Should You Take Prenatal Yoga Classes?

If you are a regular yoga practitioner, you already know the many benefits of yoga practice. When you become pregnant, you can continue your yoga practice to keep getting those benefits, which will help both you and your baby.

If you have never been introduced to yoga, and you are pregnant and decide this is the moment of your life to begin prenatal yoga classes, that’s wonderful. You need to find a studio with a prenatal yoga teacher that you trust and who has experience and then you will dive in the world of Yoga along with your baby!

Prenatal Yoga classes will ease you through your pregnancy by helping you to stay in shape, to keep your joints flexible, to increase your balance, to improve circulation, to relax, to breathe fully, to strengthen and tone your muscles, to build the stamina necessary for labor, to expand your patience, to magnify your focus, to improve compromised prenatal breathing, to build your confidence and to prepare for trials of labor! Not bad, right?

You need to be aware that your body balance and capabilities are changing daily, and so will your yoga practice. In the first trimester the implantation and fetal development is in process so this is a time for a woman’s prenatal yoga practice to be gentle. If you feel that taking it easy or backing off a bit means that you are not practicing to your fullest ability, just remember that you are now practicing to the fullest of your ability and your baby’s!

During the second trimester you might not be fully showing your pregnant belly. This is the time when the abdominal cavity starts to crowd but pregnancy is not obvious. Usually some energy returns to you, so you are eager to keep coming to your prenatal yoga classes.

By the third trimester most women are showing in their pregnancy and becoming a little more uncomfortable. If they plan to be in a prenatal yoga class, most women have joined by this point. Remember to come in and out of the poses more carefully because transitions are critical at this point.

Also remember that pregnancy is a superb time for meditation and Yoga Nidra. It can help ease the fear of not knowing what each day may bring and focus and calm the mind, which can be excessively busy planning, wondering, organizing and worrying. Intense intuitiveness makes the pregnant yogi a prime candidate even if you have never meditated before.

Also be aware that your whole physicality is changing so honor and take care of your body during your prenatal yoga classes. For example, jumping back should be avoided. Also you should take out of your repertoire the following posses: Upward facing dog, deep twists, twisting triangles, deep rotating postures, plough, shoulder stands, headstands, handstands, all the backbends on your stomach, and deep backbends including wheel. Above all, follow your intuition, be careful and enjoy every minute of your pregnancy!