Yoga during pregnancy and its benefits

 

There are many benefits to practising prenatal yoga. It can help women get through their pregnancy with minimal discomfort and also helps the birth and post-delivery stages. During this period of life, yoga can help greatly by accommodating the changes that take place on all levels of your being.

 

On a physical level:

 

• It helps develop stamina and strength. Your hips, back, arms and shoulders become stronger to help you carry the weight of your growing baby.

 

• Increases your overall comfort by removing tension and muscle tightness alleviating some of the common discomforts of pregnancy.

 

• Posture is also improved by yoga and this can help ease back problems, which are common in pregnant women.

 

• Yoga helps to prepare for the birth - it encourages breath and body awareness, reduces worry and teaches women to adapt to new situations.

 

• By learning to breathe deeply, you will be better equipped to face the physical demands of labour, birth, and motherhood. In addition, it will help you to stay calm when you need it most.

 

• A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead.

 

• Your body becomes more flexible, which enables you to adapt to various positions when in labour and your ligaments are more elastic, which in turn can help to reduce labour pain.

 

• Maintains your overall body fitness and increases your energy and vitality

 

• It calms the nervous system, aiding your digestion to operate properly, promoting a better sleep and an optimal performance of your immune system.

 

• It improves your balance and helps boost circulation. It also helps reduce fluid retention.

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On an emotional level:

 

• It helps by calming the emotions, bringing a sense of ease and peace.

• Provides a special time for you to connect with the changes in your body and with your unborn baby.

 

• Helps to build your confidence by heightening your natural abilities to cope

 

• Practising prenatal yoga is a great way to meet other pregnant women and to become part of a community.

 

• Being in a positive, supportive environment can give you a regular emotional boost and keep you motivated to continue exercising.

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On a mental level:

 

• It calms and quietens the mind, helping you relax and become more centred and focused.

 

The practice of yoga continues to have benefits after pregnancy. Postnatal yoga strengthens abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor. It also helps you to get back to your pre-pregnancy shape faster.

 

Yoga practice can be re-started about six weeks after the birth. It is advisable to continue for another 4 to 6 months, as ligaments and muscles have not yet returned to normal, and there is a need to go slow and not strain the body.