How to do yoga safely during pregnancy: instruction from an expert

 

How to do yoga safely during pregnancy: instruction from an expert

Yoga has become so firmly integrated into the lives of modern people that even during

pregnancy women are not going to give up practicing it. And some of them even begin to get

acquainted with the practice when they are expecting a baby.

No matter how you look at it, pregnancy dictates its own rules to everyday life. A special condition often requires a special approach to everything - this is a quality rest, and a balanced diet, and "special" sport.

Are there any contraindications for practicing yoga during pregnancy?

I want people to remember that yoga practice as a system is a very ancient thing. In general, it was created for people who lived many years ago. And, of course, yoga was an exclusively male activity.

Naturally, there are certain contraindications for practicing yoga during pregnancy, because modern people are different from their ancestors, and today's pregnant women can not be compared with the inhabitants of India 50 years ago.

Nowadays, many pregnancies develop according to a different scenario, when a woman prepares for conception medically, takes certain drugs while carrying the child (for example, IVF). Such pregnancies cannot be considered identical to those that occur naturally.

In addition, the situation is complicated by abortions (medical or spontaneous) that the woman has ever had.

"In general, many modern women are in the so-called risk zone."

One must be cautious about practicing yoga during pregnancy. By caution I mean not only the execution of asanas, but also the approach to choosing a teacher.

How to choose a teacher for classes during pregnancy?

We live in a time when each person is responsible for himself. Therefore, the choice of a teacher is entirely on the shoulders of the future mom.

A competent teacher is not someone who learned from books and went to India for a couple of weeks. A competent teacher is a person who has studied for a long time and who has knowledge of how to deal with pregnant women (it is good if the person has a secondary medical education or experience of pregnancy and motherhood).

Talk to the educator, to understand whether or not he or she knows what is going on with a woman during these nine months, whether or not the educator has practiced himself or herself when carrying a baby.

If you have a complicated pregnancy, the instructor should be of a very high caliber (with some certification). You can study with him privately, or you can come to a specialized class.

Most importantly, don't just go anywhere.

Remember, in 99% of cases qualified teachers work in specialized yoga centers.

Can I start practicing yoga during pregnancy?

The importance of physical activity as such during pregnancy is greatly exaggerated. Even if women just took more walks, swam, did basic housework, it would be enough.

It's not that you shouldn't do yoga while carrying a baby. You should, but you should do it wisely. For example, for women who are not familiar with yoga in principle, but want to practice during pregnancy, I recommend to go only to a class for expectant mothers. And those who have practiced before can go to regular classes for some time (though they will practice with some limitations), and then go to a special class.

Is it true that practicing during pregnancy helps to improve overall health?

During this period, the woman is the environment where the child is formed and grows. Therefore, it is important that the physical and psycho-emotional state of the future mom is in order.

Early toxicosis is a completely normal phenomenon, which is due to nature. But your overall health will be better. There will be less swelling, stretch marks, and the body will be more prepared for labor and breastfeeding.

Yoga classes also help a woman to know herself better. During classes, the body is involved in movement. The future mother observes her sensations, becomes more aware of herself and trusts her body more, becomes more "corporeal", which is very important in this case.

Does the lesson plan change depending on the gestational age?

Of course. A woman is considered pregnant from the moment she finds out about it, and it is from that moment that she should behave like a pregnant woman.

Especially at 11-13 weeks (the fetus is considered to be very unstable during this period). You need to stop active activities and behave in a very calm and measured way.

It is better to do poses lying on your back, associated with opening the pelvis (with support), opening the diaphragm (with support), inverted poses.

The second trimester assumes that the placenta is formed, the fetus is strengthened. A woman can engage in a special program, which includes standing poses, and shallow forward bends, and stretches, and bends back on the support, and light twists, and inverted poses.

But during the third trimester, when the fetus is already large, some of the poses can be difficult to do. During this period, we pay more attention to poses that improve blood circulation in the legs (as the legs swell) and "lift" the fetus up. These are poses with "opening" of the diaphragm, inverted poses with support.

Can I do inverted poses during pregnancy?

Absolutely. The inverted poses themselves are very good during pregnancy. Yes, maybe from the outside the headstand performed by the mom-to-be looks a little intimidating. But, it is, as they say, a matter of who is watching.

However, if the future mom has a fear of inverted poses or she just does not want to do them, then the teacher should in no way force her. No need for records at this time!

We don't just put the woman on her head. We make sure that there is not a lot of pressure on the throat, neck, head area, that the future mom's belly is free, that the weight is properly distributed.

You can do the simplest version of Viparita Karani with a support or Sarvangasana with a chair - this is sometimes enough for those who have little experience.

Are there any auxiliary materials used in the practice for pregnant women?

Yes, there are a huge number of them. The thing is that in the later stages of pregnancy, and sometimes from the very beginning, you need a lot of materials, because women are all very different. It depends on the body of the mom-to-be. There are women for whom a blanket or bolster under the pelvis is enough to perform Sukhasana (sitting cross-legged in the Turkish way - ed.), and there are those who need to sit much higher.

The class is necessary so that a concept of how to do yoga correctly and safely emerges. Then, if a woman wishes, she can practice correctly at home.

How long should a practice last during pregnancy?

It can last as long as you want - and 10 minutes, and 2 hours. Ideally, if the future mother finds time to practice every day. But here again it is important not to break oneself, not to practice by force.

For independent practice you need to be strongly motivated and for many years to have a habit of practicing. If you can't boast of this, it's better to go to a class.

But go to a place where you like practicing, where you feel good and have fun.

Do the skills learned in yoga classes help in childbirth?

They can help to a certain extent - for example, in that a woman starts to feel her body better. But I don't see our classes as preparation for childbirth.

Exercising during pregnancy is fine. But a woman should approach childbirth prepared not only physically. There are special courses where they explain the nuances of the process, suggest exercises.

To prepare for childbirth, it is better to go to a place where they talk about childbirth, where women who have already gone through it share their experience, where they explain that childbirth is not only a physiological and hormonal process, but also a spiritual one.