pregnant yoga

Pregnancy is a beautiful time for a woman, but not all of the things that happen to our bodies are pretty!  Many of the discomforts caused by pregnancy can be relieved by practicing yoga exercises.  With this ancient Indian form of exercise, you'll relieve tension of the mind and body while enhancing your well-being.  So what are the benefits of pregnant yoga?

Practicing yoga while pregnant will help a woman stay fit and minimize weight gain.  Each yoga pose targets specific areas and has its own unique benefits to the body.  A pregnant woman can minimize typical discomforts by performing poses that target the right areas.  Yoga can even help make labor easier and benefit your body after birth!

Women who practice yoga during pregnancy have been observed by experts to be both healthier and happier.  Less labor pain is experienced during birth because of added flexibility as well as knowing how to relieve the mind's tension.  The body is made more prepared for the birthing process by stretching soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments when practicing yoga postures. 

There are other benefits from pregnant yoga such as learning breathing techniques to be used during delivery, reducing fluid retention commonly associated with pregnancy, boosting circulation, relieving aches and pains common in pregnancy, particularly, eliminate or minimizing back pain.

If you are new to pregnant yoga, make sure that you start in a class with a certified instructor who can supervise your progress.  It is important that you learn the poses and learn them correctly under the care of a qualified professional.  If you are practicing at home, limit yourself to poses you've learned during classes with supervision.  It is not a good idea to attempt new, difficult poses for the first time on your own.

Experienced yoga students will have no problem finding plenty of instructional materials about which poses are appropriate during pregnancy.  A certified yoga instructor can help you out with which style of yoga is right for you.  Ask your instructor if you should be focusing on styles that benefit the nervous, glandular, or muscular-skeletal systems. 

As with any exercise system during pregnancy, it's a good idea to consult your physician before beginning a pregnant yoga program.  Also, ease into it especially if you are a beginner.  Remember that your body's top priority is to nurture and develop your unborn baby.  So use common sense and above all else, keep the child's welfare your number one priority.  If you feel uncomfortable or pain in any of the postures, regardless of your experience level, stop immediately. 

Pregnant yoga uses a lot of the poses practiced in regular yoga but there are some differences.  Remember, common sense!  It is not reasonable to expect that you're going to be able to stand on your head and do the splits when you are eight months pregnant.  You don't want to be putting any unnecessary pressure on the abdomen area.  Don't put any strain on this area even if you have been doing yoga for years as it could cause health problems or endanger your pregnancy.  Remember that during pregnancy, you do not want to over-stretch during any particular exercise since your ligaments are naturally looser around the joints during this time.