Hot Yoga During Pregnancy: Is it Safe?

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful aspects of femininity and a child is the biggest dream of most women. Each pregnancy, each child born, is a special opportunity for a woman to discover within her great strength and flexibility. It can discover its great power and its rendering capacity; his great compassion is still a detachment. Most importantly, their greater capacity to love and nurture. For most women, labor is a time of anxiety, fear and agony. You are physically and mentally exhausted and in deep pain. But with proper prenatal preparation, most women can have a job that is easy and painless or almost painless and she can really enjoy the labor and experience a feeling of great joy and satisfaction. In life, pain and joy always go together. All of this, as well as childbirth traumas, can be overcome if the mind and heart remain focused on the true purpose of procreation, rather than its unfolding effects. Hot yoga has the ability to produce a superior conception quality, a healthier maternal environment for pregnancy and a more harmonious delivery experience. Hot yoga has vital tools for pregnancy. When followed together, they do wonders for your health and your ability to have a smooth pregnancy. This article explains this philosophy in detail.

How Will Yoga Help During Pregnancy?

Regular practice of hot yoga in pregnancy, in conjunction with gentle cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, can:

• Increase energy, stamina and endurance and decrease fatigue.
• Reduce physical and emotional tensions and stress.
• Transform anxiety and stress into beneficial energy.
• Increase strength and confidence.
• Improve posture, stability and balance.
• Reduce the likelihood and need for medical intervention during childbirth.
• Cause a healthy effect on the development and growth of the fetus
• Encourage a positive childbirth experience
• Improve the connection with your child, partner and family.
• Return the postpartum form faster

Safe Yoga Postures During Pregnancy

Keep in mind these are all meant to be supervised by a specialist!

• Neck and Shoulder Rotations
• Butterfly Elongation
• Cat Stretching
• Seated forward bending
• Side angle posture – Konasana 1 or 2
• Triangle posture

Unsafe Yoga Postures During Pregnancy

• Back-to-back push-ups
• Balancing postures on one leg – unless supported by chair or wall
• Camel
• Support in hands
• Head support
• Bow up

Breathing or Pranayama

Accorsing to HuffingtonPost article, pranayama ensures an ample amount of oxygen and a better balance for you and your baby. Daily practice of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (alternating nostril breathing), Ujjayi Pranayama and Bhramari (bee breathing) for 10 min 2-3 times a day works wonders. Pranayama induces tranquility, relaxation and a sense of well-being. It adjusts the nervous system, improves emotional stability and also helps to eliminate changes in mood, anxiety, fears and phobias. It improves the efficiency of the nervous system and thus brings relief from diseases such as insomnia, high blood pressure, shortness of breath. Most important of all, it helps a lot in promoting a peaceful birth with minimal stress and fatigue during labor.

Intention or Sankalpa

A very special characteristic of yoga is ‘Sankalpa’, which means an ‘intention’. Just take the sankalpa and hand it over to the higher power to take care of it. The relaxed body and mind are the ideal ground for making an intention. When your mind is relaxed, it easily sinks into the subconscious mind and directs the conscious mind to turn positive thinking into reality. ‘Sankalpa’ is an affirmation of a statement – short, positive, accurate, personal and in the present tense about what you want to achieve.

Although hot yoga is very beneficial during and after pregnancy, there are some practical guidelines regarding general precautions. For the first trimester, standing yoga postures are recommended, as this will help strengthen your legs, increase circulation, generate energy and reduce leg cramps. During the second and third trimesters, you can reduce your time spent practicing Asanas to avoid fatigue and overwork. Instead, focus more on breathing and meditation. A very gentle practice is also recommended from the tenth to the fourteenth week of pregnancy, as these are crucial moments. Studies have indicated that the more pregnant women are happy, the more likely they are to have a healthy baby. For decades, yoga and meditation have proven to be of benefit to pregnant women!