What Is Prenatal Yoga?

And What Can It Do for You?

Prenatal Yoga put simply is yoga practiced while pregnant before giving birth. Many practices can look like a normal vinyasa or hatha practice and incorporate safety modifications for your growing belling. For example, deep twists and deep backbends are usually a no-no.

Other practices may take a preparation to birth approach to prenatal yoga. You will practice regular asanas, but the teacher may throw in some Kegel exercises, deep squats, breathing techniques and mental endurance exercises designed to prepare you for labor and birth.

Either way, the benefits of yoga can amplify while pregnant. Your body is going through massive changes hormonally and physically. Expecting mummas may experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms. Yoga can help mummas to develop a deep understand and intuition for their bodies, connect with their growing babies and soften into challenging emotional experiences. This can be hugely beneficial for life and especially for the new challenges of motherhood.

Postnatal yoga can also provide a wealth of benefits. Pelvic floor complications from birth and possible tearing during labor are extremely common. Postnatal yoga can help to repair and strengthen the pelvic floor muscle. While caring for a newborn will be an around the clock job, it is also hugely important to find time for yourself. Even 10 minutes a day of self care on the mat can go a long way.