teacher to show you the basic modifications for pregnancy, which are also described below. Keep in mind that it will become much easier if you remember these modifications so that you can easily attend almost any group yoga class.
Modifications to use during pregnancy
-
Twisting: In general, avoid straining, compressing, and
twisting in the belly or abdomen. Gentle twisting is okay.
-
Inversions: Avoid all inverted poses (headstand, handstand,
and shoulder-stands).
-
Pranayama: Absolutely no breath retention, breath suspension, or "breath of
fire" (kapalabhati) should be attempted.
- Abdominals: Abdominal strenghthening poses should be avoided (e.g. boat pose).
- Lying Down on the Back: Pregnant women are generally told not to
lie on their backs after the first trimester in order to prevent
Vena Cava Syndrome (a lowering of blood pressure due to the baby
pressing on the vena cava artery). Use common sense and listen
to your body. It varies among different body types. Bolsters and
cushions can make a world of difference in savasana (yoga relaxation
posture) and others. For relaxation posture (savasana) you can bend your
knees or lie on your side with cushions under your neck and a bolster
between your legs. During the second and third trimester,
do not lie on your stomach at all.
- Lying Down on the Belly: All pregnant women should avoid prone postures that stress the weight of the body on the belly, including cobra, locust, and bow poses. Pregnant women past the first trimester should completely avoid lying on the belly.
- Relaxin: All pregnant woman are gifted with relaxin. The purpose of this natural hormone is to facilitate the pelvis
and hips to gracefully shift during pregnancy and childbirth,
providing an easier passage for the baby's arrival. With the
gift comes responsibility. Pregnant women need to engage muscles
more actively when they are stretching because of the amount of
relaxin in their systems (causing ligaments and muscles to have
more flexibility).
- Balancing: The more you begin to show, the more
challenging balance poses become, so avoid postures that are uncomfortable
or cause doubt. Use the wall, blocks, straps, or other aids as
needed while your belly grows.
- The Basic Rule: Above all ... listen to your body. Your baby will let you know what you need and what poses are uncomfortable.
And please ... don't practice yoga to the point where you're fatigued.
- One last tip: During pregnancy ... take water and bathroom
breaks liberally. Trust your body-wisdom and have faith of the
grace nature gifts us.
More Resources
This information was adapted from Yoga Everywhere, which
has more information about pregnancy and yoga. Click
to visit Yoga Everywhere. Yoga Journal also has a good collection of pregnancy-related articles.
See:
Yoga
Journal - focus on Pregnancy
