The practice of yoga can help you prepare your mind and body for labor and birth as this helps you focus, concentrate and keep you healthy. Doing Yoga Postures is a gentle way of keeping your body active and supple and minimize common pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness and constipation. It can also help in ensuring easier labor and smooth delivery by relieving tension around the cervix and birth canal and by opening the pelvis.
12 Yoga poses for ladies during pregnancy
The following Yoga poses can help you deal with symptoms of pregnancy, ensuring smoother and easier delivery, and faster recovery after childbirth.
- Sukhasana
- Marjariasana (Cat stretch)
- Vajrasana with ujjayi breath (Adamantine pose with Victory breath)
- Tadasana (Mountain pose)
- Konasana-1 (Standing Sideways Bending One arm)
- Konasana-2 (Sideways Bending Using Both arms)
- Trikonasana (Triangle pose)
- Veerbhadrasana (Warrior pose)
- Paschimottanasana (Two-Legged Forward Bend)
- Badhakonasana (Butterfly pose)
- Viparitakarni (Legs against the wall pose)
- Shavasana (Corpse pose)
Different pranayamas you can practice during pregnancy
- Ujjayi breath (Victory breath)
- Full yogic breath
- Bhramari pranayama (Bee breath)
- Yoga Nidra
- Nadi Shodhan Pranaya (Alternate nostril breathing technique)
After practicing these pranayama, you can follow it up with a meditation as it will help you relax.
Yoga precautions for pregnant women
- Poses that put pressure on the abdomen and other difficult poses should not be done during advanced stages of pregnancy.
- For the first trimester, standing Yoga poses are advised as this will help strengthen the legs, enhance circulation, generate energy, and may reduce leg cramps.
- During the second and third trimester, you may reduce your time spent for practicing the asanas to prevent fatigue and overwork. Instead, focus more on breathing and meditation.
- Also, it is not advised to practice from the tenth through the fourteenth week of pregnancy since these are crucial times.
- Do not overstretch the abdomen; the emphasis of your twisting poses should be on the shoulders and the upper back and not on the abdomen. Avoid doing inversion poses.
- You do not have to do all these asanas and remember to listen to your body and just do as much as you easily can.
Yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy:
- Naukasana (Boat pose)
- Chakrasana (Wheel pose)
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Sitting Half Spinal Twist)
- Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
- Viparita Salabasana (Superman pose)
- Halasana (Plow pose)
Note
Please consult your doctor and a Sri Sri Yoga expert before embarking on any Yoga regimen during pregnancy.
