Breathing: Begin and end your prenatal yoga session with gentle breathing. Focus on taking a deep breath in and a slow breath out. Never hold your breath. Inhale count for 1-2-3-4-5, pause briefly, exhale count for 1-2-3-4-5. Visualize the breath creating a peaceful environment for your baby.
Circling the belly Connect with the energy of your baby and increase the healthy prana by circling your hands around the belly in a clockwise motion
Circling the belly Continue circling and if you choose you can also go in a counter-clockwise direction for the same count.
Baddha Konasana circling (aka butterfly or cobblers pose) Holding either your ankles or shins allow your upper body to freely circle around while focusing on stretching your back and sides
Circling continued Go around several times in one direction and then go in the opposite direction.
Cat tilts Inhale let belly descend, lift your chin, focus on opening chest forward. Exhale round upper back, tuck chin to chest.
Downward Facing Dog Create an upside down V shape. Place hands at shoulder width distance. Feet at hip-width distance. Breathe and stay for as many breaths as comfortable. Repeat throughout sequence
Tree Balance! Enjoy the new sense of equilibrium. Place one foot up on inner thigh (or lower on ankle) of opposite leg. Use a wall to assist with balance if necessary. Attempt to stay for 5+ deep breaths. Focus your eyes at one point to help with balance.
Camel Pose Go slowly with this pose if you are new to yoga. Rest on knees at hip width distance. Place hands on lower back. Lift your chest up, look up or forward, focus on breathing into chest and lifting heart away from pelvis. (Having an experienced teacher with you to assist can be nice!).
Side Bend Sitting with feet together or legs spread open reach one arm up and over. Focus on lifting ribs and opening chest as you bend to side. Repeat to other side.
Squatting Support heels by rolling up a blanket, towel or mat and placing under heels (not pictured) Spread feet wider than hip width (and go wider as the belly gets bigger). If you do not support heels you may need to lift them off floor to get all the way down. *Avoid if baby is breach if you are beyond 32 weeks.
Lounge Lizard   Rest fully on left hip. Engage legs, push through feet and line up upper hip directly over lower hip. Place left hand as far away from body as necessary to get stretch through side body. Rest left ear on left shoulder. Breath deeply and slowly into ribs. Stay for 5-10 breaths. Change to other side.
Lunge   Place one foot forward with knee bent and aligned above foot. Lengthen lower back. Stay for 5-10 breaths. Change legs.
Double Pigeon   In a seated position stack your shins so that one foot aligns over the opposite knee and vice versa. Breathe in lengthen spine, breathe out lean forward over shins. Stay for 5-10 breaths. Change legs. *avoid if knee injured
Seated Twist   Extend one leg. Bend knee of opposite leg and place on inner thigh. Twist away from extended leg. Breathe in lengthen up, breathe out twist more for 5-10 breaths. Change legs.

These are some poses/actions to be cautious with during pregnancy:

1. Avoid deep abdominal exercises/crunches or putting any pressure on abdominal muscles, including uddiyana bandha (abdominal lock), nauli (abdominal churning). As the belly grows you will notice movements such as lowering to a push up or standing up from bending forward can put pressure on abdominals- modify to use leg strength and not abdominals.

Many women find it difficult to part with their abdominal exercises. Consider pregnancy as a 40 week abdominal exercise. There certainly is no need to try and flatten or tone the tummy. Your belly is the home where you baby is growing, give it space to grow and feel nourished.

2. Avoid poses lying directly on the belly

Alternatives to being on the belly: Resting: use child’s pose instead. Back Strengtheners: get on your hands and knees extend one leg and opposite arm. Another option is to lie over a bolster with pelvis resting on bolster so belly can hang over (this may no longer be comfortable after about 33 weeks)

3. Avoid twists that cause legs or arms to press against belly.

Twisting can be a great relief for an aching upper back however being mindful to create space for the belly. Twist gently and keep belly open. The emphasis should be on shoulders and upper back.

4. Careful with forward bending.

Keep the legs open in forward bends (standing and seated) so as not to press against the belly.

5. Back Bending- It is advisable to modify and use gentle back bends in order to not over stretch the already expanding abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis). Additionally, as the baby grows, the back is in a more vulnerable (swayback, lordosis) position and deeper backbends could causes more pressure on low back. Pregnant women will also feel a lot of tightness in the psoas (hip flexor area) which will make backbending more difficult. This becomes more important as pregnancy progresses and the belly grows. Do what is comfortable for your body, every woman will feel differently in regards to back-bending, listen to 'your' body.

6. Inversions – inexperienced yoga practicioners should avoid inversions during pregnancy. Experienced practitioners may choose to continue with inversions such as head stand or hand stand till the 7th month (some maybe longer) but this is generally only advised for very advanced practitioners.

7. As the pregnancy progresses the body releases the hormone 'relaxin' to loosen the ligaments of the hips. Women may feel vulnerable in this area and should be cautious not to overstretch when doing poses that involve opening the hip area ie. deep lunges, splits, pigeon etc- go to only 80% of your maximum to be safe. Don't be surprised if you feel a bit unstable in wide leg stances, be cautious and back off when needed.

8. Do not retain the breath. If you are in a regular yoga class where the instructor is teaching a breathing (pranayama) exercise that calls for 'holding' the breath, just breath normally, focus on taking deep breaths.

9. Keep your eyes open! Avoid standing or being in a yoga pose with eyese closed while pregnant. Equilibrium may be off and you don't want to risk falling.

Prenatal Classes at SPORTS CLUB Info