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There is no reason for you to stop practicing yoga as long as you feel comfortable doing it. In fact, many pregnant women continue with their yoga practice even till their delivery date approaches. Having said that, there are few basic precautions that you need to adhere to when practicing yoga during pregnancy.
Yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy
While yoga keeps you healthy and fit during the course of your pregnancy, there are a few basic poses that you must avoid to keep any kind of complications at bay. Here are some of them.
Twists
Avoid yoga asanas that include deep twists. Such poses compress the internal organs including your uterus. If you really want to twist, then try twisting from your shoulders.
Jumps
With a huge belly, jumping is the last thing that you need to do. Avoid even moderate jumping as this can affect the positioning of the fetus.
Pranayama
Pranayama or breathing exercises ask you to breathe at a faster rate or hold your breath for long. This is not advisable when you are pregnant.
Back bending
Avoid any kinds of back bending especially yoga asanas like the full wheel pose that require you to bend your back to the maximum.
Lying on the belly
When you are pregnant, then lying on the belly is the last thing that you need to do. Avoid poses like Cobra pose that asks you to lie down on your stomach.
Hot yoga
Hot yoga involves raising the temperature of your core. This is not advisable during pregnancy.
Basic precautions
Besides avoiding the above mentioned yoga poses, you also need to follow a few basic precautions, to avoid any kind of complications.
* Tell your yoga instruction about your pregnancy and trimester if you are attending a yoga class that is not specifically for pregnant women.
* Any kind of yoga poses to the back should be avoided after the first trimester. This reduces the flow of blood to the uterus.
* Avoid stretching too much of muscles.
* Practice yoga poses only to the extent to which you are comfortable. Do not exert or pressurize yourself too much. Listen to your body carefully and stop as soon as you experience any kind of discomfort.
* Be aware of your knees. Do not strain them too much.
* Practice prenatal yoga under the guidance of an expert only. Avoid DVDs and videos as they will not help you know about the mistakes you may be making which can be injurious to your health.
To sum up, there is no harm in doing prenatal yoga. You can do it for as long as you desire but make sure that you are careful enough.
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