Wellness With Danni Yoga Classes During Pregnancy
I wanted to write this blog to help Yogi’s who come to my classes feel more confident coming to a class when they’re pregnant (or might be pregnant). And to also help them decide if they are best suited to a dedicated Pregnancy Yoga class instead.
I’ve completed training so that I can safely and comfortably include a pregnant Yogi in my general classes. Just to clarify I am not a trained Pregnancy Yoga Teacher. But I can recommend a dedicated Pregnancy Yoga class to those that are looking for one.
Yoga can be fantastic during pregnancy. Some of the key benefits include:
Connection to our own bodies and baby, as you go through the mental and physical changes of pregnancy
Reduce stress and anxiety
Improves sleep and offers relaxation techniques for when sleep is disturbed.
Brings awareness to our bodies and movement that helps reduce discomfort
Mindful stretching and strengthening to support the body during pregnancy and beyond.
Dedicated Pregnancy Yoga classes can also help manage specific conditions which may arise during pregnancy such as pelvic girdle pain.
So if you’ve decided that keeping up with your regular yoga practice is right for you, then I wanted to share a few key principles.
We are all unique, our bodies are unique, our experiences are unique, so what works for one person, whether pregnant or not, may not work for another. Recognising we are unique is the First Step.
Step Two; that yoga is about tuning into our own bodies, our own minds, ourselves. Yes, there is guidance to help tailor your yoga practice to work better for you when you're pregnant, but it ultimately comes back to what feels good in your body, for you.
Step Three:, when pregnant our bodies are doing amazing things and using a lot of energy to grow baby. So in your yoga practice keep in mind the mantra, ‘Soften, Support, Space’.
Softness is about, less is best. Your body may tell you when it wants less. But sometimes it’s not easy to tune into what our bodies and minds need. So approaching your yoga class with the idea of softness, it’s not about pushing yourself, instead reminding ourselves that growing a baby is a lot in itself, so bringing in softness, a gentler approach to your practice is a great rule of thumb.
Support is about thinking ‘where can I help support my body?’. This might be from using props, a cushion, or our hands to help provide support. The body produces Relaxin from the earliest days of pregnancy, so you’ll be more flexible. We don’t want to move to that new full range of flexibility and over stretch and strain. Instead use support to prevent hanging out in flexibility.
Space; create space for bump. This might be feet wider apart in forward folds or a wider stance in a low lunge. It might be a wider base and shorter stance in postures like warriors and crescent lunges, so you create space and have stability.
With the mantra of ‘Soften, Support, Space’ in mind, I have listed below some common modifications which may help you during your yoga practice whilst pregnant:
Rather than longer static holds, keep moving. Gentle movement can be really beneficial to help combat discomfort. Hips circles may become your new best friend.
Less is more for core muscles. When pregnant the core muscles open out to accommodate baby, as they do this they lose power, so we don’t want to overload them. Think about hugging baby in to support the spine when in postures. And when it comes to postures which involve a lot of core strength such as plank, boat, etc. soften, take modifications to not add too much strength work to the core muscles.
When on all 4’s, hands forward of shoulders rather than directly under shoulders to provide relief for wrists.
To help with a lordotic spine (the lower back is more curved with the tailbone moving backwards), try to reduce arching the lower back further. So for example in the common Cat Cow postures, instead of Cow, come to a neutral spine. Some supported chest openers will still feel great for many women, but key here is support, to not load weight into the lower back.
Twists will likely become uncomfortable, especially closed twists. Open twists, which allow space to breathe are often preferred.
Many women find inversions uncomfortable, however Legs Up The Wall, often works well to provide some relief for the legs (if you’re comfortable laying on your back).
It’s common during pregnancy to lay onto a side for Savasana rather than on the back. Your body will tell you when it no longer wants to lay on it’s back. Often pregnant women lay on their left hand side to reduce potential pressure on the vena cava, but for many laying to the right hand side is fine too. And your body will also tell you when it doesn’t want to lie on it’s front either, often when bump starts to appear.
When doing breathing exercises, avoid holding the breath, either on the inhale or exhale. Keep with slow deep inhales and exhales. If the teacher is instructing a hold of breath, just ignore and keep with slow deep breaths.
After a few classes with this approach of ‘Soften, Support, Space’ in mind and finding modifications which work for you, you will be able to feel even more confident and comfortable in your yoga practice as you move through your pregnancy and beyond.
So which class is for you?
I mentioned earlier that there are dedicated Pregnancy Yoga classes, and I would always recommend one of those classes. And even more so if you are new to yoga or have conditions which really need a dedicated class to fully accommodate.
If you are a regular Yogi at one of my classes, and want to keep coming to my classes, and don’t have a condition that requires a dedicated pregnancy yoga class, then I would be delighted for you to keep up your regular yoga practice with my classes.
You might decide to try more of the restful or slower classes like my Restorative Hatha, Nurturing Flow, or Yin classes.
I would ask that you let me know about your pregnancy as soon as you feel comfortable. If you’re pregnant and aren’t yet telling people, then I’d recommend letting me know that you’re feeling a bit under the weather, so you’ll be taking it easy in class. Anything as simple as “I’m feeling a bit drained this week, so will be taking it easy”. No more explanation required (and that goes for anyone!).
Once I’m aware of your pregnancy, if you want to keep it quiet, I of course will keep it confidential. But I will then be able to give you some modifications to help in your practice.
Above all I want everyone to feel supported and comfortable in my classes so that everyone can draw on the many benefits Yoga has to offer.
If you have any questions, then please get in touch.