Yoga Poses During Pregnancy: Safe Yoga Postures for Pregnant Women

 Pregnant women find that yoga helps them during their pregnancy and also during labor. Frequently asked questions are, is yoga safe during pregnancy? What are the benefits of yoga during pregnancy? Here are some safety tips and suggestions for safe yoga practice during pregnancy. It would be advisable to work with an experienced teacher for adequate guidance and assistance.

Yoga and Pregnancy

Yoga for Pregnancy: Benefits of Yoga During Pregnancy

 Modern lifestyle has made life easier, but our bodies have become less flexible and supple. Muscles that participate during labor remain grossly under-utilized in our day-to-day lives. Attention is usually focused on the abdominal and pelvic muscles; nonetheless, the muscles of the back, thighs, neck, and even the face participate in the process. Strengthening and fortifying these muscles will ensure a smooth and quick delivery.

Pregnancy Yoga: Safe Prenatal Yoga Practice Tips

There are several postures and numerous modifications, so as to enjoy the benefit of yoga during pregnancy; however, here are some pointers that you ought to keep in mind:

• Do not practice yoga during the first 3 months after conception. Stop yoga practice if you have missed a period and expecting to conceive.
• Keep a ‘fluid, flow’ feeling with your practice.
• Do not hold the poses for too long; flow in and out of the various yoga postures. Also, keep the session short, about 15 to 20 minutes every day.
• Always remember, exhale when you go down; and inhale when you come up.
• Breath awareness is very essential. Let your breathing be easy and gentle; this will help ease labor.




Benefits of Yoga during Pregnancy


• Ligaments tend to soften during pregnancy, consequently, take care not to overstretch them.
• Avoid yoga poses that increase intra abdominal pressure or put a stress on the abdomen.

Yoga for Pregnant Women: Safe Yoga Pose during Pregancy 
Vajrasana (Diamond Pose):

Vajrasana is an excellent pose for the muscles of the thighs, legs and waist. Furthermore, this posture boosts digestive processes and improves GI tract functioning. It is a very safe pose and can be performed daily for about 2 to 5 minutes. The technique is as follows,

1. Kneel on a yoga mat.
2. Then, slowly sit down, such that, the buttocks rest on the heels. Keep the thigh close, as much as possible. 
3. Let the hands rest on the thighs.
4. If you find it difficult to maintain the posture, place a pillow between the heels and buttocks; it will be helpful.
5. Hold the pose for as long as comfortable; breathe normally; and then slowly get out of it

Yoga Posture During Pregnancy: Safe Yoga Posture for Pregnant Females

The butterfly pose facilitates good contraction and extension of the pelvic muscles as well as the muscles of the belly and buttocks. It strengthens the muscles of the thighs and legs and makes delivery easy. The technique:

1. Sit comfortably on a yoga mat. Now, fold your legs such that the soles of the feet touch each other.
2. Grasp the toes with your hands and gently flap the thighs – up and down. Keep the spine erect.
3. Inhale when the legs move up, and exhale when they move down.
4. Do not jerk or perform the pose hurriedly.

 Yoga Posture for Pregnancy: Rejuvenate with Yoga

Shaktisancharan (Energy Flow):

 This asana strengthens and reinforces the muscles of th neck, shoulder and back. It boosts the supply of ‘prana’ or the vital force within the body. Better flow of energy through the body helps you increase your tolerance to pain and eases childbirth. The technique:

1. Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position.
2. Make a fist such that the thumb points upwards. Then, inhale and raise the arms sideways at an angle of 60 degrees, with the thumbs pointing up. Keep the arms straight.
3. Exhale and slowly drop the hands.
4. Breathe slowly and deeply and perform at least 5 cycles of this asana.