My Prenatal Yoga
At it's foundation and core, yoga is about one thing: getting to know yourself better. "Know thyself".
On and off the mat.
When I see someone take child's pose all by themselves right in the middle of a sequence a teacher is cueing, I always think- that right there is yoga. Knowing yourself, regardless of what is going on around you.
What do you enjoy? What do you need to work on? What fuels your fire? What feels good? What doesn't feel good?
As a long time yogi, I felt fine doing all styles of yoga throughout my whole pregnancy- but during class, even though I felt good in most poses, I found myself guiltily asking myself "am I allowed to be doing this?"
There may be "guidelines" for pregnant women- but every single pregnant women's body feels different, and you are the only one that lives in your body- no body else. So if laying on your back feels good- lay on your back. If a forward fold sends a shooting nerve pain up your leg, just stand in tadasana.
Twisting and laying on my back felt good to me- for others that may feel dizzy or crowded.
Let your mind go and listen to your body. There are no rules, but here are some helpful guidelines in case you are wondering which poses are more sensitive during pregnancy and are traditionally avoided during a traditional prenatal yoga class.
You can have heightened awareness around these in any style yoga class, but listening to your body is what will make yoga enjoyable for you, and no one else.
If it doesn't feel good/right:
Avoid belly laying
Avoid deep closed twisting
Avoid laying on back for too long
Avoid crunching abs
Avoid forceful exhales/breath work
Do:
Use more props- blocks under hands, bolsters under knees
Open twists
Poses on knee/knees
Meditation
Calming breath work
Check out spinning babies
Spinning Babies
Improve your comfort level and let go of the anxiety around breeched babies by using techniques from Spinning Babies. Yoga postures and poses proven to rotate the baby into more comfortable and natural birth positions. Ask your doctor or midwife if they are certified because they might be and they can guide you even further before and during birth.
What is spinning babies? Read more about it here
Poses to try on a daily basis: Daily Essentials Video
The pose most recommended for turning baby head down: Forward Leaning Inversion
Everything you need to know about breeched babies here
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