Yoga during Pregnancy

Adjusting Your Yoga Practice During Pregnancy: Insights from a 24-Week Journey

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey that brings profound changes to both body and mind. As a yoga teacher currently 24 weeks pregnant, I’ve found that tuning into my evolving body and adjusting my yoga practice has been essential for both my comfort and well-being. Every time I step onto the mat during my pregnancy, I feel as though I am in a new body. In general, poses I used to come to with joy and comfort now feel limiting and uncomfortable but with patience and compassion and appreciation of the how amazing my body is to be able to be home to a little human, I am able to soften and flow with my ever-changing yoga practice.

I’ll share tips, insights, and recommended practices to safely support your body during pregnancy while keeping yoga a calming, nourishing part of your routine.

Listening to Your Body

Pregnancy is a time to listen deeply to your body. As my pregnancy has progressed, I’ve noticed a need to modify poses, slow down, and focus on postures that feel supportive rather than challenging. It’s natural for a pregnant body to feel different each day, with varying energy levels and physical changes. Approach each session with curiosity and acceptance, allowing for flexibility and an openness to adjust your practice based on how you feel that day. This hasn’t always been easy. Especially when my ego wants to push me to postures that used to come easily to me and then I may begin to compare myself to others in the class who are floating about into inversions. This has been great for my spiritual growth and appreciation of true yoga, to not compare my practice and instead to honour and appreciate all that it is doing.

Key Principles for a Safe Pregnancy Practice:

1. Focus on Stability: Growing a baby requires extra balance, so prioritising grounding postures and avoiding poses that make you feel unsteady is important.
2. Avoid Overstretching: Hormonal changes increase flexibility, particularly around the pelvis. While it may be tempting to go deeper, avoid pushing beyond a gentle stretch.
3. Modify and Adjust as Needed: As your belly grows, modify poses to create space, particularly with twists and backbends.
4. Engage in Pranayama (Breathing Techniques) with Care: Breathing practices are wonderful during pregnancy, but avoid breath retention or overly intense pranayama exercises.

Yoga during pregnancy, adjustments for the First, Second, and Third Trimesters

Adjusting your yoga practice as you progress through each trimester is key to keeping your body comfortable and supported.

First Trimester

During the first trimester, energy levels may fluctuate, and some women experience nausea. Gentle flows, grounding poses, and calming breathing techniques can help manage these symptoms. Avoid inversions or deep backbends, as they can feel unsettling, and always go at your own pace.

Suggestions for the First Trimester:

• Cat-Cow Stretch: Helps relieve tension and keep the spine flexible.
• Gentle Twists: Perform open twists to gently massage the abdomen without compressing it.
• Child’s Pose: Provides a restful position and can help relieve back tension.

Second Trimester

In the second trimester, the baby bump begins to show, and modifications become increasingly important. This is the time to focus on core and pelvic support, using gentle activation exercises to maintain stability. You may also feel an increase in energy, which can be channeled into a modified flow sequence.

Suggestions for the Second Trimester:

• Warrior I and II: Strong standing postures like Warrior poses build leg strength and stability, grounding the growing body.
• Modified Plank Pose: Great for core strength; keep knees down if needed to reduce pressure.
• Hip Openers: Poses like Malasana (Squat Pose) open the hips, though remember not to go too deep. This can ease pelvic tension as the baby grows.

Third Trimester

The third trimester brings physical shifts as the baby prepares for birth. By this stage, a gentler, restorative practice may feel more suitable. Prioritise deep breathing, focus on relaxation, and release any pressure to ‘push’ yourself in postures.

Suggestions for the Third Trimester:

• Seated Forward Folds: Encourage relaxation and are great for grounding.
• Butterfly Pose: Opens hips and provides space for the baby without overstretching.
• Pelvic Tilts: Gentle movements on hands and knees help relieve lower back pressure.
• Savasana on Left Side: Lying on your left side for Savasana ensures comfort and safe circulation.

Safe Breathing Practices During Pregnancy

Pranayama (breathing techniques) offers numerous benefits, particularly during pregnancy. It helps manage stress, increase oxygen flow, and bring a sense of calm to both mother and baby.

Safe Techniques to Practise:

• Ujjayi Breath: This oceanic-sounding breath is deeply calming, particularly when experiencing any anxiety or stress. Simply breathe deeply in and out through the nose, slightly constricting the throat to create a gentle sound.
• Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing): Helps balance the body and calm the mind without any breath retention.
• Gentle Belly Breathing: Breathe slowly, allowing the belly to expand on the inhale and gently release on the exhale. This provides relaxation and increases oxygen flow.

Avoid These Breathing Practices:

• Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath): Rapid breathing is generally too intense for pregnancy and can make you lightheaded.
• Breath Retention (Kumbhaka): Avoid holding the breath, as this can reduce oxygen flow.

The Importance of Restorative Practices

Pregnancy is a unique time for rest and self-care. Restorative yoga encourages relaxation, which is especially helpful during the later stages of pregnancy when physical and emotional demands are high. Props like bolsters, pillows, and blankets can make restorative poses more accessible and comfortable.

Suggested Restorative Poses:

• Supported Child’s Pose: Place a bolster or pillow under the chest for added comfort.
• Reclined Butterfly Pose: Lie back with support under your knees to gently open the hips and relax the lower back.
• Supported Savasana on the Left Side: Helps relieve pressure from the lower back and keeps circulation flowing safely.

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: The Core of Yoga during Pregnancy

More than just a physical practice, yoga during pregnancy is an opportunity to deepen your connection with yourself and your growing baby. Incorporating mindfulness and self-compassion into each practice helps you stay grounded, resilient, and patient through the many changes pregnancy brings.

Pregnancy can stir up a range of emotions, from joy to anxiety, and maintaining a compassionate perspective can help ease the journey. Remind yourself that each day is different, and your energy, needs, and limits will change. There is no “right” way to practise yoga during pregnancy. What’s important is moving with care, listening to your body, and embracing the changes with an open heart.

Final Thoughts about Yoga during Pregnancy

Yoga during pregnancy is about adapting and nurturing, not pushing or perfecting. By honouring your unique needs at each stage, you’ll find that yoga can be a steady companion through the physical and emotional journey of pregnancy. Prioritise safety, self-compassion, and connection, using each practice as an opportunity to create space for both yourself and the new life within you. Throughout my pregnancy, I’m grateful for the insights my practice brings each day, allowing me to feel grounded, connected, and supported through this extraordinary experience.

I am currently undertaking a pre/post natal yoga teacher training and will write soon with more detailed ideas for how to practise yoga safely during pregnancy as well as the benefits it brings and more.

If you’d like more information on yoga philosophy please contact me or book here to practise with me in Marlow, and online.

With love

Anney xx