Top Five Yoga Poses for Expectant Mamas

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Yoga is like parenting. This thought struck me the other night when I was subbing for a pre-natal class. At first, I was reminded of the sense of comradarie pregnant women share in the form of birthing stories, advice, excitement/trepidation of having a baby on the way, and of course, the challenge of sharing your body with your baby. Hearing the kvetching of mothers, I remembered the avalanche of child rearing techniques parents wade through – What to Expect When Your Expecting, the Ferber technique, Bringing Up Bébé, Parenting Center, Dr. Phil – the list goes on and on. However, both yoga and parenting teach you to trust yourself.

If you’ve got a little one on the way, these classic yoga poses steeped in various traditions are safe and effective ways to support you and your baby. Please be mindful of how far to stretch in the pose (careful not to over extend keeping in mind that the relaxin hormone coursing through your body increases flexibility). Of course, have your doctor’s clearance before you begin and use your breath to explore and enjoy being present!

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Extended Side Angle is a good pose when you’re dragging. It requires strong legs and works to open up the hips – a much needed stretch if you’re sitting at a desk all day.search-6

Triangle Poses will help you regain your sense of balance. This all-around good pose works the legs, stretches the side body, energizes the hips, and opens up the shoulders.

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Sitting Side Stretch will open your side waist and pelvis and stretch the hips. As your belly gets bigger, it’s important to find as much space in your torso as possible.

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Cat/Cow Poses will have you gently rocking between rounding your spine and arching your back thereby creating space. It will work to warm up the spine and stretch the body and stave off the inevitable back discomfort many pregnant mamas experience. They also help to shift the weight of the baby away from the spine, giving you some much needed relief.

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Child’s Pose releases the low back and puts space between the vertebrae. Focus on relaxing the face and breathing deeply into the back, two important lessons to remember in between contractions! Keep knees open as the belly grows.

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As always, while in the poses, be gentle with yourself, adjust the poses to suit you better and use your breath to gage how far to go.

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Try some of these poses out and let us know how it works!

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