Things You'll Need:
- A keen inner ear
- A yoga mat
- A bottle of room temperature water
- An eye pillow
- A rolled up towel
- Yoga music
-
Step 1
The best way to know how yoga poses normally feel to your body is to start a yoga practice before pregnancy.
-
Step 2
Practicing yoga on a regular basis will give you an idea of a pose is supposed to feel. You will know where you feel tight and how far you can stretch.
-
Step 3
By starting yoga before pregnancy, you can also start toning and stretching your muscles.
-
Step 4
If your beginning yoga practice takes place in a classroom, build a relationship with the teacher, who can be invaluable during your pre-natal yoga practice.
-
Step 5
Choose any type of yoga practice to help your body in its pre-pregnancy stage.
-
Step 1
In the first trimester, if you are not experiencing morning sickness, standing yoga poses can be quite comfortable when you have a wide stance. One standing pose you can do during pre-natal yoga is the mountain pose. Rather than keeping your feet together, separate them slightly to maintain balance.
-
Step 2
From the mountain pose, a woman practicing pre-natal yoga can move into a Warrior II pose. One way to vary the Warrior II pose in pre-natal yoga is to not move so far to the floor. In other words, do not sink all the way down into your bent knee.
-
Step 3
When practicing the Sun Salutation during pre-natal yoga, step back gently, without any jarring motion.
-
Step 4
When you are in a regular yoga class, and the class is practicing inversions, sit quietly instead. Or find a comfortable resting position.
-
Step 5
When moving into a pose which involves hanging the head, do not hold the pose for the entire time. First trimester nausea or dizziness could creep up.
-
Step 6
If you regularly practice yoga, and are in your first trimester, you may not have the energy for the poses. Attend your class and take benefit from the time to socialize, relax and meditate.
-
Step 1
During the second trimester, any balance pose in pre-natal yoga should be done with support. Either stand by a wall or use a chair or other stable prop. If the balance poses are still too much to handle, simply do the breathing and arm movements associated with the poses. This may affect the tree pose or the eagle pose.
-
Step 2
When practicing forward bending poses, you may need to place your growing belly between your legs. Make sure the belly has a place to go by spreading your knees and thighs.
-
Step 3
The same is true for seated forward bend poses. Make room for your belly when bending forward.
-
Step 4
Rather than practice any poses on your back, roll to the side and take a rest.
-
Step 5
There are certain poses that cannot be modified and should be avoided, including the cobra pose and the bow pose, or any pose which has you on your belly. Instead, do the cat pose.
-
Step 1
One way to make pre-natal yoga more enjoyable is to use props. Props can be used to place under knees, when knees are sore. Or use pillows for elevating the bottom, or for sitting.
-
Step 2
You do not need fancy yoga props or even pillows, roll up a towel. The towel can be used as a pillow or as a bolster. During meditation, use the towel to cover your eyes.
-
Step 3
Use props to make you more comfortable, not to push your body's limits during pregnancy.
-
Step 4
Towards the end of every pre-natal yoga session, meditate. Rather than staying flat on your back during the second trimester and third trimester, roll gently to the side and learn to meditate from that position.
