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Yoga Postures to Ease Pregnancy

The practice of yoga during pregnancy can not only keep you physically fit, but also mentally prepared for the birth. With raging hormones and various pregnancy symptoms, yoga can be a natural remedy to alleviate such pains and discomforts, as well as ensuring an easier and smoother delivery and recovery time.

pregnancy yoga

Before any yoga practice, it's important to consult your doctor, and be under strict supervision from a yoga expert, especially if you're a beginner, or have specific health problems with the pregnancy. There are different yoga styles and mild breathing exercises that are more in tune with your present condition. Here are some yoga postures that are highly recommended to help ease your pregnancy:

Cobbler Pose - Supta Bhadrasana

If you are pregnant for the first time or have had earlier miscarriages, then Cobbler Pose or Supta bhadrasana can be quite beneficial for you. It is an extremely helpful posture in the pre-conception stage, as it helps to strengthen your lower abdominal muscles. A stronger abdominal muscle power provides the necessary strength to hold the fetus and keep it safe during the nurturing months. Supta bhadrasana also helps to clear the birth passage or canal, ensuring minimum problems during child birth.

Procedure:

  1. Spread your yoga mat on the floor of an airy room, not an air conditioned room.
  2. Sit on your mat or blanket facing north, cross your legs and now slowly uncross your legs and bring the heels of both the legs together.
  3. The lower part of your feet should face each other, now inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
  4. Hold the joined feet with both your hands and try to pull them towards your crotch gently but firmly.
  5. At the same time keep your knees down while you start breathing through the nose in the normal way. Count up to ten and then very slowly relax and gently loosen your feet, stretch them out and rest on your palms behind you.

This yoga for pregnancy pose has the least risk, yet please be aware of your body response while you are in it - any discomfort must be immediately brought to the notice of your yoga teacher. You can repeat this asana a couple times a day if you face no problems.

Just remember that yoga is always practiced on a nearly empty stomach. It is recommended to wait about two hours after a snack and four to five hours after a heavy meal.

Diamond Pose - Vajrasana

Another beneficial yoga for pregnancy pose is Diamond Pose or Vajrasana. It is great for digestion and eliminating any signs of acidity, which is common during these months.

  1. Sit on a blanket or mat with your legs tucked underneath you.
  2. Let your toes of your legs form a sort of a bucket so you can place your lower bottom comfortably in it.
  3. Keep your knees together and your spine straight as a ramrod, place your palms on the knees.
  4. Now inhale through the nose and exhale through your mouth; tense your hands and start breathing normally.
  5. Count to ten and relax slowly.

Butterfly Pose - Titliasana

Butterfly Pose is an excellent pregnancy posture that helps in strengthening your abdominal and calf muscles in addition to your legs.

  1. Sit on your mat with your feet facing each other as in the first asana.
  2. Now hold the joined feet with both your hands and follow the drill of inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth.
  3. Keep your body rigid and straight and start fanning your knees up and down, as if they were fluttering wings of a butterfly. Do not stress yourself while doing this asana.
  4. Count to ten or less and relax slowly, stretch out your legs and sit straight.

After practicing these yoga for pregnancy postures, sit with your legs crossed and stretch out your hands on the knees. Join the forefinger and the thumb of each hand while stretching out the rest of the fingers. Close your eyes and simply focus on your breathing in a normal manner - slow and gentle without holding your breath at any point. Once this meditation is over you may feel drowsy, this is a good sign and can help give you a sound sleep.

Yoga and meditation requires the practitioner to pay complete and full attention to the form being practiced. Your undivided attention will bring clarity to your performance and reap better benefits. A last word of advice - have your bath before doing the asana or at least half an hour after doing the asanas.

7 Yoga Postures for Pregnancy
The practice of yoga during pregnancy can not only keep you physically fit, but also mentally prepared for the birth. Here are some yoga postures to help alleviate pregnancy discomforts.

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