Why is it so important to me to offer Sun Salutation Modifications for Pregnancy?
I love working with pregnant moms in my prenatal yoga classes. But it’s also so important to me that these moms feel comfortable and safe in ANY yoga class they might attend–even if it’s not geared toward pregnant women.
After all, pregnant women can be so strong, capable, intuitive, and wise. And, often, pregnancy doesn’t slow them down a whole lot. If they’re feeling great, they should absolutely feel like they can walk into any most any yoga class and know exactly how to make the practice work for them.
Of course, you’ll have to modify the poses from time to time with pregnancy modifications to make room for that growing belly bump.
If you’re attending a fast-paced, vinyasa based yoga class it’s a bit more challenging, but not impossible. Most of these classes move quickly through Sun Salutations and you probably want to go with the flow as much as possible. (No one wants to draw too much attention to themselves by doing something completely different from the rest of the class.)
This post will give you a few ideas for how to modify Sun Salutations during pregnancy, help you go with the flow in a class, and offer some ideas for modifying a home practice that includes Sun Salutations, too. So read on, Mama.
Basic Sun Salutation Modifications for Pregnancy + Considerations
Keep your feet at least hip-distance wide.
This is so you don’t squish the baby as you fold forward. (See How to Modify Downward Facing Dog during Pregnancy)
Don’t rush.
There’s no need to speed up your pace to keep up with everyone else when your body is telling you to slow down. Try to correspond one movement with one slow, deep breath. It’s better to move slowly and move with integrity than get sloppy and risk hurting yourself. You’ve got the rest of your life to move faster and go deeper. Pregnancy is a time to drop in, slow down, and do less when your body wants you to.
See also 5 Signs You Need to Slow Down
Don’t jump.
Jumping from Uttanasana to Chaturanga, for example, is too jarring for the fetus. Step back and forward instead to transition.
Modifications for “A Vinyasa”
Even if you’re not practicing full, traditional Sun Salutations, many vinyasa yoga classes use Chaturanga, Up Dog, Down Dog as a transition during class.
Unless your upper body is strong and flexible enough (meaning you’ve already developed it throughs years of practicing yoga consistently) it can be hard to do this transition without bringing your belly all the way down to the floor–a big pregnancy no-no!
Even if you can do this transition, often referred to as “a vinyasa,” without putting weight on your belly, Upward Facing Dog is a pretty big backbend. It may not be a great idea for pregnant mamas because it could increase the risk of Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation).
Here are a few pregnancy modifications for “a vinyasa” you can try:
Bring Your Knees Down
My favorite modification for the “vinyasa” transition (Chaturanga, Up Dog, Down Dog) might simply be to bring the knees to the floor. It’s simple. It’s clean. It’s not fussy. And it gives you all the benefits of the transition without any of the risk.
Simply bring your knees down and align yourself in an inclined plane. As you exhale slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows straight back. You can go down just a couple of inches before you lift back up on the inhale.
Instead of a big, dramatic Upward Facing Dog, just come back to a tabletop position on hands and knees, bring the heads of your shoulders back, and peel the chest forward a bit.
Exhale. Lift your seat into Downward Facing Dog.
Use a Bolster
If you have a rectangular yoga bolster handy, using it is a really lovely modification for this Sun Salutation transition.
Just put the bolster in the center of your mat (perpendicular with the long edges of the mat). Then, let your hips land on it as you lower into Chaturanga (knees on the floor or not). Keep that support under your hips as you lift into a gentle Cobra Pose or Upward Facing Dog.
As a bonus, some people are able to rest their foreheads right on the bolster when they reach Downward Facing Dog. Heaven!
Skip it
You know what’s a great excuse (ahem, reason) to take Child’s Pose?! Pregnancy! When you’re feeling low energy or like you just need an extra rest, for Pete’s sake, just skip the Chaturanga, Up Dog, Down Dog, and take an extra breath or two in Child’s Pose.
Practicing at Home? Try the Teeter Totter Method
If you have the luxury of time that a home practice affords you, this is a great choice for you!
Just come onto hands and knees. Bring one leg behind you, parallel to the floor, toes pointing down toward the floor. As you exhale, keep pressing through the lifted foot (like you’re trying to press it into the wall behind you) as you bend your elbows straight back and lower down. As your shoulders lower, your lifted foot will lift higher like a teeter-totter.
Then, take Cow Pose as described above. Or grab the lifted foot with your opposite hand and lift both other hand and foot up toward the ceiling on an inhale. It’s a lovely chest and shoulder opening just like Upward Facing Dog,
Repeat to the other side before you move on to Downward Facing Dog.
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