Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. It truly evolves another human being for another. So is yoga. While pregnancy can be taxing on the mother to be, yoga is perfect for calming her, and strengthening the process of child birth. Yoga creates a soulful impact on the mother and keeps mood swings in check, which is a given during pregnancy. It relaxes the body and the mind. It also ensures a correct body posture. However, all the poses and exercises should be done with prior consultation with a physician.
Here Are 5 Top Pre-Natal Yoga Poses
1. Goddess Pose
This exercise requires that legs be stretched apart while standing. Bend the knees slowly, forming a squat. Repeat process for a count of at least 5 times. This exercise can be performed against the wall too in case the mother needs back support. This exercise is advised to help create womb space for easy delivery of the baby. It also strengthens the legs and inner thighs.
2. Butterfly Pose
To perform the butterfly pose, the mother is advised to sit erect with feet joined together, forming a ‘namaste’ pose (with the feet). Touch your feet with both your hands and flap legs as that of a butterfly’s wings. This exercise is essentially meant to improve the flexibility of the hip joints and it also stretches the thighs and relaxes muscles due to weight gain.
3. Cat Pose
Kkneel down on all fours, arching the back downwards, or like a cat, i.e., projecting the hip out with the head looking up. While exhaling air, round the back, with face turned into the chest. Repeat exercise for a count of 10. This exercise is particularly advised, during back pain. It relieves the stress of the back, strengthening the waist area and helps during labour.
4. Angle Pose
This exercise needs the mother to stand straight and lift her right hand up, with legs apart. While inhaling, bend on the left side. Exhale and return to the same position. Repeat with the other side. This exercise ensures that the waist remains flexible and the belly fat around the waist is monitored.
5. Breathing
When pregnancy strikes, it’s important that the blood flow of both the mother and baby are in check. Breathing is also an important exercise for warming up the body as well as after all the exercises are done. Belly breathing is a good exercise, to ensure the same and relaxes the mother of the pressure she experiences from the bulging belly. Its best to be seated on a fluffy pillow, erect, with head straightened. Placing the hands on the belly, in a way to support it from underneath. Inhale and exhale through the nose slowly but deeply. This ensures that the pelvic muscles are relaxed and relaxes the mind in turn as well.
