Prenatal yoga makes for a low-impact and high-return way to stay fit while pregnant. Look for a yoga class specifically for pregnant women to help ensure that you're practicing safe yoga. Some poses are better than others for pregnant women. Poses that require you to lie on your back, especially in late pregnancy, can restrict blood flow to the uterus. Stick with beneficial, safe poses that help to relieve the pain and stress that can accompany pregnancy.
Tree Pose
When you're pregnant, your balance can shift with your changing body, making it difficult to participate in activities that require balance. Practice centering yourself and increase your ability to balance using standing poses such as tree pose. You can perform tree pose while holding onto a wall or chair for support if necessary and modify the pose throughout your pregnancy. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Rest your left foot on the inside of your right ankle or knee and hold while pressing your palms together.
Bound Angle
Seated poses are ideal for pregnancy since they require little balance and can give you time to rest, relax and breathe. Sit straight with your tailbone tucked. Press the soles of your feet together with your knees pointing outward and feel the stretch in your pelvis. Avoid bouncing your knees; just slowly press down on them with your elbows until you achieve a better stretch. Maintain the pose for one to five minutes.
Cat Cow
Pelvic tilts can be beneficial for relieving back pain in pregnancy, but are traditionally done on the back. By doing a cat cow combination pose, you can reap the benefits of pelvic tilts without having to lie on your yoga mat. Begin on all fours with your chest open. Slowly round your back up into cat pose, breathing deeply. Then, drop the small of your back toward the mat in cow pose and breathe. Repeat the two poses in succession for as long as necessary.
Modified Bellows Breath
Meditation can help you relieve the stress that may naturally come with pregnancy, especially if you've had complications. By breathing in deeply and repeating affirmations, you can help relieve some of that stress to feel better. Stand with your hands on your thighs and your back rounded, with your head down. Breathe in deeply for three counts, hold the breath for three and then breathe out for three counts as well. With every breath, "Parents" magazine suggests that you repeat an affirmation like "With every breath, my baby becomes stronger."
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