For pregnant women, yoga provides comprehensive and integrated practices for overall wellbeing of baby & mother as well as balancing and controlling the changes undergo during pregnancy. When I am talking about yoga practices, then it includes physical movement (Asana), breathing (Pranayama), relaxation (Yoga Nidra), detoxification (Neti & Kunjal), simple meditation and mantra chanting. Diet is also an important part of the whole nine-month-program for pregnant women.
Before starting the practice, please keep these things in mind –
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Practice with an experience and certified yoga teacher, who can explain about anatomy and physiology.
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Always try traditional, simple and natural style of yoga.
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Should try to use your own body parts but sometimes can take support of props.
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Before starting practice, please consult your doctor for overall check up.
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Keep yourself hydrated.
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During practice if necessary take support of the teacher or any prop but never try to push and pull unnecessary.
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The yoga practice should be ended with Pranayama, relaxation and simple meditation or mantra chanting.
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Practices should be different according to need and requirements of individual.
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Should divide yoga program in three parts (first, second and third semester for nine month).
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If you feel uncomfortable or abnormal, please stop the practice and consult your doctor.
YOGA PRACTICE PROGRAM
First semester (first 3 months)
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All joints rotation for proper blood and prana (energy) circulation throughout the body to supply nutrient to each cells. In this group of practice butterfly pose is an important practice to strengthen pelvic muscles and bone and to prevent C-section surgery. These joints rotation practices are known as Pawanmuktasana part-1, taught by Satyananda Yoga.
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Stretching such as palm tree pose, swaying palm tree pose, waist rotating pose, triangle pose, double angle pose, hands to feet pose are important. Regular practitioners may try sun salutation, but always do it slowly without creating heat in the body.
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Abdominal practices for example one leg raise, leg rotation, cycling, and boat pose. Regular practitioners may use their both legs but always followed by deep abdominal breathing. Supta Udarakarshanasana (sleeping abdominal stretch), Sputa Pawanmuktasana (leg lock pose) is also very good.
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In backward bending crocodile pose, cobra pose and bridge pose is enough but regular practitioners can try bow pose as well but it is better to avoid putting extra effort.
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In forward bending head to knee pose (janu sirasana), pashchimotanasana, and rabbit pose (child pose) is enough.
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Spinal twist, half spinal twist is also good but if size of the abdomen is big then should avoid after two month.
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In Inverted pose shoulder stand is good to supply energy to lower abdominal organs specially uterus. Should avoid other inverted pose. Women having heavy body can take support of the chair or cushion to keep legs and buttocks in inverted position for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Cat pose (marjari asana) and tiger pose (Vyaghra asana) are recommended, follow by Vajrasana (diamond pose). You may sit in Vajrasana for 10 minutes after meal for proper digestion.
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After all practicing these poses, relaxation at least 10 minutes is required.
*** During practice, please avoid squatting pose as well as any practice that create heat in your body such as to prevent abortion.
SECOND SEMESTER (SECOND THREE MONTH)
After first three month chance of abortion is less but during practice still need to be more vigilant. Most of the practices can be same except backward bending and spinal twisting. Instead of backward bending matsya kridasana (flapping fish pose) is very good .Best is bridge pose, cat and tiger pose. Other practices can be chosen according to the size of the abdomen. These three month pawanmuktasana part -1 (joints rotation) are most important. Lying down on left side after meal and lying down on right while feeling nausea is good rather than lying down on back.
THIRD SEMESTER (LAST THREE MONTHS)
Last three month is also very delicate, so need to be more cautious to avoid any complications. Backward bending, spinal twist and inverted poses should be avoided. Some standing stretching practices are helpful but should be done by having support of the wall and should keep legs apart to avoid falling down. During this period all joints rotations, bridge pose, cat pose, tiger pose are perfect practices to do follow by abdominal breathing after each posture. Instead of sleeping on back, can keep cushion under hips or stay in flapping fish pose (matsya kridasana) for relaxation with abdominal breathing frequently. Sitting in vajrasana (diamond pose) or walking is the best after meal. Lying down on left side after meal and lying down on right while feeling nausea are good poses to relax.
PRANAYAMA (BREATHING)
The practice of pranayama is most important throughout nine month. Pranayama practices directly works on internal organs to maintain its efficiency for balanced working. Improves internal and external respiration to supply nutrients to each and every cells, helps in absorbing the nutrients to the cells, maintain the lungs capacity and removes toxins naturally from the body.
PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Bhastrika / kapalbhati --- During first three month should be careful about these 2 practice. These practices produces heat in the body, so can do these practices but slowly just 3 to 5 round for regular practitioners. Beginners should avoid these practices or do in front of the teacher.
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Ujjayi (psychic breathing) – This is best practice to gives tranquillizing effect and for fluid retention in the body.This practice has soothing effect on nervous system, calm down mind and maintain blood pressure. Can do throughout nine month.
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Sheetali / sheetkari – These practices have cooling effect in the body and women can do throughout nine month. But those having low blood pressure, hypothyroid, depression, should not do these practices. These practice reduce body temperature,thirst ,hunger , hot flushes , hyper activity , anger etc.
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Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) – This practice is best among all without any side effects. Should do throughout nine month more and more to balance the whole system and maintaining the efficiency of different internal organs.
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Bhramari (Humming bee)—This is also very important practice to be done throughout 9 months to prevent insomnia, restlessness, nervous tension. It can be done after giving birth for recovery.
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Abdominal Breathing ---- This is one of the best practices for pre and post natal. By doing regularly can reduce labor pain and regain shape of the body very fast. This practice maintains the mobility of internal muscles and organs to work optimally.
YOGANINDRA/ MEDITATION/ MANTRA CHANTING
Everybody can do these practices to balance the whole personality and create positive vibration around the uterus to develop baby with multidimensional personality. Yoganidra can be used to learn some scriptures, books and remembering nice and beautiful places, listen classical music to develop the baby as a special quality kids (proved in scientific research). Mantra chanting, specially chanting of AUM creates positive vibrations(aura) around the baby and also gives deep relaxation to the mother. These practices are also helpful in controlling mental and emotional changes during pregnancy.
DETOX
Neti detox can be done throughout nine month. Those having tendency of vomiting can do Kunjal with expert guidance. These detox practices release stress and tensions from mind and makes mother feel calm, quite and peaceful mentally and emotionally. Those having constipation and gas during these period can try simple version of intestine cleansing but only during second semester.
DIET
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Diet should be balanced and easily digestible.
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Less protein to avoid constipation.
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Avoid fried and frozen packed readymade food.
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Take more fruit juices, water frequently.
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Should avoid tea, coffee and smoking.
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Green vegetables, salads, seasonal fruits but avoid raw papaya.
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Those having tendency to go to urine frequently should take honey and warm water.
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Should not take seafood containing high mercury such as tuna.
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Should prefer natural food rather than taking medicines for vitamins, minerals, protein etc unnecessary.
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Should avoid too hot & too cold drinks or food.
(Note: These are simple and common yoga tips almost without side effects, but its better to consult yoga teacher before starting these practices. Name of the some practices may be new or different, so for detail can contact divine yoga.)
Sanjiv Chaturvedi
Divine Yoga
Bangkok |
