Many new mothers-to-be who have no previous yoga experience benefit from a gentle and nurturing yoga practice. I was pregnant with my first daughter when I began practicing yoga. I had very little body awareness, a mediocre physical condition and no conscious breath experience. The yoga classes I attended were rich and educational. Movement, awareness and learning to breathe were some of the tools that were of tremendous help to me during pregnancy and birth. The classes offered me the opportunity to become more aware, to feel my body and to notice my body changing. Yoga invited me to connect with my baby in a different way than I was used to – connecting though my attention and intention, sending my love through my breath to my baby. It made me conscious of what else was out there, beyond the physical.
Many women who already have a yoga practice feel strong enough, after the first trimester, to continue their practice at roughly the same level as before. If the pregnancy progresses well, there is no reason why they shouldn’t. In my second and third pregnancies, I practised inversions and arm balances until the middle/end of my second trimester. Backbends felt fabulous as I was having back aches from the growing weight of my belly. Gentle twisting opened my lungs, so I had more space to breathe. I loved feeling and cultivating my own strength.
Modify the poses, as needed, and use props to accommodate your changing shape. Place your hands on blocks and blankets under your knees in lunges. Use bolsters under your thighs for Cobra poses and be generous in giving yourself some more space and support.
Try not to stay too long on your back during the second trimester as the baby’s weight might cut off circulation by pressing down on the Vena Cava. (This is the large vein that carries blood to the heart from other areas of the body). Levels of the hormone relaxin can increase very quickly in the body during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Relaxin is produced by your body to increase flexibility and soften the sacroiliac and hip joints to accommodate your baby passing through your birth canal. Be mindful not to stretch beyond your (pre-pregnancy) boundaries as this may cause issues later on – or even after your pregnancy. Focus instead on creating stable joints by keeping your muscles strong.