Yoga and the journey to motherhood
To follow a woman on the journey to becoming a mother is amazing. I have the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people (men and women) in my yoga classes and follow some of these yoginis during pregnancy forPrenatal Yoga, after birth with their babies for Postnatal Yoga and then back into a regular Vinyasa Flow Yoga Class.
I am certain that yoga is a tool that supports, strengthens and empowers us. In the journey to motherhood yoga is a way to find strength and support both physically and emotionally.
In the next few blogs I am exploring just how yoga may support women on this transformative journey. We are focusing on women trying to become pregnant, during pregnancy and postnatal as well as when their babies grow a little older.
Having said that: Yoga is fantastic for everyone no matter age, gender or intending to become a parent or not!
Fertility and Baby Preparation.
Being around babies can be, well, rather exhausting! Babies crying for no reason, having to be fed any time of the day or night, nappy changing, doing constant laundry, somehow making time to cook. Not to mention taking a moment away from baby to go to the toilet or have a shower. They have to be carried and played with… Having children requires a whole lot of strength and stamina!
If you have decided that this is what you want you might as well start to get fit. If you have an exercise regime stick to it. If not get started NOW. I am dedicated yogini so can not praise yoga enough. But it is important that you find exercise that you really like. And something that you will feel comfortable with during pregnancy when your body is going through so many changes. So if you choose yoga then find a teacher you click with and style you like (read THIS article for yoga styles).
How to exercise before pregnancy
As you prepare for pregnancy encourage your body to become strong. Back muscles will be supporting your bump as your baby grows and you want to promote good posture. The pelvic floor will take a lot of pressure and this is an area you will need to become familiar with. Create awareness of your abdominal muscles will help you get back into shape after birth. However if you are gym bunny, avid runner or exercise addict you might just want to ease off a bit. To become pregnant your body needs a certain amount of fat and space for growth – don’t exhaust yourself.
If you are actively trying to become pregnant you can safely continue most exercise routines though you might want to consult your trainer if you are into extreme sports!
Exercise whilst trying to become pregnant
This is a time to create space for the potential fertilisation. In yoga we may want to practise hip openers as a way of connecting to your pelvis and the pelvic organs (e.g. reproductive organs). The pelvis is associated with the water element, the Sacral Chakra (Swadisthana Chakra), with emotions, sensuality, creativity and sexuality. Allow yourself to relax your abdomen – again to make space for the potential growth of your baby. We hold a tremendous amount of tension in our abdomen – a lot of “holding on” – which we can try to release with intention, yoga and breath.
Trying to become pregnant may be a joyful and intimate time with your partner so indulge in this sensuality, pleasure and love.
If the joyful time has gone on for so long that it is now more a chore than pleasure to make love then take time out to do other pleasurable things. Having a massage, a delicious meal, a walk in nature…
Going to yoga can be a break from any pressure you may feel regarding becoming pregnant (from yourself, your partner, mother-in-law, friends…), it will give you time to breathe and to find a place of stillness. You may find that dealing with challenging yoga postures helps you deal with challenging life situations.
So enjoy your body, your breath and your yoga!
Next blog will explore why pregnancy is an excellent time to practise yoga.
From my blog at familiesonline.co.uk/yoga April 6, 2012