June 19, 2019
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Are you currently pregnant or considering becoming pregnant in the near future? Are you struggling with staying active? Are you curious about yoga, but not sure about its safety for both you and the baby? If you said “yes” to any of these questions, then continue reading.
I personally discovered yoga when I was in my second year of chiropractic college. With the long hours of studying sitting at my desk, I started to develop aches and pains. That, compounded with relationship stressors, led me to turn to yoga. Yoga was my escape. The room was a place where I could be alone with just myself and my breath. A place where I could dedicate the time to myself; to give my body the movement that it deserved and needed. My passion for yoga, along with my purpose and skills to help everyday people like you with their aches and pains, lead to my training to become a Moga instructor (yoga for moms).
Yoga is not only about holding poses. It is also about working and focusing on your breath. Breathing is a great way to regulate our nervous system. Long exhales can induce our parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for resting and digesting) to kick in, reducing stress chemicals (cortisol) in our body. This can help with common symptoms experienced by expecting mothers such as insomnia. Our breath is also important when giving birth. They say giving birth is equivalent to running a marathon. We would never go into a marathon without training for it first. By strengthening our bodies in powerful poses and working on our breath, we can build the strength and endurance for when it is time to give birth.
This can also help us carrying our baby as it shifts our body’s center of gravity months prior. Aches and pains during pregnancy are common, but not normal. The most beneficial and natural way to get rid of a lot of common aches and pains is through movement.
Below are the 2019 recommendations from the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology. They specifically mention yoga as being beneficial in number five. Of course, it’s always recommended</span> to consult with your family doctor to rule out any contraindications. 150 minutes of moderate-intense physical activity is recommended in order to achieve clinically meaningful health benefits and reductions in pregnancy complications. Some of these health benefits may include: decreasing your risk of developing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and depression.
Here are a few simple poses to get you started.
Deep breaths as mentioned above, can help with your delivery and help to calm the nervous system. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. I personally enjoy a 4s,6s,8s pattern of breathing, but you can follow a different count of your choice. The key is keeping your exhales longer than your inhales. As you breathe in for 4s, feel your belly expand. Hold that breath for 6s, and slowly exhale for 8s. Once you get in tune with your body, you can close your eyes and progressively scan your body from head to toe, reminding your muscles to relax.
A seated twist is a great stretch when experiencing upper back stiffness and even constipation. Hydration and a balanced diet is extremely important as well when it comes to constipation, but a seated twist is a great way to massage the intestines to help with constipation. By stretching out the legs, this stretch can relieve camping and reduce swelling.
Cat and cow is a great movement to induce motion into the entire spine. Be cautious if you experience too much pulling in the belly when looking up. If the movement does cause any pulling in the belly, tuck your chin in. This pose is also great before bed, to move the baby away from compressing on the bladder.
Have fun with it! And don’t be afraid to reach out for guidance or any questions!
