Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga

Program Details

Practicing Yoga during pregnancy has a wonderful ability to harmonize and bring body, mind and soul together. It creates a protected space for the growing baby and a positive, joyful experience for the mother to be. It also emphasizes particular poses, breathing, and relaxation techniques that help to prepare a woman physically (strengthens muscles used in labor & delivery, improve posture, improve
circulation (heart & lung health), increase endurance and build stamina), may relieve some physical discomforts of pregnancy (backache, heartburn, constipation and leg cramps), as well as preparing a woman mentally and spiritually for the marathon of labor.
Women who practice Yoga during pregnancy can learn to tap the source of inner strength and thus better cope with new challenges.

When can a pregnant woman start Prenatal Yoga?

Talk to your health care provider before practicing yoga to ensure you are in suitable health, especially if you have been living a sedentary lifestyle. Every woman, however has her own personal needs during pregnancy.

Before the 12th week of pregnancy, miscarriages can happen without any external influence, hence care must be taken before starting the yoga sessions. Be careful during twin pregnancies, multiple pregnancies or high-risk pregnancies. In general, most of them do not start prenatal Yoga in the first trimester because of all of the physical and physiological changes and adjustments going on in her body and her growing baby.

According to traditional wisdom, pregnancy is a manifestation of the presence of a new soul. Yoga practices strengthen the vitality and cosmic connectivity of the mother and the soul that she shelters. The key elements of these practices are maintaining good vitality and happy state of mind with good breathing and meditative practices.

Following is a broad description for the general needs and the type of practices divided by the trimesters.

First Trimester: (1st to 13th week of pregnancy)

It is a time of adaptation and has the highest risk of miscarriage. The listed cause is chromosomal abnormalities, problems with parental genes or anomalies in the uterus. This essentially points to improper cosmic programming affecting the fetal development, i.e. cosmic connectivity not being proper for the mother. It is also the period of morning sickness. During the first trimester, good deep sleep, stress-free living with nutritional diet is considered best for the mother for optimal fetal development. While in traditional societies the woman is taken care in a precious way with support from family members to take much rest and relax deeply, in modern societies with women engaged in the work-force stress is more common. The yogic definition of stress is demands on the system being more than available energy as explained in Chapter 5. To counter stress, deep and slow breathing, relaxations and meditations are the general recommendations in prenatal yoga.

Second Trimester: (14th to 27th week of pregnancy)

It is a time of well-being. The body has successfully adapted itself to the pregnancy and usually this is a period when few problems occur. Encourages gentle stretching done in motion with breath (Pranakriya style) is added along with the deep breathing, relaxation and meditation practices. Depending on the state of the person, conventional asanas like the warrior pose and hip bending poses may also be added.

Third Trimester: (28th to 40th week of pregnancy)

It is often a time of discomfort and increased complaints due to the growth of the baby. The physical performance is affected, hence preserving the quality of respiration becomes an added focus even as the other practices continue to promote connection with your baby and prepare for labor and delivery. The growing fetus tends to prevent diaphragmatic lower lung expansion. The meditative development allows the woman to not only breath well with chest breathing, but also adds other yogic mechanisms of preserving energy.

Benefits of Prenatal yoga:

Gives you time to connect with your body and your baby
Increases stamina & strength
Calms the mind & reduces stress
Relieves muscular tension
Helps you find balance both Physically & Mentally
Cosmic connectivity

This teaching of a pregnant woman in yoga follows a holistic approach, which is done gradually with the evolution of the pregnancy and within the capacity of the woman.

Post-natal Yoga:

It helps to heal the body and mind, repair all the tissues back to their former glory, restores hormonal balance, eases pressure on the nervous system, helps build up strength in the spine, minimizes the effects of holding and feeding a baby, provides rest and instant relaxation.
Physical Benefits of Postnatal Yoga – Promotes general health, complete stretch for the whole body, movements that promotes stamina and strength, realignment of the spine, toning the deep abdominal muscles after birth, helps knits back together separated abdominal muscles, relieves stiffness in the shoulders, strengthens pelvic floor muscles, abdominal and back muscles for core strength, expands breathing, improves blood flow, detoxification and movement of fluids, promotes hormonal balance, stimulate cell growth and repair, and maintains flexibility in the spine and joints.
Emotional Benefits of Postnatal Yoga – Continuity before and after birth, reclaiming your body, nurturing yourself, renewing energy, quietening the mind, relieves and prevent postnatal depression, connects breathing with emotions, aids bonding between mother and baby, positivity, confidence in handling baby, building trust and understanding, creating security for the baby, and healing emotionally after a difficult pregnancy or birth.
When does postnatal yoga begin – The yoga sessions can be taken from about 6 to 8 weeks after a normal delivery. Just make sure to ask your doctor before you make any decisions. We often recommend that you wait around 8 to 10 weeks after a C-section. As always, every woman heals differently. If you did prenatal yoga before delivery, your body may be ready sooner. Your doctor can give you more personalized recommendations. During the early postpartum weeks, walking is recommended for at least 10 mins a day (assuming you didn’t have any complications). Resting is very important during this period.
When does postnatal Yoga end – Considering the nature of delivery, postnatal yoga can be practiced 6 – 9 months after doctor recommend. Postnatal yoga has been shown to alleviate symptoms of postpartum depression, which can occur after the birth of the baby. Symptoms can develop within weeks of childbirth or even a year after childbirth.
What is the nature of practices – The Yoga practices are done in Pranakriya style.
Yoga practices are modified as per the individual need (body & mind)
It’s important to focus on how you feel and letting your body heal.