Yoga and Pregnancy

The practice of yoga can help you prepare your mind and body for labor and birth as this helps you focus, to concentrate and keep you healthy. The Yoga Postures are gentle ways of keeping your body active and supple and minimize the 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.

Yoga Precautions During 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.
It is also 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.

Yoga Poses During Pregnancy

The following are the Yoga Poses that can help you in dealing with the symptoms of pregnancy, ensuring smoother and easier delivery, and faster recovery after childbirth. Poses that put pressure on the abdomen and other difficult poses should not be done during advance stages of Pregnancy. 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.

• Sukhasana
• Shoulder lifts
• Neck excersises
• Ujjayi breathing
• Full yogic breathing
• Bhramari
• Cat pose
• Vajrasana with ujjayi
• Mountain Pose
• Konasana-1
• Konasana-2
• Trikonasana
• Veerbhadrasana
• Paschimottan asana
• Gentle Butterfly
• ViptritKarni (against the wall)
• Shavasana (Final Relaxation)
• YogNidra
• NadiShodhanPranayam
• Meditation