| Yoga originated in India more than 5000 years ago. | | | | practice them while pregnant. Deep forward or back |
| The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word | | | | bends may also not be appropriate, as they may put |
| meaning union. A regular yoga practice can yield many | | | | too much strain on the abdominal muscles. As with |
| benefits from increased relaxation to a stronger, more | | | | everything associated with pregnancy, listen to your |
| supple body. People who practice regularly also notice | | | | body at all times and do not push yourself. You should |
| that their weight stabilizes. | | | | finish a yoga session in a state of deep relaxation, not |
| People often ask if yoga is appropriate during | | | | heading for the freezer to get an ice pack! |
| pregnancy. As long as simple precautions and | | | | As your body changes in each trimester, you will want |
| common sense are followed, prenatal yoga is a | | | | to adapt your yoga practice accordingly. In the first |
| fantastic way of staying fit during your pregnancy and | | | | trimester, it will likely be possible to perform poses that |
| will help prepare you for labor. | | | | involve deeper stretching. Standing postures are very |
| Without doubt the most important thing to remember | | | | beneficial as they will strengthen your legs and improve |
| when performing yoga poses is to breathe. Few us | | | | your circulation. Spine strengthening poses may also be |
| breathe properly today, we are very uptight and | | | | tried. In the second and third trimesters you may want |
| constricted as a rule and tend to breathe from our | | | | to look ato postures that will help open your hips, for |
| chests. If you look at a sleeping baby, you will see her | | | | example, Triangle Posture. At this point you should |
| tummy rise and fall - this is where we have forgotten | | | | take with your back and forward bends. At all times |
| to breathe from. Yoga breathing fixes this, thereby | | | | listen to your body and focus on your breath - this |
| relieving tension and ensuring that oxygen rich blood is | | | | cannot be overstated. Once your breathing is out of |
| circulating in your body which is obviously very | | | | control while in a posture you are not receiving any |
| beneficial for your baby. Yoga breathing can also | | | | benefits. Back off until your breath returns to normal. |
| make your labor much more manageable. When my | | | | Yoga is not about how deep you go, someone in the |
| wife was recently giving birth to our daughter, yoga | | | | full expression of the posture will be getting just the |
| breathing techniques were central to her strategy. She | | | | same benefits as someone who is only in the first 5 |
| gave birth without any drugs, gas or air. | | | | percent of a pose but is working up to their limit. |
| As with any physical exercise, you need to take | | | | There are lots of resources that can help you embark |
| general precautions when you are pregnant. Any | | | | on a safe prenatal yoga program from DVDs to |
| poses that mean lying on your back for extended | | | | books to online articles. With their help you can find a |
| periods should be avoided. Unless you are | | | | practice that is right for you and your baby. |
| accustomed to inversion postures, you should not | | | | |