Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga: What You Need to Know
In many cultures around the world, a child is considered to be nine months old at the time of birth. This is because the baby has been alive and conscious in the womb during that time.
While a baby is developing in the womb of their mothers, they are affected by her mental and physical well-being.
Prenatal yoga can encourage health in the unborn child by relaxing the mother’s body, mind, and spirit. Thus the child is given a more peaceful home to live in. There are numerous benefits of yoga for pregnant women, physical, mental, and also spiritual.
Much like other types of childbirth-preparation classes, prenatal yoga is a multifaceted approach to exercise that encourages stretching, mental centering, and focused breathing.
What Can You Expect From a Prenatal and a Postnatal Yoga Class
A typical prenatal yoga class may involve:
• Breathing. You’ll be encouraged to focus on breathing in and out slowly and deeply through the nose. You
may also practice different breathing techniques and making deep sounds, such as humming or grunting. Prenatal yoga breathing techniques may help you reduce or manage shortness of breath during pregnancy and work through contractions during labor.
• Gentle stretching. You’ll be encouraged to gently move different areas of your body, such as your neck and arms, through their full range of motion.
• Postures. While standing, sitting, or lying on the ground, you’ll gently move your body into different positions aimed at developing your strength, flexibility, and balance. Props — such as blankets, cushions and belts — may be used to provide support and comfort. You’ll also continue to focus on your breathing.
• Calm down and relax. At the end of each prenatal yoga class, you’ll relax your muscles and restore your resting heart rate and breathing rhythm. You may be encouraged to listen to your breathing, pay close attention to sensations, thoughts, and emotions, or repeat a mantra or word to bring about a state of self-awareness and inner calm.
The Benefits of Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga
In a nutshell, Prenatal Yoga is designed to give you a toolbox of techniques and methods for dealing with your pregnancy, your labor, and even the stressful times of the first few days, weeks, and months after the birth.
People who complete Prenatal Yoga are better equipped to deal with the baby’s delivery itself, as well as the recovery period after birth.
Additionally, prenatal yoga can benefit the birthing process by increasing the strength and flexibility of the muscles, tendons, and joints that are used during childbirth.
Yoga is a fantastic all-round exercise, focusing on mental and physical well-being. As a form of exercise for pregnancy, it has many benefits, and a lot of women who participate in prenatal yoga classes wish to continue after they have given birth.
The main benefits of attending post-partum yoga classes are that it strengthens your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, and helps you to maintain healthy body weight, working towards getting back your pre-pregnancy body shape. Yoga is gentler than a lot of other exercises, so if you do want to take it slowly, this would be a great exercise to take part in.
Is Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Good For Everyone?
Research suggests that prenatal yoga is safe and can have many benefits for pregnant women and their babies.
Besides, you are only able to start attending classes only six to eight weeks after giving birth, unless advised otherwise by your doctor.
There are many different styles of yoga — some more strenuous than others. Prenatal yoga and Hatha (gentle) yoga are the best choices for pregnant women. If they’re not an option, talk to the instructor about your pregnancy before starting any other yoga class.
Be careful to avoid Bikram yoga, commonly called hot yoga, which involves doing vigorous poses in a room heated to 100 to 110 F (38 to 43 C). Bikram yoga may raise your body temperature too much, causing a condition known as hyperthermia.
Also, ashtanga and other types of power yoga may be too strenuous for women who aren’t experienced, yoga practitioners.
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- Duration 35 hours
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