Prenatal yoga, adapting your practice when you are pregnant

Alexandra, a yoga teacher specializing in prenatal yoga, explains how to adapt your practice when you are pregnant. For more details on Alexandra, discover her portrait here !

Are you pregnant and want to do yoga?

You may have heard that yoga is very beneficial during pregnancy. Yes, but you don't want to make any wrong moves that will harm your baby and you're not sure how to go about it... I get it! As a prenatal yoga teacher, I hear these hesitations a lot.

Take prenatal yoga classes, a yoga practice adapted to your pregnancy

Since the classes are specific to pregnant women, the teacher will know how to adapt the yoga postures to your situation, omitting those that are not recommended to ensure a safe practice. You will come out relaxed, with reduced pain, and probably with the satisfaction of having managed to connect with your baby and your changing body.

Adapting yoga practice when pregnant

You must indeed adapt your practice when you are pregnant, and this, from the first months of pregnancy!

There are 3 main principles:

- Put aside all postures on the stomach, for obvious reasons.

- Avoid all postures that compress the uterus, the list is long…

- If you are a fan of pranayama, breathing exercises, also think about modifying your exercises. Never hold your breath, because you need more oxygen to supply your body and that of your baby!

Yoga practice evolves throughout pregnancy

You will feel less and less like pushing your body, getting into complicated inversions. At some point in your pregnancy, your body will probably ask you to slow down, to take your time.

Your breathing will probably become more and more short as your pregnancy progresses, and you will want to take the opportunity of a yoga class to simply breathe, deeply. Relax, calm your mind to prepare for childbirth, connect to your breathing, to yourself.

Listen to your body, and know how to adapt your practice to its needs.

Finally, the golden rule when doing yoga while pregnant is to never push your body if you are in pain , even in a prenatal yoga class. You are the only one in contact with your body, do not enter a posture that it does not want to do.

I wish you a wonderful pregnancy and a wonderful practice!

Namaste,

Alexandra

Alexandra is a prenatal yoga teacher and mother of two little boys. She is the author of the website www.yogaprenatal.net , on which she offers 100% online prenatal yoga programs for all future mothers!