Beginner Yoga Pregnancy Postures
Staying in shape and doing what is best for your baby-to-be is essential during pregnancy. A wonderful way to do both is prenatal Yoga. Whether you are new to Yoga or already an experienced practitioner, the benefits of Yoga while pregnant are enjoyable and beneficial. Yoga classes are a great way to prepare yourself for the birthing process as well as enjoy the company of other pregnant women. Or if already comfortable with Yoga why not practice it at home.
Find your Mind and Body Connection with Yoga
The ultimate goal is to strengthen the body and mind by connecting them and promoting overall wellness, this is the first lesson you will learn. This means first having to practice and then mastering the various pregnancy Yoga postures which will then lead you to a life of flexible body and mind.
At first you will be confronted with many hundreds of different Yoga postures to choose from, and as each Yoga posture benefits specific parts of the body it can be confusing which to focus on first. Expect to gain stronger muscles in the abdomen as well as near the spinal column and there are a number of other benefits to be had as well from different postures. You will also get best results when you are able to combine your Yoga posture with focused breathing techniques that will help you become much more relaxed and also make you a more flexible, healthier and mentally focused person.
No matter how old you are, practicing Yoga pregnancy postures can help improve your health making you more resistant to illness by creating strength and harmony in the body and mind. Learning Yoga pregnancy postures from a teacher can give you the help you need in the beginning to really learn good basic techniques, that way you’ll be able to do more challenging poses on your own down the road or look into one of the many excellent beginner books and DVDs available.
Pregnancy postures that are going to help you loosen up or warm-up before you start attempting more complicated poses should be chosen, and you will be seeing results before you know it.
Trimester By Trimester Guidelines
As you are aware, a pregnancy is divided into trimesters lasting three months each.
The first three months of pregnancy are a time of major changes in your body. Long before any outward manifestation begins to get in the way of doing poses, things feel different on the inside. This is the challenge of first trimester Yoga. But this is also the challenge that is at the core of any Yoga practice: listening to your body. You may think you know yourself and what your body can do, but on any given day you have to really tune in and respect the cues your body gives you. Taking the attitude that your body knows best and will guide you is also the best way to prepare for childbirth.
The second trimester is the glory days for prenatal Yoga. Your morning sickness has probably passed and your belly is growing, but hasn’t yet begun to hamper your ability to move freely. This is the time to get into a rhythm of regularly practising prenatal Yoga. It will help to make you more physically comfortable in the months ahead and if attending prenatal Yoga classes they are often a good way for meeting other pregnant women. The sense of community and support this fosters is a major benefit of prenatal Yoga, one that is at least as important as the physical aspect.
As the third trimester progresses, prenatal Yoga may become more difficult. Your belly becomes a real factor, as do general tiredness and feeling cumbersome. If you were able to practice Yoga with some vigour in the second trimester, give yourself the leeway to ease up now. All poses that compress the belly should now be avoided. Take an increasingly cautious approach as your due date nears, but there is no reason to stop practicing prenatal Yoga as long as you feel up to it.
After you have your baby, you may be eager to resume your Yoga practice. Doctors usually recommend six weeks of recovery time for new mothers after a natural birth and longer after a caesarean. When you have been given the all clear from your doctor and have no significant bleeding, you are ready to do Yoga again.
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