Poses For Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal yoga is something that can actually help condition the body for the upcoming changes that pregnancy will bring. The focus of most women when they do prenatal yoga is the stretching that helps with childbirth and the changes of pregnancy but there are also other benefits that prenatal yoga brings. Pregnancy fitness is one of the benefits of this kind of yoga and so is the mental calm that one gets from yoga. For those who wish for prenatal yoga to help with the bodily changes brought about by pregnancy, here are some poses for you.

Cow And Cat Poses

For these poses, one needs to start with the neutral spine position on all fours. These prenatal yoga poses are best done slowly, feeling each movement as you change from a neutral spine position to the cow position. The cow position has you starting the change from the toes, which you curl as you inhale. The next thing is to slowly lower your belly and then lift your head to gaze up to the ceiling. The movement of lifting your head should start from the tailbone and travel through your spine up to the neck which is when you lift your head. This should be the culmination of your prenatal yoga pose.

Upon your next exhale, you will do the cat pose which entails releasing your feet from their curled position. The tops of your feet should rest comfortably on the mat as you start the cat pose. From the feet, feel the movement travel through your spine as you raise your spine to a rounded position. The last movement for this prenatal yoga position is to drop the head to such a point that you try to see the region of your bellybutton.

Supine Pelvic Tilts

This prenatal yoga pose is done lying on your back, which is great for those in their first month up to, maybe the fourth or fifth months. Many women are not comfortable with this prenatal yoga pose when their belly has grown to the point where lying supine presses the baby onto the vital organs and may causes some difficulty breathing. If you feel this, do the pelvic tilts standing up with your back against a wall.

Start this prenatal yoga pose by lying flat on the floor with your knees bent with your the heels of your feet almost touching your hands. Your hands should be flat by your side and there should be a slight natural curve between your lower back and the floor. As you exhale, lift your hips a little upwards, without actually lifting your entire bottom from the floor. In essence, you flatten the curve or space between your lower back and the floor. Inhale and return to your original, neutral position.

These prenatal yoga poses are well worth doing because they help strengthen the lower back and the pelvis. The cat and cow prenatal yoga poses also help to optimize the baby's position.