5 Surprising Reasons to Practice Yoga during Pregnancy
by Helene Trager-Kusman, mom and E-RYT 200
Let’s be real about pregnancy… it is no walk in the park. From the earliest moments of discovering you're pregnant, a new normal of foreign weekly symptoms start to kick in. While this time is filled with joy and excitement, it can also be filled with physical and mental challenges.
What if there was a way to relieve nausea and fatigue and decrease pain and discomfort all while releasing the stress of pregnancy and inviting in relaxation?
Practicing yoga during pregnancy is a tool for both physical and mental strengthening and relaxation. Most people are interested in prenatal yoga for the fitness benefits, but do not realize how yoga can actually help these often challenging 9 months, birth, and early motherhood become a more positive experience.
Let’s dive into 5 surprising reasons to practice yoga during pregnancy!
Relieve pregnancy symptoms: Nausea? There's a pose for that. Tight hips? There’s a pose for that. Swollen ankles? There’s a pose for that. Be sure to share any of your pregnancy challenges and discomforts with your instructor who can include poses to relieve even the weirdest seeming symptoms (we've seen it all!)
Decrease stress and anxiety: all the joys of welcoming a new baby can also come with stress and anxiety around the pregnancy, birth, and what’s to come. Both the poses and breathing techniques in a prenatal class will focus on getting you into a more relaxed state that you will be able to recreate off the mat and bring into your day to day life during pregnancy and motherhood.
Set you up for a positive birth experience: Prenatal yoga classes will teach you breathing techniques for pregnancy and birth, as well as mantras and affirmations to create all the feel good vibes around welcoming baby. Making this part of your routine will allow it to become second nature when the time comes to meet your baby. Regardless of the type of birth you have, a toolbox of relaxation techniques is a game changer!
Achieve optimal alignment and strength: Your prenatal class will include poses that gently push your endurance to prepare your body for the physical challenges of carrying a baby, birth, and motherhood (those car seats ain’t light!) Yoga can also help you with alignment for optimal positioning of baby as you near the end of your pregnancy. Prenatal yoga poses help to decrease tension and tightness in the side body and open up your hips, while both strengthening and relaxing your pelvic floor. All of this helps create lots of space for baby to get into that ideal, head-down position.
Build community and support: Pregnancy and motherhood can be emotionally challenging times, but having support makes all the difference. You’ll meet other pregnant people and be surrounded by love and support during this important and sometimes challenging phase of life.
So how do you get started?
For those who are new to yoga, or new to yoga during pregnancy, a prenatal group or private yoga class is the best place to start. These settings will provide instruction that is specific to pregnancy and modifications for your individual needs that you share with the instructor. If you have been practicing yoga for years and have some knowledge of prenatal modifications, a regular group class may work as well. Be sure to tell the instructor you are pregnant so they can help you with a pregnancy-friendly practice.
Book a prenatal group class here! You can take our Prenatal Yoga Classes in person in Louisville, KY or virtually Saturdays 10:15-11:15am EST. You can also contact us with questions or to request a private prenatal yoga session. You can also check out our on-demand Pre + Postnatal Yoga Series.