Is It Safe To Do Yoga During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is an important for every woman. It is a time of many changes in a woman’s body and a lot of care is required during these crucial months. Yoga is an excellent alternative therapy to help you during this time. It can be extremely beneficial during all three phases of pregnancy: the pregnancy itself, labor, and delivery.
You can use Asanas (physical exercises) and Pranayama (breathing exercises) to help you during pregnancy. As long as you perform the yoga exercises correctly, it is safe to do them. At the yoga class, make sure you inform the instructor which trimester you are in, and then you can do the poses according to your comfort level. Your instructor will also be able to guide you with respect to the poses that will be beneficial and those which should be avoided. It is of utmost importance that you visit a yoga class before practicing yoga at home. You should avoid any poses that puts a lot of pressure on the abdomen or back as this leads to undue stress.
The simplest pose you could begin with is ‘Tadasana’ or mountain pose, where you stand straight and concentrate on your body. This helps with the posture and symmetry of your body. One of the other safe poses is ‘Trikonasana’, or lateral bend, which is suitable during pregnancy as it easy to do and strengthens your feet to help your body take the weight increase. ‘Virabhadrasana’, or the warrior pose, strengthens the abdominal muscles to help your uterus relax and expand. The cat-cow stretch is another good ‘Asana’ for pregnant women as it helps the body flush out toxins. ‘Baddha-Konasana’ is a simple seated exercise that promotes circulation of blood in the body, thus ensuring different parts of the body receive enough oxygen and nutrients.
The breathing exercises, or ‘Pranayama’, are particularly helpful and can be safely performed during pregnancy. The ‘Anuloma-Viloma’ or alternate breathing exercise, where you breathe in through one nostril and exhale through the other alternatively is very useful. It helps regulate your breathing pattern and induces an overall state of calm and harmony.
There are also many specialized pre-natal yoga classes that focus exclusively on techniques that are beneficial for pregnant women. Even if you don’t have access to such a specialized yoga class, keeping the guidelines mentioned above will help ensure that you receive all the benefits of yoga for yourself and your unborn child.
