Pregnancy is a great time to start yoga, postures in pregnancy yoga classes are specifically adapted for the prenatal period. At each stage of pregnancy there will be different postures that you will find beneficial and enjoyable , both physically and emotionally.
Pregnancy yoga allows you to move in a way that feels so good for your body and mind. You will learn to release and relax with your breath, open areas in your body that feel particularly tight and take time to connect with your baby. You will learn active birthing postures and breathing techniques helpful for labour. In pregnancy yoga you practice visualisations , mantra’s and positive birthing affirmations. All of these things mean you can really enjoy your pregnancy and birth.
You will also meet other mummy’s to be and most likely stay in touch after your birth and maybe even enjoy postnatal mum and baby yoga together.
If you have never done yoga before or are not used to a lot of exercise the general consensus is to wait until 14 weeks prenatally or after you have had your 12 week scan and the all clear from your midwife. This is because you are more likely to miscarry prior to 12 weeks and may well be lacking in energy due to sickness or fatigue. There is no link between yoga and miscarriage and if you are used to exercising and yoga and feel well you may continue as long as you feel you can.
For Wellfit Mumma pregnancy yoga classes we advise waiting until at least the 12 week scan. In the first trimester if you feel exhausted you might want to try some very gentle restorative postures and breathing techniques to help you relax.
If you conceived with IVF we would advise you wait a few more weeks, until around 19-20 weeks, to make sure the implantation goes well. There is also a higher chance of twins with IVF babies and of miscarriage so best to air on the side of caution.
There are a few postures that we avoid in pregnancy yoga : inversions, closed twists, lying on your tummy and difficult or complex postures that close around the abdomen. You also don’t want to push your body into deep postures as you are more flexible in pregnancy and you wnat to develop stability around the joints rather than further mobility.
Pregnancy Yoga is a beautiful feminine practice that embraces feminine energy and power. You learn to breathe out tensions and reverse your normal yogic breath to release and connect with your pelvic area (Svadhistana and Muladhara Chakra) . Pregnancy Yoga empowers women at this transformative time and encourages natural birthing.
