After nearly 10 years of yoga practice and study, I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about practicing yoga asanas (there’s always more to learn, of course, but I had mastered the basics—yay me!). But then I got pregnant. And I realized I had no freaking clue what I was doing when it came to practicing yoga during pregnancy.
I Googled. I found some basic guidelines (mostly how to modify the practice for a giant belly), but nothing that was a really good detailed guide that shared everything I needed to know about practicing for two. It was frustrating. I emailed a few yoga teachers who I admired and respected (I didn’t want to ask my teachers in person because I wasn’t ready to spill the beans just yet). Still I mostly got a lot of non-answers like “it’s different for everyone,” “do what feels goods,” “oh, you’ll KNOW if you’re doing something that’s unsafe.” These are true statements, but I wanted someone to just freakin’ tell me what I should do and what I shouldn’t do. Is that really too much to ask? Maybe you’re here because you’re feeling the same way (If that’s the case, Congratulations! Motherhood is a doozy and it will change you forever in both good and not-so-good ways.). It turns out so much about practicing yoga during a pregnancy is trial-and-error. I had to just try some things out and see what would work for me in that particular moment. It all ended up working out OK because I had a healthy baby girl in the end and I felt pretty strong and healthy for most of my pregnancy—and after, too.
P.S. If you’re here looking for the Do’s and Don’ts of Yoga during Pregnancy scroll down—there’s a free download JUST for you at the bottom of the page!
3 Things I Didn’t Know About Practicing Yoga During Pregnancy
1. It’s not rocket science, but it’s different for everyone.
When I first found out I was pregnant I freaked out—and not just because of the whole “there’s a person growing in my belly” concept, but also because I didn’t know all the “rules” about practicing yoga while I was pregnant. By the time I reached by third trimester, I realized something I don’t think many people know about yoga during pregnancy. I’ll let you in on the secret: There are basic guidelines for practicing when pregnant. Yes, there are many poses that are recommended or not recommended during pregnancy—but it’s different for everybody and what feels great one day might feel totally horrible and unsafe the next. Also, it’s pretty unlikely that you’re going to do anything that will harm your baby on your yoga mat—even if you’re not following the guidelines to a T. If it feels good, it probably IS good. And if it doesn’t—back off and move on to something that does. The same “rule” applies to pregnancy yoga as yoga during any other time of your life: Trust your body and your intuition.
2. Most yoga teachers really don’t know that much about yoga during pregnancy, so it’s important to do your own homework.
Sure, most teachers know the basic modifications for twists and Savasana when you’ve got a giant belly, but unless a teacher either has extensive training in prenatal yoga (or has actually experience practicing yoga while pregnant), but unless the teacher is trained specifically in prenatal yoga, I take what they’re saying with a grain a salt. Sorry men.. I don’t care how many books you’ve read—if you haven’t felt it, I won’t be seeking out your advice. Oh, and even though not everyone knows very much about pregnancy yoga, when you tell a teacher you’re expecting they will feel the need to tell you everything they DO know. I know they were trying to help (and also cover their asses from any liability). But I found this particularly annoying in my first trimester when I didn’t exactly want everyone who walked into the studio to know my business and ask me questions.
3. I thought I hated prenatal yoga classes because I couldn’t find one for me.
I apologize in advance to all the prenatal teachers and mamas out there who got tons of benefits from their prenatal classes. It’s just wasn’t for me. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I went to quite a few prenatal yoga classes (to be clear, I consider prenatal yoga a class that’s designed for pregnant women as opposed to pregnancy yoga which is the term I’m using for practicing any hatha yoga during pregnancy), and they seem to be geared toward the mama who might go into labor at any given second instead of to someone like me who still wants to move a lot and get in a good sweat. It’s possible that I just never found the right prenatal yoga class for me. But during my first pregnancy, I decided I’d rather modify poses in my regular classes. I can still salute the sun, thank you very much.
Update 2016: I ended up becoming a prenatal yoga teacher after I had my baby because I wanted to help mamas have a better experience than I did! Like most prenatal yoga classes, my classes are geared toward beginning yoga students, but I’m also very careful to offer ways to amp up the practice for those mamas who have an existing practice and do not enjoy paying someone their heard-earned money so they can lay on a bolster for 55 minutes. My philosophy is that a pregnant mama should be able to rest when she’s feeling exhausted, but she should also be able to challenge herself physically and get some nervous energy out when she’s feeling energized. I try to create a space for both. And I absolutely couldn’t be more proud of the community we’ve created for mamas here. If you’re in the Charleston, SC area, check out my prenatal yoga classes in the Charleston, SC area, and come see me! (Please let me know you found me through the blog—it will make me SO happy!) If you’re not close by, stay tuned—my plan is to offer lots of online resources so that you can practice along no matter where you live.
