If you’re looking for a safe, comfortable way to stay active during your pregnancy, pregnancy yoga classes is a great option. It combines hatha and restorative poses with breathing techniques and meditation to provide a holistic approach to your growing body and mind.
Many of the poses in a prenatal yoga class are also designed to prepare your body for childbirth, so they’re ideal for moms-to-be throughout all three trimesters.
Breathing Techniques
Practicing breathing techniques during pregnancy helps a pregnant woman stay in the present moment. It also allows her to connect with her baby and strengthens the mind-body connection that is essential for a safe and smooth birth.
Pregnant women often find that a breathing practice is helpful when dealing with nausea and other discomforts caused by pregnancy. Deep breathing exercises can help to improve blood flow, strengthen the diaphragm and increase oxygen supply to the baby.
One of the most beneficial breathing techniques is ujjayi breath, which involves taking in air slowly through the nose. It should fill your lungs completely and then exhale, while creating a hissing sound.
Another technique to practice during pregnancy is womb breath, which uses your belly to direct energy and oxygen from your body into the womb for your baby. You can also visualise white light flowing to your baby from the crown of your head through the pelvis and into your womb.
Stretching
Yoga stretches help ease the physical symptoms of pregnancy, including back pain, nausea and insomnia. It also helps improve sleep quality and reduces stress.
The second trimester is a great time to try new poses. Your body releases more of the hormone relaxin, which can make you feel more flexible.
It’s important not to overstretch, though. As with everything else, listen to your body and do what feels best to you every day.
During pregnancy, your center of gravity can shift, so avoid deep abdominal work and backbends and twists.
You can also use a yoga mat or chair for support when standing or balancing poses. Some studios have specific props, like a blanket or pillow, that can assist in your poses without causing additional stress on the delicate parts of your body.
Strengthening
Yoga can be a great way to stay active during pregnancy and strengthen your core muscles in preparation for labour. It also helps you manage your weight gain, which is important for both your health and your baby’s.
Prenatal yoga classes often start with a meditation session to ground you and reduce stress levels. Then, you may move into gentle stretching exercises and yoga poses to improve strength, balance and flexibility.
In these classes, you’ll be encouraged to breathe slowly and deeply through your nose. These breathing techniques may help you reduce shortness of breath during pregnancy and during childbirth.
You can find many pregnancy yoga classes in your area. There are even online apps, like Glo, that offer a variety of yoga classes. You can filter the classes by category, instructor and duration to find the best fit for you.
Relaxation
Prenatal yoga classes use a variety of techniques to help women relax their bodies and minds. These include deep breathing, meditation, calming music and aromatherapy.
The Pregnancy relaxation techniques that are used in pregnancy yoga are geared specifically to the needs of pregnant women and may help ease some common symptoms of pregnancy, such as back pain and heartburn. They also provide a sense of community among expectant mothers, which can be invaluable.
When attending prenatal yoga classes, be sure to let your instructor know that you’re expecting so they can instruct you appropriately. Avoid poses that put pressure on the abdomen such as lying on the belly or doing deep forward bends, and be aware of your body’s changing center of gravity.
Yoga is an excellent form of exercise during pregnancy and is recommended by most doctors. It can improve the health of a woman and her baby, as well as strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that are important for labor.