Yoga during pregnancy

Pregnancy yoga and yoga during pregnancy are not necessarily one in the same! I am currently pregnant with my second child, and coincidentally in recent months I have gained several pregnant students in my classes so it seemed like a good time to write about my experience of yoga during pregnancy.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, Hope, I had just completed my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training and decided to continue my training straight away with a Prenatal (Pregnancy) Yoga course. It is something I would have done at some point, but being pregnant myself and wanting to learn more about how yoga can be adapted to accommodate a growing bump, the poses and pranayamas to avoid or modify and how the breath and relaxation can benefit you during pregnancy and birth, it seemed like the perfect timing.

I taught pregnancy yoga to a lovely group of women during my third and fourth trimester and continued to attend a 90 minute Vinyasa Flow class with my teacher until I reached 37 weeks of pregnancy, by which point my body needed a rest. 

Since having Hope and being fortunate enough not to have to return to full-time employment, I was able to build upon my yoga business and now teach regular Vinyasa Flow classes.

From very early on in this pregnancy, I was making subtle changes to my own practice, but did not want it to effect the classes that I teach. There are poses that are recommended to avoid during pregnancy, such as closed twists and inversions like shoulder stand and headstand, some that need to be modified as your bump grows and body changes and some that might feel great one week, and not so good the next. So far my vinyasas have changed; my Chaturanga to Upward Facing Dog has become a tricep dip on my knees into Cow pose and back bends are not as deep as they once were due to the stretching sensation across the front of the torso. As the weeks go on, there will be more changes, and potentially less physical teaching and more verbal cues if I get too breathless to do both at the same time!

The key is to listen closely to your body and respect what it's saying! I use this as a general rule for every yoga student, pregnant or not, but it is particularly important during pregnancy that you are not trying to keep up with the person on the mat next to you, or push yourself through poses that don't feel right.

As I mentioned, I currently have several students at different stages of pregnancy attend my classes which I love. Pregnancy yoga is wonderful for those new to yoga, as well as a great way to surround yourself with other mums-to-be and enjoy breathing and relaxation techniques. However, for those that have a regular yoga practice up until pregnancy, they might not want to stop their usual classes and replace it with a only with a pregnancy yoga class. Due to the nature of a Vinyasa Flow class and the fact that the vast majority of students are not pregnant, I don't have the time to make adjustments or suggestions for every pose so although I will always point out things to avoid completely I do rely on pregnant students be confident and in tune with their body and know their own practice. In making the adjustments that are necessary for the changing body, it is possible to surprise yourself and find a version of a pose that actually feels so much better! 

Pregnant or not, when life is busy yoga (even when I'm teaching it) is a wonderful way to take a step back and appreciate your body and all that it does for you (including growing a human!), notice it's changes, and allow your mind to quieten. 

I hope to continue to teach until mid September and return after a couple of months post-birth.

If you would like to join me, or see what else is available at Hummingbird Pilates Yoga, head over to www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk