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5 Prenatal Yoga Asanas For Pregnant Woman | Hea Boosters

You are expecting! Congratulations! Pregnancy is one of the most thrilling phases of motherhood, a sea of emotions that accompanies every stage of development of the new life inside you. One moment you feel exhilarated over feeling your baby kick, while at the very next one, you sometimes find yourself feeling ill-at-ease and wondering how you will be able to manage everything.

While mood swings and physical changes more or less come with the territory, there is a lot a pregnant woman can do to prepare your body and ease the occasional bouts of anxiety that come your way during this time. Adding yoga and meditation to your routine will go a long way in helping you deal with the physical and emotional changes that you experience over the course of your pregnancy

5 Yoga asanas that will help pregnant woman:

  • Marjaryasana Bitilasana (cat-cow pose):

This yoga asana is a combination of two asanas that helps your spine warm up and gives it a good stretch. Along with synchronized breath, this asana is helpful for both your mind and body.

- Target areas:

Back, hips, shoulder and belly.

- Benefits:

A pregnant woman's back bears a majority of the load as your baby grows and needs to be strengthened and exercised so that you can avoid pain and injuries. Marjaryasana Bitilasana helps in strengthening the lower back and abdominal muscles. This asana helps in reducing lower back and hip pain which are very common during pregnancy.

- How to do it:



  • Badhakonasana (Butterfly Pose):

This asana helps a pregnant woman stretch their groin muscles, thighs and knees relieving pain. It improves blood circulation to the lower body which may get restricted due spending more hours sitting during this period.

- Target areas:

Hips, thighs and knees.

- Benefits:

It opens hips and thighs wider for easier childbirth helps with sore or swollen feet and reduces overall body fatigue.

- How to do it:



  • Malasana (Yoga Squat):

This yoga asana is one of the most beneficial asanas as it aids in digestion and stretches your ankles, lower hamstrings, back and neck.

- Target areas:

Belly, hips and pelvis.

- Benefits:

This is an easy pose to do, and is extremely effective especially if the hips feel tight. It also helps in widening the pelvis which makes childbirth easier.

- How to do it:


  • Trikonasana (Triangle Pose):

Trikonasana strengthens legs and stretches the groin, hamstrings, and hips, and opens the chest and shoulders. It also improves balance and stability.

- Target areas:

Shoulders and upper back.

- Benefits:

Helps in strengthening your legs, knees and ankles. Aids in digestion and ensures the mobility of hip joints and neck and gives proper stretch to the spine.

- How to do it:

 

  • Sukhasana (Easy Pose):

This yoga asana helps focus on breathing and relaxation. Sukhasana also strengthens the back and stretches the knees and ankles.

- Target areas:

Back, thighs and hips.

- Benefits:

Helps in opening your hips and reducing lower back pain.

- How to do it:



Benefits of prenatal yoga:

Prenatal yoga helps in stretching, relaxing and relieving the body from pains and stress. Ending the yoga session with Pranayama is hugely beneficial.

Pranayama involves practising different types of breathing like the Ujjayi breathing which helps in controlling your breath with the movement of the diaphragm, Brahmari breathing which involves making the humming sound that bees make and the famous one, Kapalabhatti.

Prenatal yoga can:

  1. Improve the quality of sleep,
  2. Reduce stress and anxiety that moms may go through during pregnancy,
  3. Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth,
  4. Decrease lower back pain, nausea, headaches and shortness of breath.


During the first trimester, include more standing yoga poses. This will help strengthen the legs and enhance blood circulation. Standing yoga poses like Warrior 1 and 2, can even reduce leg cramps.

During the second and third trimester, reduce the time spent holding asanas to prevent fatigue. Substitute with breathing exercises and meditation. Avoid doing inversion asanas during pregnancy and menstrual cycles.

Pregnant women may shy away from doing more strenuous activities due to various reasons, but yoga is gentle and will help with daily movement, give some time to relax, and also keeps the expecting mom fit during your pregnancy.


Studies:

Prenatal yoga for back pain:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6710668/

Yoga for pregnant women:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3424788/

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