It has been proven that regular exercise contributes to a healthier pregnancy and a more relaxed, easier birth and many women around the world take yoga classes while pregnant as a gentle and beneficial form of exercise. I attribute a lot of the success I had with my fast, enjoyable and natural birthing experience to the practice of yoga before and during pregnancy.
Yoga provides a wonderful exercise during pregnancy even if you are a complete beginner. It is a great way to stretch and tone the body and offers the opportunity for deep breathing, calming relaxation and release of stress and tension which benefits both you and your baby. Yoga exercises both prevent and relieve many of the common aches and pains associated with pregnancy. I practiced yoga right up until by birthing day and even during labour!
Here are some of the main benefits of yoga for pregnancy compiled by my friends and teachers Trudy Scott Prevost of Rainbow Yoga and Sari Giraud of Nurture Naturally.
Prenatal yoga exercises can help:
• reduce nausea and mood swings.
• boost energy and lessen fatigue.
• restore calm and focus.
• reduce physical and emotional tensions and stress.
• enhance strength and confidence.
• improve posture, stability and balance.
• create optimal health and awareness.
• contribute to a faster, easier, less painful labour.
• reduce the likelihood and need of medical intervention during delivery.
• relieve edema (fluid retention) and cramping.
• strengthen and massage the abdomen.
• stimulate bowel action and enhance the digestive process.
• relieve tension around the cervix and birth canal.
• assist the mother to focus on opening the pelvis to make labor easier and quicker.
• develop flexibility in the hip region.
• increase strength and awareness of pelvic floor
• relieve aches and pains such as backache, sciatica, sore knees, and headaches.
Post natal yoga exercise can help:
• restore the uterus, abdomen and pelvic floor.
• relieve upper back tension and breast discomfort.
• regain strength and flexibility.
• prevent and or alleviate postpartum depression.
I love yoga and I recommend it to everyone whether pregnant or not! I’ll be posting some further information from Trudy and Sari on the adaptations on poses in pregnancy and other yoga information and resources in subsequent posts so watch this space!
Trudy is a Master Yoga teacher with a regular class schedule around Dominica. For more information visit her blog http://rainbowyogaindominica.wordpress.com/
Sari is a natural healer who operates Nurture Naturally and offers Aromatherapy, Massage, Reflexology, Reiki and is also a Doula. For more information see her profiles at http://www.dominica.dm/site/spa.cfm
[...] The Benefits of Yoga in Pregnancy [...]