Prenatal Yoga – The Perfect Workout For Soon-To-Be Mothers

As the art of Yoga becomes more popular, so does the popularity of prenatal yoga.  There are numerous physical benefits of prenatal yoga which women are becoming more aware of.   Besides helping women prepare for the pregnancy and delivery, yoga provides the opportunity to communicate with other women, an emotional and physical outlet for pregnancy and preparation for a holistic birth experience.

Practicing yoga not only stretches your muscles, it stretches the tissues that cover your muscles.  This stretching improves the circulation of blood and oxygen,  allowing you to breathe in a more controlled fashion and to concentrate through your imagination and quiet thoughts.  All of this works together to produce an incredible sense of physical and emotional well-being.

Another important aspect of pregnancy yoga is proper body alignment.  The way you carry yourself in a pregnant state can cause lower back pain.  Yoga focuses on muscles and tissues in the hips and hamstrings as well as the lower back.  With proper yoga practices,  the degree of pelvic tilt can be reduced which can reduce lower back pain during pregnancy.

Sleeping can be very difficult during pregnancy, especially the last trimester.  This is due to the spinal alignment being altered.  There are yoga poses which will stretch the spinal muscles  thereby helping to alleviate some or all of the pain.  In addition to difficult sleep, pregnancy can cause swelling of the joints, especially those around your wrists and ankles.  Certain yoga poses can reduce the joint swelling as well as the inflammation.

As if pregnancy isn’t difficult enough, the growth of a baby also pushes the intestinal organs around, and this can cause indigestion and constipation.  Yoga can aid in digestion and help promote regular bowel movements.

The Pregnancy Yoga DVD is available for $15.00 through Amazon.  Click HERE to learn more.

The actual labor preceding a baby’s birth is improved by the practice of yoga.  By squatting and learning to tone and strength the muscles of the pelvic floor, you will be better prepared for the birth  process.  Should you decide to not squat, you will still use same muscles to push your baby into his or her new world.  Last, but certainly not least, taking part in a pregnancy yoga class gives a woman the opportunity to connect with other women who know what they are going through.  This can offer much to improve the emotional well-being of the new mother-to-be.  Yoga gives women the tools to labor and birth more easily.  Prenatal yoga will allow you to:

• Find your inner rhythm by soothing and empowering yourself

• Improve relaxation which can shorten the labor process

• Teach relaxation which will improve your comfort level by using specific positions

• Master powerful contractions by use of breathing while using visual imagery

• Strengthen the pelvic floor muscles so that it’s easier to push