Pregnancy Yoga

“Yujyate Anena Ethi Yoga”
One Which unites or joins is YOGA

Here sage Patanjali has mentioned as one which unites with the Almighty is YOGA. In Sanskrit (One of the oldest Langauge) MATRU means MOTHER. Becoming a mother to a beautiful soul is only through the KARMA (Our Past Deeds).You become a mother only when your past deeds( also called yoga/Karma) pays for you.

Need of Yoga during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a special and important event in a women's life. As the baby grows and develops, mothers need to adjust physically and emotionally. Pregnancy-related discomforts due to anatomical and physiological changes can be stressful to women. They have to understand and recognize that these symptoms in the motherhood stage are temporary and that there are ways to cope with them. Failing to understand this basic fact may negatively impact the child's health. During the later stages of pregnancy, mothers have to prepare for labor and childbirth. Being a mother is a most pure and supreme relation above all, Pregnant women connecting to her baby in the womb by feeling it is the most blissful movement any women would never miss. She now will have 2 souls with in her. One of herself and the other of her baby. Let that connection or the bond between the mother and the fetus in the womb be connected to the SUPREME SOUL through the practice of YOGA.

We often think that we can imbibe values in our kids once they are born or once they become a toddler or a preschool goer, but we tend to forget that most of the moral values are sowed and nurtured when the baby was in the womb. So it happens to be an utmost responsibility of the pregnant women to see that the fetus in the womb is given only positive vibration, positive taught through out the journey of Pregnancy and this can be possible if the pregnant women practice YOGASANA and PRANAYAMA during this tender time.

Practicing YOGASANA during the pregnancy is often considered as a biggest challenge, but under an able guidance it will be simple and ease.
During your pregnancy, it’s important to stay active while also prioritizing rest. Prenatal yoga offers you the chance to get in touch with your body as you build strength, improve flexibility, and develop balance. These benefits can help promote mental and physical relaxation, ease pregnancy symptoms, and create positive mental patterns. You’ll also learn how to adapt to all the changes that occur during pregnancy, As the body undergoes various changes during pregnancy which create physical and mental stress. Yoga helps to maintain a healthy mind and body during pregnancy. Yoga helps to:
- Reduce stress levels
- Improve sleep quality
- Increase the strength of pelvic floor muscles needed for childbirth
- Decrease lower back pain
- Decrease nausea
- Decrease headaches
- Reduce the risk of preterm labor
It help's the pregnant women to adjust herself for the hormonal changes and to have less mood swings and to be more composed. Breathing Techniques practiced during the practice of Asanas and Pranayama helps the pregnant to lessen her stress and anxiety level at the time of birthing. Breathing techniques helps the pregnant women to have deep breathing between the contractions at the time of delivery. Helps the mother and child to bond more

Basic guidelines for pregnant women

1. As a general rule, modify poses to make space for the growing belly and find poses that are similar but less demanding to the body.
2. Blood sugar levels can fall more frequently during pregnancy. Although one is advised to do Yoga on an empty stomach, Pregnant women may have a light snack or juice before Yoga.
3. Focus on stability and strength rather than flexibility and endurance.
4. Avoid asanas compressing the uterus (e.g., forward bendings or closed twists) or asanas overstretching the abdominal muscles (e.g., backbends).
5. Practice open twists by moving from the head to the waist only.
6. Avoid inverted asanas, like shoulder/hand/headstand; compressing the abdomen in twisted standing poses like Parivritta Trikonasana and abdominal poses like Navasana and Naukasana.
7. Avoid asanas that involve lying on stomach like Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana and Dhanurasana
8. Avoid raising your hands above your head if dizzy when standing.
9. Avoid Kapalabhati Kriya or any such straining cleansing practices.
10. In pranayama, avoid Bhastrika and Kumbhaka (retention of breath). Practice slow breathing techniques, such as the Yogic deep breathing, Anuloma Viloma, Ujjayi, and Bhramari, which aid in bringing focus, reducing stress and anxiety, and preparing for childbirth.
11. Bring awareness to the pelvic floor in all asanas and pranayama.