Yoga can help you before, during, and after pregnancy. Yoga will help your mind be at ease and peaceful, relieving you of worries and stress. It can also keep you in shape. There’s no denying that you’ll put on some weight, but who says it has to be a bad thing, or a permanent thing? What’s best is, yoga works.
The proof is in the poses! Yoga can be traced back for thousands of years, with accounts of its great effects on the human body. The many different poses, (also referred to as asanas), that require different breathing techniques (AKA pranayamas). Each of these poses effects a different target area, to help improve function, vitality, and over-all energy. The end result of performing yoga regularly is that your entire being is more centered and harmonized.
During pregnancy, yoga can do more than keeping you looking healthy! With virtually no discomfort, yoga can be performed in a way that will help with the birthing and post-delivery aspects of pregnancy. Doing yoga can help you become more limber, which makes it easier to position yourself correctly when delivering your child, but it also stretches your ligaments, which will help to reduce your labor pains.
Stretching the correct way can help with your average mommy pains and aches. Not only that, but because your posture is corrected when doing certain poses, your back problems will decrease. Yoga also continues to have wonderful effects after your pregnancy, too. Postnatal yoga, which can typically be started around 6 weeks after birth, will help to strengthen your abdominal muscles as well as the pelvic floor. This sort of yoga will also decrease the time it takes you to get your pre-pregnancy body back!
Even if you’ve practiced yoga in the past, consult your instructor before starting new poses. If you’ve never done yoga before, I highly recommend that you start out taking yoga classes to properly learn how to do the poses under certified supervision. It’s fine if you want to practice in the comfort of your own home, but only AFTER your doctor has approved it, and your instructor has shown you how. However, if you are well practiced in yoga and feel confident enough, there are several books and DVDs that you can acquire to start practicing. Just remember, please, to always ask your instructor and doctor first! Pain or nausea while performing pregnant yoga is NOT normal. Stop and see a doctor immediately if this happens.