Pregnancy can be a beautiful time in your life. After all, you’re growing a tiny human all on your own. But between morning sickness, planning for your new arrival, and hormone swings galore, it can also be a stressful time. That stress can be difficult to manage – especially if you’re used to doing yoga on a regular basis and are unsure whether you can continue your practice.

The good news is that being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to give up your yoga. It just means that you’ll have to tweak a few things and put your focus on yoga styles and poses that are good for both you and your child.

Is it okay to do normal yoga when pregnant?

Depending on what you consider to be “normal” yoga, pregnancy may force you to take a step back from your typical practice. For example, yoga practices that focus on intense abdominal work may not be the greatest for you while you’re pregnant. They can put far too much pressure on the abdominal cavity, which could also strain the uterus.

Back bends should also be avoided because of the way they stretch the abdominal muscles. You should also avoid inversion poses such as handstand, feathered peacock, and downward-facing dog. Inversions can have an effect on your already low blood pressure, and will also cause blood to move away from the uterus.

Image by Freestocks on Unsplash: Gentler poses and practices are recommended for pregnant women. 

Which yoga is the best during pregnancy?

Aside from prenatal yoga, which is specifically designed for mothers-to-be, hatha yoga and restorative yoga are great choices for those who are pregnant. Hatha yoga is gentle on the body and offers a slower pace than other types of practice. It is typically the first type suggested for beginners because of how gentle it is. There are many different variants of hatha yoga, and that is why it’s a great choice for pregnancy yoga.

Restorative yoga is another good choice for women who are expecting. It is closely related to hatha in the sense that it is gentle. This type of yoga combines physical and spiritual elements of yoga that are designed to prepare the body for meditation. This is a great type of yoga for expecting mothers because it can help to slow things down while keeping you moving and still helps to relieve stress. The heavy focus on breathing can also help expecting mothers prepare for delivery.

What should you start prenatal yoga?

Prenatal yoga is great for expecting mothers because it can help prepare you for labor and can even support the health of your baby. The benefits of doing prenatal yoga include getting better sleep, minimizing stress and anxiety, increasing the strength of the muscles you’ll use for childbirth, and helping to decrease the typical aches and pains that can be unavoidable when you’re making a human from scratch.

The best time to start prenatal yoga is basically whenever you feel like it. Prenatal yoga can begin as early as the first trimester, but many pregnant people may want to wait until they have passed the initial sick-all-the-time stages of pregnancy. The second trimester is typically when morning sickness goes away, so that can be a great time to start if you do experience the less-than-ideal symptoms of early pregnancy.

What are some yoga poses that are good for pregnancy?

Aside from the type of yoga practice that is good for you and your baby, there are some particular poses that can be done to help with some symptoms of pregnancy such as back pain, tight hips and shoulders, and so on. You may not experience any of these, or you may be one of the unlucky people who has to deal with all of them! Whatever category you fall into, the following poses can be a great help, and are safe to do while pregnant.

Seated side bend for back pain

The seated side bend can be done while sitting comfortably, either cross-legged or with the legs open. Be sure to straighten the spine and rest the right hand comfortably on the floor below you. Stretch the left arm straight up while keeping the right hand on the floor. Once your left arm is outstretched, bend to the right, rotating the upper torso while gazing up at your hand. Then lower onto the right forearm and repeat on the other side.

Image by Anupam Mahapatra on Unsplash: Is it safe to do prenatal yoga? Yes, and you should start with the seated side bend.

Yoga squat with variation on a block for tight hips

To do the yoga squat variation on a block, sit with both legs out in front of you. Then bend your knees, one at a time, placing your feet wider than your hips and close to your seat. Once you’re set up there, you can place your weight onto your feet and lift off your seat. This will have you in a wide, low squat position. To use the blocks, place them under your butt for more support. When in the squat either alone or with the blocks, bring your hands into prayer with your elbows pressing into your inner thighs.

Supported fish pose for all-over pain

The supported fish pose begins seated in a comfortable position. Place one yoga block on the lowest height a few inches behind you so that it will line up with your mid-back when you lay down. Your second yoga block should be placed a few inches farther than the first on the middle or highest height. This will help to support your head. Position yourself onto the blocks and put your legs into the butterfly position with the soles of your feet touching and your knees out to the side. When you lower down, the first block should be lined up with your mid-back, and the second with your head.

Doing yoga while pregnant can be a safe and effective way to stay fit, reduce stress and anxiety, and keep your body limber. The type of yoga you do is important during pregnancy, so make sure to avoid any strenuous types or poses.

Featured image by freestocks.org on Pexels