Practising yoga in pregnancy can be a wonderful way to relax and prepare
for birth. Writer Anita Naik looks at the benefits.
If the thought of bending like a pretzel while pregnant seems ridiculous and somewhat impossible, think again. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, prenatal yoga is the ideal way to stay fit, learn to relax and strengthen your body throughout your pregnancy.
While schools of yoga differ over pregnancy postures, the emphasis of all classes is set firmly on the importance of breathing and relaxation. This means unlike a normal class, practice is much slower, more focused and the heart of the class is based on postures designed to aid labour, and build pelvic floor strength rather than challenge the body dramatically.
If you’re a beginner, you’ll find that prenatal yoga will encourage and promote calmness and also help you to find postures that are tailored to your pregnancy needs i.e. positions that will alleviate a sore back or re-align bad posture.
Seasoned practitioners however, may well find that adapting their aims and objectives to a prenatal yoga class is a challenge, as practice is less dynamic than the usual form of yoga. However it pays to persevere because you’ll find that classes will not only help you to move further into the practice but also as support and buoy your body’s changing needs in a way that your usual practice will not be able to.
So what are the overall benefits of prenatal yoga? In the early weeks of pregnancy, yoga can help you focus positively on the pregnancy and stay relaxed as you experience fatigue, hormonal swings and possibly morning sickness.
By the second trimester as you have more energy, classes focus on building strength and stamina, as well as helping you expand your breathing capacity and align your posture. Be aware, however, that it also pays to be cautious in the second trimester as your joints begin to loosen up (due to the increased production of the hormone relaxin) in preparation for birth. So it's important to avoid over stretching and moving into or out of, positions too quickly.
By the third trimester you need to watch your balance and use props such as chairs, and cushions and blocks to help you move through different poses with greater stability. The aim of prenatal yoga now is to help you prepare physically, mentally and spiritually for birth so classes are structured around stretches and longer periods of deep breathing and relaxation.
Above all, whether you’ve done yoga before or not, be aware that prenatal yoga is no different to any other form exercise during pregnancy so always make sure you stay hydrated throughout, begin slowly and avoid postures that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Joining a class is always preferable to going it alone not only in terms of avoiding injury but also because the women in your class may well end up providing you with a ready-made support group not only during practice, but for the whole of your pregnancy and beyond.
Anita Naik is a writer, columnist and the author of the Lazy Girls Guides. www.anitanaik.co.uk
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My friendp is
My friend is doing pregnancy yoga. She is finding it very different to the yoga that she normally practices. Lots of emphasis on breathing and relaxation and is much less physical, but very beneficial.
Jennyl