I want to hear from other yoga mamas out there.. is there anything that really surprised you about practicing yoga during pregnancy?
Read more …
5 Things I Learned Practicing Yoga for Two
Why Every Yoga Mama Needs a Secret Savasana
Yogi Wars and Mommy Wars + Why I’m Done With Both
I agree that most prenatal yoga is way too gentle for someone who had a pretty vigorous practice before getting pregnant. I found a great prenatal class in New York during my first pregnancy but couldn't find one for the life of me during my second pregnancy until the end when I slowed way down. On the other hand, being pregnant is a great way to explore letting go of your expectations of what your body can do, because it is changing practically by the second. That's a lesson I've tried to continue to follow after the pregnancies are long over.
P.S.- Prepare to be disappointed by most postnatal classes too. Only a very few focus on yoga for the mom rather than slinging your baby around and singing songs.
No! I don't want to sing songs in yoga class! Well, a little kirtan here and there is OK.. but other than that.. No.
Maybe I'll start a studio devoted to yoga mamas who don't want to give up their practice because they've got a little one one the way/here.. Do you think there's a market for that?
There are no words to describe how bodauiocs this is.
There's definitely a market for women who want to keep doing real yoga while pregnant, and I'm in it! However, another important thing to note about prenatal yoga is about diastasis, the normal separation that occurs in the abs. I'll take warrior poses to work my core any day over crunches, but it's crucial to avoid overstretching the abs even further. Just think, every millimeter your rectus abdominus has to stretch apart during pregnancy is one more millimeter you'll have to heal and close before you can really get your body back after pregnancy. And because the abs are connected to your pelvic floor, well … hello! My style encourages quite a bit of strong movement that is also blended with pilates. I taught through TWO healthy pregnancy. I taught the DAY I gave birth to my daughter 😉
Yes! Health clubs have babysitting services. Why not yoga studios?
I am a yoga teacher with 2 kids and have similar sentiments about prenatal yoga for the most part. I think there is something to be said about the company of other pregnant women though.
With my baby I got the Blooma prenatal yoga dvd at the end of my second trimester. I am not a yoga dvd fan but I love it. Lots of planks to keep strong abdominals. And besides the awesome yoga practice there are some inspiring birth videos too. I promise I have no affiliation . . . just a very happy customer:)
#1 – The best advice I got was "don't squish the baby". If it feels squishy don't do it. Otherwise probably ok.
#2 – Truth.
#3 – I heart prenatal yoga. Not sure if my classes were different than yours or it was just that I couldn't do much cause I was so sick the whole time but prenatal yoga saved me. But if you can still hang in a regular class – you go girl!
: )
Nearly 37 weeks here- baby #Dos.
I'm also wrapping my 200RYT.
I'm in class with a GREAT teacher but when she makes adjustments and suggestions for me- I smile, comply and keep my mouth shut. Taking these classes is part of my teacher training- sure, I could argue that these are MY classes and I deserve to do what I want to do… but I practice how I want to when I'm at home. The adjustments she's making on me (in a regular population class- I completely agree about prenatal classes) are to make her, as the teacher, feel safe- and I don't need to fight her in her own yoga studio (read: ego work- I don't need to prove anything.)
I am going to jump on the boat of hearting prenatal yoga. If nothing else is 90 minutes of being a room full of people that are just going to be nice. Just a positive vibe. I went from taking hatha and alignment yoga classes to prental. With all the hustle and bustle of preparing, work, oh yeah and life those 90 minutes of gentle stretching are just for me to focus, relax and enjoy the positive energy around me. Plus, my teacher is fantastic. She has an amazing gentle spirit that brings her prenatal yoga education background and love for teaching flow into a fun class that is *just* challenging enough for the new-growing-a-turnip bump and for those who are waddling and rolling off of bolsters.
I also practice at home, yet the one time I did take my normal class I felt a little eh… awkward. Maybe being in a room of fellow rolly polly yogis is comforting while the other class makes me feel a little like a manatee imitating a flamingo?
I have to say I really enjoyed my pregnancy yoga class. Yes it was easier than the practice I was used to, but I loved being around other pregnant women and the teacher was quite insightful. I did, however, take one prenatal yoga class on a visit to FL and didn't enjoy it much. A good pregnancy yoga class should feel like a new experience, not just a downgraded version of a normal yoga class.
i did both prenatal yoga and ashtanga throughout my pregnancy, and i found that they balanced each other out. ashtanga (lots of modifications) kept me strong, made me breathe and kept me focused – all good things for labor! prenatal was at times just yummy stretching (especially when sciatica got bad), lots of squatting and good alignment. i found both really helped me to stay in shape throughout pregnancy and give me the relief i needed when my body started to get cranky.