Practicing Yoga While Pregnant

Before diving into today's topic of prenatal yoga, I want to remind everyone that I am not a trained physician and everyone should consult with a doctor before engaging in physical activity while pregnant.

Prenatal yoga is good for you and your baby. Generally speaking, during pregnancy, gentle exercises (such as yoga) is recommended. Yoga during pregnancy can be the perfect activity to stay in shape because it makes the whole body work by adapting according to the growth of the belly and changes in emotions. When possible, you should attend or follow classes specifically designated as prenatal yoga as they are sessions specifically designed for pregnancy.

The nine months of pregnancy are month in which physical changes are manifold. On the one hand, there is this belly which slowly and progressively grows, significantly changing the structure of your body. On the other hand, blood circulation slows down, breathing becomes more labored, extra weight is carried, breast and legs swell, and back pain is all too common. These "negative" changes can be mitigated with regular physical activity.

Prenatal yoga is a physical, bodily and respiratory practice for pregnant women.

It helps to improve breathing and is very useful in pregnancy because the better oxygenation of of your maternal blood results in more oxygen being transmitted to the baby and favoring optimal development.

In addition, it is also an excellent preparation course for childbirth and teaches how to keep a correct posture in everyday life. Thanks to a greater knowledge of your body, you can feel just as agile (if not more) despite the growing belly and extra weight.

Prenatal yoga consists of simple movements and stretches that strengthen and make the muscles more elastic, which carry additional stress in the month proceeding childbirth.

During prenatal yoga sessions, you learn to do many things:

• listen to your body and emotions
• feel the baby and communication with him/her
• relax
• share your emotions with other mothers
• accept the changes in your body

Some of the positions you'll practice will be hip extensions and help to open the hips, which can prepare the body for childbirth. Also you'll learn breathing techniques to help manage fatigue and control pain.

It is said that a pregnant woman can frequently be in a state similar to that which is achieved with yoga, thanks to the greater introspection and perception of the body. Everything that happens "outside" her loses importance compared to the journey she is in the middle of.

A yoga practice instills serenity, can help alleviate pain frequently observed during pregnancy (back pain, nausea, anxiety) and can help maintain your physical shape before and after childbirth.

Until next week!

~Bernie