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The Benefits of Practicing Yoga while Pregnant

Presenting a guest post by Lisa Flato, certified Hatha, prenatal, and postpartum yoga instuctor. Lisa teaches prenatal yoga at The Yoga Source in San Rafael on Saturdays mornings.

The image of a pregnant woman shrouded in flower petals, seated eating ripe fruit, all while having her feet rubbed is perhaps a nice dream. Once in a while she may have the opportunity to take in such pleasures as she rightly deserves. However in our world of moms who work away from home, stay-at-home moms, and all of the other many variations, it’s not always possible to pamper oneself accordingly. And, to be frank, the pregnant body is not always comfortable staying still for that long; movement often feels much better.

Prenatal yoga can offer woman a chance to take and hour to and hour and a half for themselves to focus on their bodies and their babies. Exercising while pregnant is a integral part of a healthy pregnancy. Some women are able to keep up their exercise routine, whether it be jogging or swimming, well into their pregnancies. The health benefits of a regular yoga practice are widely known nowadays, and the same is true for practicing while pregnant. We say that yoga is a practice, meaning it changes from day to day as the body, mind, and emotions change from day to day. There is nothing more true and apparent about the pregnant body than its ever unfolding ability to change. Practicing yoga while pregnant can help quiet the symptoms of sciatic nerve pain, chronic back aches, and sore and tired limbs. It can also strengthen the body.

Yes strengthening while pregnant is a necessary part of preparing for labor, delivery, and, most importantly, caring for the babies once they arrive. The breath work (pranayama) done during a prenatal yoga class is very beneficial to help center the mother’s breath. The high pitched screams and shallow throat breathing we see in movies of mothers in labor is very destructive to our culture (albeit sometimes comical to watch). Teaching a pregnant woman to breath properly and deeply, and, most importantly, to gain control over her breath is part of the fundamental practices of a prenatal yoga class. The awareness and exercises surrounding the pelvis and the pelvic floor are beneficial spiritually and very helpful for healthy circulation and strengthening.

Another benefit to practicing with other moms-to-be is the sense of community a woman can have just by walking in the door and seeing she’s not the only one. Hearing others experiencing the same issues can be very comforting in what can sometimes be an isolating experience. Also many women become friends and continue to be a network of support for each other after the babies are born. Once you’ve gone through something so remarkable as becoming a parent, the bond between women can be very strong.

It is recommended that you start prenatal yoga after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, if you’ve been practicing before, have the go ahead from your care provider, and feel good, then go ahead and join a class before the 12-week marker.

Om Shanti Om Peace.