Less discomfort and more rest in each trimester
Guest article by Lisa Kauff, yoga teacher and founder of Monkey Yoga
Why is yoga so incredibly valuable during pregnancy? Firstly, the practice gives you inner peace and relaxation during this exciting time. Secondly, pregnancy yoga helps you to relieve physical ailments such as back pain. In addition, the conscious movement in the flow of your breath is an ideal preparation for the upcoming birth.
Isn’t yoga dangerous during pregnancy?
No, because even during pregnancy there are countless yoga exercises that you can continue to do without any concerns. However, you should of course know what to watch out for and what to avoid in order not to endanger yourself or your baby.
In this post, Lisa from Monkey Yoga shares her 5 favorite yoga exercises for pregnant women with you.
Yoga exercises during pregnancy
#1: The Tiger
Unfortunately, pregnant women often suffer from back pain because the growing belly presses on the lumbar spine and forces the spine into a curve. That's why it's important that you strengthen your back during this challenging time. The yoga exercise "Vyaghrasana", the tiger, works wonders here.
Effect of yoga exercise:
• Strengthening the back muscles
• Strengthening the pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles
• Improve balance
Here’s how to perform the exercise safely:
• Get into a quadruped stance: Place your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.
• Spread your fingers wide. Your middle fingers point forward.
• Rotate your upper arms slightly outwards.
• Now look downwards to stretch your cervical spine and activate your pelvic floor.
• Then lift your right leg and stretch it backwards parallel to the floor – as far as is comfortable for you.
• To intensify the exercise, you can now also raise your left arm and stretch it forward. Try to pull your hand and foot as far apart as possible.
• Repeat the exercise on the other side.
© Monkey Yoga
#2: The Gate
Side bends should accompany you every day of your pregnancy, as they open your flanks and expand your upper back and chest. "The Gate" (Parighasana) is a very valuable yoga exercise for this.
Effect of yoga exercise:
• Opening of the flanks and shoulder area
• Stretching of the intercostal muscles
Here’s how to perform the exercise safely:
• Get on your knees with your hips apart. You can place a pillow or blanket underneath you.
• Keep your right foot and right knee on the floor while you stretch your left leg out to the left.
• Your stretched leg and your upper body remain in a line.
• Now stretch your right arm upwards and lengthen your spine.
• Now lean your upper body towards the stretched leg without losing length.
• Repeat the exercise on the other side.
© Monkey Yoga
#3: Rotation from the quadruped position
Yoga rotations (also called twists or turns) give you new clarity, stability and calm. In order not to endanger the baby in the womb, only gentle rotations are allowed during pregnancy. The rotation from the quadruped position is therefore ideal.
Effect of yoga exercise:
• Relaxation of tension in the back and shoulder muscles
• Resolving blockages in the spine
• Opening of the chest
Here’s how to perform the exercise safely:
• Get into a quadruped stance and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the yoga mat.
• Place your knees directly under your hips.
• Now place your right hand on your lower back while keeping both knees evenly grounded.
• Now stretch your right arm up towards the ceiling and let your upper shoulder rotate far back.
• Repeat the exercise on the other side.
© Monkey Yoga
#4: Heart opening in heel seat
This gentle backbend opens your heart and can release tension in the shoulder and neck area as well as expand your chest.
Effect of yoga exercise:
• Strengthening the arms and shoulders
• Stretching the shoulder and chest muscles
• Stretching the front of the thigh
• Heart opening
Here’s how to perform the exercise safely:
• Come into the heel seat. If you cannot comfortably rest your buttocks on your heels, you can place a blanket or pillow on your heels.
• Now bring your palms to the floor. Your fingers are turned towards your hips.
• Then carefully stretch your arms while gently pushing your sternum forward.
• You can also use blocks to place your hands higher.
• After the exercise, come to the child’s pose to pause (exercise #5).
© Monkey Yoga
#5: The child’s pose
The child’s pose “Garbhasana” helps you to focus inward on your breathing and thus strengthen the connection to your baby.
Effect of yoga exercise:
• Stretching the spine
• Relaxation of the lower back
• Opening of the pelvis
• Calm your thoughts
Here’s how to perform the exercise safely:
• Get into a quadruped position. This time place your knees mat-width apart.
• Now push your buttocks over your heels and at the same time move your hands forward.
• Relax your forehead on the floor and direct your breathing deeply into your stomach.
© Monkey Yoga
Lisa Kauff
Lisa is a yoga teacher and founder of Monkey Yoga . As a trained prenatal yoga teacher and certified pelvic floor exercise instructor, her mission is to use yoga to help pregnant women and mothers gain more self-confidence, serenity and resilience. Lisa is a mother of two children herself and is now pregnant with baby number 3. Her online courses enable women to integrate more exercise into their everyday lives, independent of their own time and according to their needs. Do you want to delve deeper into yoga during your pregnancy? You can also find all the information about do's and don'ts of yoga during pregnancy on Lisa's blog.
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