Prenatal yoga: What you need to know

Are you pregnant but want to keep fit? Then yoga could be what you are looking for. Advocates claim it boosts mind and body, helping to keep your pregnancy hassle-free. So what can yoga do for you?

Yoga can help you keep in shape during and after pregnancy

Yoga is an ancient Indian form of exercise with an holistic approach, meaning it tackles a person's well being as a whole - mind and body - unlike other forms of exercise.

Yoga's roots can be traced back at least five thousand years and the name means to join, or to unite. It consists of different poses, called asanas, that should be held steady, while controlling the breathing. The breathing techniques, which are central to yoga, are called pranayamas.

What are the benefits of prenatal yoga?

Much like other types of childbirth-preparation classes, prenatal yoga is a multifaceted approach to exercise that encourages stretching, mental centering and focused breathing. Research suggests that prenatal yoga is safe and can have many benefits for pregnant women and their babies. For example, studies have suggested that prenatal yoga can:

• Improve sleep
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
• Decrease lower back pain, nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches and shortness of breath
• Decrease the risk of preterm labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction — a condition that slows a baby's growth
• Prenatal yoga can also help you meet and bond with other pregnant women and prepare for the stress of being a new parent.

Safety guidelines

• Starting yoga is no different to starting any other form of exercise - the same advice applies. If you are not used to regular exercise then you should start slowly. If in doubt consult your doctor or midwife.
• According to Andrea Fox, any position which feels uncomfortable should be left out. Ms Fox points out: 'Lying on the front soon becomes inappropriate. Strong back bends are to be avoided, as are postures that involve using the tummy muscles strongly, such as the boat pose, or supine leg rising. Any posture involving balance should be tackled with great care.'
• Mothers-to-be should pay attention not to overstretch the body - the ligaments around the joints become loose and soft during pregnancy. The abdomen should stay relaxed at all times.
• No kind of pain or nausea should be felt during or after yoga. If this happens, you should stop exercising and contact your GP or midwife.

 5 vital tools:

• Yoga Exercises — These gently work on the reproductive organs and pelvis to ensure a smooth pregnancy and a relatively easy childbirth. At the subtle level, these ensure optimum supply of blood and nutrients to the developing foetus.
• Breathing or Pranayama — These powerful techniques ensure the abundant supply of oxygen and a better life force for you and your child. These methods work on your fitness during pregnancy.
• Mudras — and Bandhas – The psycho-physical stimulation of these gestures and locks have powerful effects on a woman's reproductive organs.
• Meditation — As a therapeutic tool, meditation will help you resolve the deepest of neuroses, fears and conflicts, which are so common during pregnancy. Meditation brings with it an incredible awareness which helps you connect with your child in a way that is impossible to explain.
• Deep Relaxation — Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep) is particularly effective during pregnancy for physical and mental relaxation as well as for childbirth preparation.