Pregnancy Yoga — FOUR WINDS YOGA

What you need to know about Prenatal Yoga.

When should I start prenatal yoga?

If you are already practicing yoga, when you become pregnant, you can continue practicing in your normal class up till 10 weeks. Omit all strong unsupported backbends, abdominal āsanas and deep twists. Replace these āsanas with:

Supported Backbends: Supta Virāsana, Supta Baddha Konāsana

Forward Bends & Twists: Upavistha Konāsana, Parivṛtta & Parvsa variations, Janu Śīrṣāsana, Parivṛtta Janu Śīrṣāsana, Baddha Konāsana, Bharadvājāsana, Virāsana.

Between 11-13 weeks avoid heavy lifting and all strenuous activities, including yoga. This is a vulnerable time in pregnancy, a good time to rest and restore your energy.

From 14 weeks onwards, second trimester, we suggest you join a specific pregnancy class. You can practice yoga up until you give birth, modifying your practice accordingly as your pregnancy advances.

What to avoid in yoga when pregnant?

Women are intuitive at the best of times, more so when they become pregnant. Follow your instincts and embrace what feels right for you.

Some guidelines below:

Avoid anything that compresses the abdomen: eg full forward bends - Paścimottānāsana - and twisting across the leg when seated -Marichyāsana III. These āsanas limit the baby's space and can restrict blood flow to the uterus.

As the baby grows and demands more space, makes sure you are not pushing the lumbar spine forward: eg Ustrāsana, Urdhva Dhanurāsana.

Science tells us -

Lower back pain can be caused by compensatory lordosis (sway back) in the lumbar spine—an increase in the reverse C-shaped curvature—which causes excess strain on the lumbar joints, muscles, ligaments, and discs. The quardratus lumborum is a well known muscle that is a primary cause of lower back pain. As the belly continues to grow, it pulls the top of the pelvis forward causing lordosis in the spine. This position of the pelvis causes the lower back muscle to contract which can lead to lower back pain.

Practice yoga āsanas that lengthen & strengthen the back waist: Standing āsanas: Vīrabhadrāsana I, II, III - with supports: wall, chair, table etc. Seated forward bends in an upright concave position - also with supports: bolster under the buttocks, chair, strap, blocks etc.

Yoga equipment is essential during pregnancy.

What are the benefits of using yoga equipment in pregnancy yoga?

Using Yoga equipment helps you get more out of your practice, especially with the increased pregnancy weight. My experience, during pregnancy, was my yoga practice slowed down, I wanted to hold the āsanas for a longer period of time and I felt less stable. By 36 weeks I was struggling to walk up steep hills but was still able to practice yoga āsanas. I contribute this fully to the style of yoga I practice, Iyengar Yoga, and being able to adapt my practice.

eg: Adho Mukha Svanāsana (dog pose) - front of the pelvis supported on ropes, arms and head supported on a chair - lots of space for the baby and being able to stay, in the āsana, for a longer period of time. This was especially important to counteract the effects of pregnancy tiredness.

Simple supports - like holding a kitchen bench - as I worked with my balance (or lack of it) in the standing āsanas.

Although you may decide to work without yoga equipment; pregnancy is definitely not the time to do that.

BKS Iyengar teaching his daughter during her pregnancy.

How often should I practise yoga during pregnancy?

At Four Winds Yoga we offer one specific pregnancy yoga class/week. We view this 90 min class as a workshop, with a three-pronged approach:

Guiding their yoga practice, eg: how to use the yoga equipment as they transition through the trimesters.

Preparing women to give birth, eg: positions they can use during labour & sound work.

Preventing post pregnancy issues, eg: pelvic floor issues & weakness in the spine.

We suggest students practice small amounts of yoga everyday, with a more dedicated practice once a week. Small amounts of practice daily, over 26 weeks, adds up to a lot of practice.

How Prenatal Yoga Can Help You Have An Easier Birth

Prenatal Yoga can support you to have an easier birth in many ways. One of those ways is to help position the baby.

During the pregnancy we work with strengthen weak areas, eg pelvic floor, lower backs. We practice to help release tight muscles and reverse the effects of sitting. And practice yoga āsanas that help women to carry their baby effectively and position them in the pelvis in an optimal birthing position so they are more likely to have a quicker and more straightforward labour and birth.

Science tells us -

The best position for your baby to be in for labour and birth is head down, facing your back - so that their back is towards the front of your tummy. This is called the occipito-anterior (OA) position. It allows them to move more easily through the pelvis.

What are the benefits of yoga during pregnancy?

Helps us to focus on our breath, increase oxygen in our system and reduce stress.
Help us to be confident that we have done the best we can in preparing for the birth.
To keep our spines strong for after the baby is born.
Tones important muscle groups.
Releases tension around the neck and shoulders.
Prepares for labor and delivery.
Promotes connection with your baby.
Provides relief from common pregnancy complaints eg edema, heart burn, restless legs.
The yoga asanas move our bodies in all directions. This helps to increase the blood flow to your heart. Improved blood flow means more oxygen-rich blood is going to your baby.

What happens during a typical prenatal yoga class?

A short introduction.

Starting with more active yoga asanas that move our body in all directions: forward, back, laterally and inverted.

Finishing with more supported asanas to help us rest and renew.