Pregnancy has the potential to put a real curve ball in your Yoga practice, but for many the real challenge is keeping your practice going with your new born. Although at times really hard, it’s very important to keep it up so you can stay healthy and happy into the future.
Some Principles To Keep Your Practice Healthy And Happening
Keep Mind-Body Connection
Don’t worry about trying to fit in a full practice. Your Yoga can be much shorter, could be broken up and will more than likely look much less strenuous. It’s not so much what you’re doing, but that you’re doing it. Keeping the mind-body connection is really important. This means that when you’re back with time and energy for your full practices you would have maintained your strength and flexibility and will be able to pick up from where you took off.
Work On Those Hips
Your hips are likely less stable, work with that. Childbirth is comparatively traumatic on the hips in order to let the baby out. Add to that the hormones in your body cause your joints to be less stable and more open. To accommodate this be aware that your body will want to move deeply into your joints and might make you feel super flexible – but don’t let it – try and find stability and hold back even just a little in your hips and lower back in particular.
Focus On Core Strength And Belly
You need to build specific core strength to repair your belly. Your rectus abdominals or 6 pack muscles take a beating in pregnancy and child birth can often cause a split to accommodate the size of the baby. It is necessary therefore to re build the strength in your belly all the time without making it worse. The way to do this is to work more specifically on strengthening your deepest abdominal muscles your TA while and avoiding working any work to begin with in your 6 pack muscles. That means simply no sit ups or similar exercises in which load bare on your 6 pack and rather and more Pilates style bracing work and deep core activation.
Gentle Movements Is The Goal
Try focusing on gentle movements rather than long holds. The body loves movement. Yoga inspired movements like Cat/Cow, moving forward and backwards in lunges or even simply lifting your arms up above your head and then back down again can be incredibly healing and accessible for the body in this stage. Do these movements mindfully and with your attention on the sensations of the movement and breath.
Pranayama And Meditation
Now is the perfect time to start focusing on your pranayama and Meditation practices. These are both really accessible practices that can be done on their own, or even throughout your day. You could be practicing your Ujjayi while changing diapers or practicing mindfulness meditation, that is the art of present moment awareness at any time during the day. Even 30 seconds of mindfulness can make a huge difference in your mood and your body will respond as well.
All About Stability
Focus on stabilizing your hips and drawing your belly in whenever you are doing anything strenuous. Secondly, remembering that you are more flexible in this time try not to fall too deeply into poses but rather hold back and focus on creating that stability and strength that you need to support your delicate body.
Allow time to re build your practice, practice when you can for as little or as long as you can – don’t stress and enjoy!
