Every pregnancy is different. Women rely on many different relaxing techniques to calm their ever-changing bodies during pregnancy. Because of this, some women may focus on their breathing while others focus on their bodies. They focus on whatever helps them get through the months with ease…at least comparative ease. Some women prefer going to the gym and doing light exercises in order to maintain prenatal fitness. Other women simply take Lamaze classes to focus on their breathing and to prepare for child birth. Pregnancy yoga gives women the best of both of these worlds, allowing women to focus on both their breathing and their bodies.
Yoga exercises are not just popular with pregnant women; yoga is an exercise that has gained popularity worldwide throughout the recent years. The ease of these exercises, however, along with their effectiveness, makes yoga especially suited for expectant mothers. This is an exercise so gentle that it may be practiced during all three trimesters. Yoga is an exercise technique that stretches the muscles in the body, while simultaneously helping the body improve its posture. By molding your body into different positions, you are working the muscles in your body. Other yoga exercises target these same muscles to relax and stretch. These yoga techniques keep the muscles and joints in the body from stiffening or weakening. According to the Health and Yoga website, www.healthandyoga.com, “The remarkable effects of these postures in pregnancy show the power of yoga for ensuring a smooth pregnancy, natural childbirth and restoration of body shape after childbirth.”
The most favorable aspect of pregnancy yoga is the way it helps you to relax and enjoy your pregnancy. Many women, when they become pregnant, tend to worry and stress about many things. Whether it is the health of their unborn child, or worries for their own health about issues such as morning sickness, varicose veins, weight gain, stretch marks, or gestational diabetes, these concerns too often outweigh their excitement at the miracle of life. Yoga is a means of concentrating, and it allows participants to enjoy meditation and relaxation. It is said that yoga helps the mother to connect, not only with her inner self, but also with her growing baby. Yoga is soothing for both mother and baby. Many will agree that establishing peace of mind about any aspect of life is bound to be a rewarding experience. Experiencing deep relaxation with yoga nidra, which has been associated with “psyche or deep sleep,” is good for allowing the mind and the body to get that much-needed rest without actually sleeping.
Maternity yoga is so rewarding that mothers use the technique even after childbirth to help restore the uterus, pelvis, and abdomen back to their original states. Yoga exercises also help relieve pain from tension, back aches, and breast tenderness. As when doing any activity program during, or shortly after pregnancy, it is best to consult your physician before beginning. Expectant mothers may also learn about pregnancy yoga from women’s health magazines and healthy pregnancy magazines.
By Jaime Cannon